Hanley Grange now proposed to be 7,000 houses plus 3,000 as a later option

The developer's website has changed the numbers, so that the orginal 8,000 houses proposed is now amended to around 7,000 new homes on 375 hectares, with an opportunity to deliver a further 3,000 homes in the future. The leafletting and publicity raising by the local Joint Action Group of Parish Councils continues. There is a public meeting for Whittlesford residents scheduled for Thursday, 5th June. The developers are also planning a roadshow.

Post Offices - getting ready

Starting to dig into the information on how the Post Office is going to run its programme of branch closures, in terms of how it will impact on Whittlesford and Thriplow.

The UK has been divided into 47 areas, and for each area the Post Office will develop an Area Plan Proposal setting out the changes it intends. Following publication of the Area Plan Proposal, there is a six week public consultation, then the decision is made, although those Post Office branches identified for closure which then go into a second review as a result of PostWatch intervention then go through another process.

For Cambridgeshire, the Area Plan will be published on 8th July. There are 172 post offices in the county, excluding Peterborough. If the closure rate is 17 to 18 per cent, as in Sussex, that would mean 29 to 31 branches would close. In Leicestershire and Rutland, and Wiltshire, the closure rates have been closer to 14%, in Kent, 16%.

The arguments put forward during public consultation on Area Plans in other parts of the country: vulnerable customer groups, bus journey lengths and frequency, parking, impact on local services eg shops, queues lengthened at other offices as a result.

The success rate for reversing the initial decisions is low: one to two changes per area, even where proposed closures went to reconsideration following review by Postwatch.

More news from the Stop Hanley Grange front

Two very important meetings last week have moved the campaign on apace.

One was a session chaired by Andrew Lansley, the local MP, which gave local councillors, and parish council reps. the chance to catch up on the evidence that is being pulled together to argue the case against Hanley Grange. This covers issues like infrastructure, transport, true picture on local job situation etc. I really felt that after that meeting, we were all beginning to work as a team.

The second meeting was of all the parish council reps, including from Whittlesford and Thriplow, who have formed the Joint Action Group to get local activity going, letting people know what it planned, doing local publicity, and doing it very well. But there is so little time - next steps are more public meetings to raise awareness, and keeping the pressure on via petitions, letters, press stories, and more evidence gathering for the submission to go to the Housing Minister.

Keeping fit the local democracy way!

More leaflets to deliver! The week after all the excitement of the elections, I was out again this time jogging round and dropping off leaflets for Whittlesford Parish Council's Annual Meeting. Thriplow's Parish Council's AGM meeting was the same week, and tho' I do cycle over the mountain to Thriplow quite often I decided not to risk it that evening - and a good job, because by the time we had finished discussing Hanley Grange, it had gone dark!

Big meeting of all parish councils united against Hanley Grange

Went to the meeting this evening in Whittlesford about Hanley Grange - and came away with some work to do sorting out the publicity material!

Most of the parish councils in south Cambridgeshire were represented, together with one or two local societies, a number of South Cambs district and Cambridgeshire County councillors, as well as a district councillor from Uttlesford. County and District Planning officials were there.

There was an update of recent activity:

• the petition on the “stop hanley grange” website;
• South Cambs had written to all the parish clerks setting out its opposition to the building of Hanley Grange;
• A leaflet put together by the County, South Cambs, Cambridgeshire Horizons and Andrew Lansley MP was being distributed to all houses within a radius of 8 miles;
• A formal motion was to be put to Cambridgeshire County Council to formally oppose Hanley Grange;
• Jarrow Associates had announced their intention to carry out public consultation via a roadshow to put the case for Hanley Grange.

A speaker from Save Elsenham Village gave a presentation. Not the same situation as we have the district and the county on our side! But some useful points made:

· At Elsenham there is a joint parish steering group which represents the parishes involved, supported by funding via parish precepts;

· a smaller Working Group has been set up, with financial authority to spend money and take decisions without having to clear everything through the Steering Group;

• the roles on the Working Group are well defined, and there is a strategy guiding the campaign, including identifying which are the arguments that are “winnable”;

· there was a strong emphasis on PR, single point of contact for press liaison, having very clear “lines to take”, and the importance of good quality letters written by residents opposing the building plans.

What was decided was that all the parishes would send representatives to a meeting next Thursday, to agree the setting up of a JSPG, and who would do what, and report the result to the next meeting chaired by Andrew Lansley.

I said I would work with a group of people to get the proposals for leaflets etc sorted out so we know what is needed and what it will cost - by next week!

What's coming up on Hanley Grange

On Wednesday there is a meeting in Whittlesford Memorial Hall of local parish councils, together with a number of local village societies, starting at 7.30 pm. This follows on from the meeting in April chaired by Andrew Lansley MP.

Excerpts from Peter's Hanley Grange blog...

Sun 6 April Download the eco-town material from the Government website, wrap wet towel round head and start reading…discover that “if you want to know more about the Hanley Grange proposal” there is a top-notch PR company to call. Interesting.

Tue 8 April Go to Parish Council meeting – aim to find out more at a session with other parish councils next week.

Thu 10 April Send out what I’ve found to people I know locally. People ask “where exactly is Hanley Grange?” Even Cambridge Evening News is vague on the point.

Mon 14 April Meet Andrew Lansley, local MP. One large map and mug of coffee later, pin-point location of Hanley Grange and the three stages of its planned development: 8,000 houses built on quality agricultural land.

Tue 15 April Go to evening meeting called by MPs and Cambridge
Horizons. More than ten parish councils are here.
County and district planning officials set out existing
building plans e.g. 23,000 houses including Northstowe,
and so why HG would be housing overkill. Parish councils speak with feeling on threat to shops, including Sawston High Street, as well as road and rail burden.

Thu 17 April Out canvassing in the evening. Hanley Grange comes up on
the doorstep again and again. Pat lots of dogs. Talk to Heathfield resident against background of A505 traffic.
Bad enough as it is. How could this road cope if a town
the size of Ely was added in?

Thriplow resident asks: would a dualled A505 come
closer to the village?

Mon 21 April Parish councillors meet to decide how to set out HG issues
for people locally, and agree to research train traffic volumes – which means counting commuters at the
station over a few mornings!

Tue 22 April On morning train down to London. Squashed up and standing in the aisles. Wonder what it will be like with another few thousand people sharing the journey from Whittlesford
Parkway and Audley End....