High Court case law on cemeteries in the Green Belt

Some useful recent case law  - this year - regarding planning applications for cemeteries on green belt land.

In Timmins v. Gedling Borough Council  the High Court ruled on a case concerning an application for judicial review of the planning permission granted for a crematorium and cemetery in the Green Belt in Gedling.  

The Council's planning committee had been advised that the crematorium was inappropriate development, but that the cemetery, on its own, was not.  Consequently, the Planning Committee's consideration of whether there were "very special circumstances" which justified the development focussed on the need and absence of alternative sites for the crematorium alone.  

Quashing the planning permission, the judge held that paragraphs  89 and 90 of the NPPF provided an exclusive list of the circumstances in which development would be regarded as "not inappropriate", and that (unlike the previous advice in PPG2) these did not include the change of use of land to use as a cemetery.  

whittlesford scrapyard update

These are the action points coming out from the meeting I arranged between local residents of Station Road, Whittlesford parish council and the County Highways, South Cambs planners and environmental health teams:

·         Agreed SCDC will consider the request for SCDC to do street cleaning between 8-10pm when it is likely there will be less cars parked along the roadside

·         Agreed SCDC to confirm the programme of street cleaning and provide copies of any street cleaning policies

·         Confirmed SCDC happy to undertake further consideration of noise impacts if changes to noise levels/types are identified and reported to SCDC

·         Agreed that SCDC will seek an opinion on lawful use of sites known as 40 and 41 in light of information to be submitted by residents and further SCDC site investigations

·         Agreed SCDC enforcement officer will encourage erection of acoustic fence

·         Local Highway Authority will keep existing drain areas as clear as possible to help minimise mud whilst investigating any options for repair of damaged drains – will liaise with Parish Council

I will be asking local residents to keep logs of noise issues so that the environmental officer has the evidence needed, and reminding the highways people of the mud clearance commitment.

Meanwhile, Whittlesford's bid for speed reductions at Newton Road is a winner

I'm pleased that the bid made by Whittlesford Parish Council to the County under the Minor Highways Improvements Initiative has come up trumps. 

I spent two afternoons on the panel hearing all the bids - obv. I couldn't vote for my own villages - but the plans to get traffic to reduce speed coming into Whittlesford along Newton Road will be welcomed by residents and cyclists and equestrian-types all. The highways engineers are keen to work with the parish to find the best and most effective solution to the problem. 

A Local Plan (and a local plan)

South Cambridgeshire District Council has this month moved a step closer towards putting in place a Local Housing Plan for the next 20-30 years. A full day meeting went through the recommendations and heard objections. The meeting was contentious because of the large numbers of people opposing the plans to build several thousand houses at Waterbeach and Bourn Airfield in particular. 

This process started some years ago, and residents of local villages will remember the "call for land" exercise in 2011, which saw significant areas of land around and in Whittlesford Heathfield and Thriplow put forward. These areas of land were not taken forward into the Local Plan, principally on the argument that such development would present too great a challenge to the local infrastructure (roads, schools etc.

My main interest in attending was to represent the views of Whittlesford Heathfield and Thriplow residents on the issue of the proposed building of several hundred houses between Sawston and Babraham, as well as to review the plans more generally. The concern is that these additional houses will mean that the services in Sawston on which other villages nearby rely, such as the health centre, parking and shops, become overloaded. 

If the Local Plan is agreed by the full Council meeting in March then it will go to the planning inspector for review. The adoption of the Local Plan does not mean that there can be no further development other than that specified in the plan. This is why the proposed neighbourhood plan for Whittlesford that the parish council is taking forward matters. It is a means by which the community can have some control over future planning applications in and around the village. 

At least it isn't Somerset

I managed to catch up with the County Highways team and their engineer manager who carry out the jetting of drains using high-powered water pressure etc so that build-ups of silt carried into the drains by the rain do not then block the drains, so the next flood of water has nowhere to go except lie on the roads or into people's houses and gardens. 

I had raised various locations that needed attention in emails over the last week or so and it was good to sit down and catch up on progress. I was grateful for the cup of tea too, though I think they have been out in the weather more than I have. Jetting has been carried out at Duxford today, and will be at Abington tomorrow and Whittlesford (Pond House corner) last week. I also asked the district council to get a supply of sandbags out to Bustler's Rise which they undertook to do this afternoon.

One thing that is very clear to me is that in the past, various drains on private land have not been cleared - in part because people probably didn't know much about it. Do you know where your village drainage ditch is? It didnt really matter if a small development didnt clear out its drains because the County kept on top of their drains and the amounts of rain meant they were not overwhelmed. But if we are to get weather like this going forward, everyone has to do their bit. The top pic shows a small dam across a field that the farmer has put in to slow down the water coming off the land. The next pic shows pathways streaming with water, the third pic is a makeshift diversion to stop water going into a drain that is already blocked, and the final pic is the ford at Babraham the other night when I was coming back from the parish council meeting. But it isnt Somerset, and we should be grateful for that.

Fly-tipping II

The district council have removed the lesser fly-tip between Whittlesford and Thriplow on the track used by walkers, riders, cyclists and farmers between the two villages. 

While it isnt anything like the mountain that appeared last week at Fowlmere, it was reported to me in mid January and needed shifting and it has been done by the guys. 

Formula 1 at Duxford

Formula1 cars first started being tested at the IWM at Duxford in 2009. The testing of F1 cars is a highly specialised activity, and the IWM is paid for the use of the runway.
Since then a number of different F1 teams have used the track, starting with Renault (see left) and their activity is subject to a protocol agreed with the South Cambs District environment officers, and the local parish councils.

This includes the time that the testing can start and finish, duration and break-times, and noise monitoring. I have been talking to the environment officers and I am pleased that the racing teams and the IWM are being considerate of local requirements.
For example, the testing that was due to take place on 15 May was delayed in the morning as local schoolchildren were taking their SATS exams. I have asked that there is noise assessment done during the next test day, on 19 June, so that the situation is kept under review. But so far, this has worked reasonably well for four years.  

hanley grange - a fifth anniversary

Five years ago - in the early summer of 2008 - people living in the villages of this part of Cambridgeshire mobilised in their hundreds to "stop Hanley Grange" and oppose the proposals for a 10,000 house development.
People believed that the planned new-town, put forward under the eco-town initiative of the then government, would have swamped Hinxton, Pampisford and the villages of Great and Little Abington, put Sawston High Street out of busines, and made the A505 even more of a gridlock than it is already.
Over the last few weeks I have been reminded of that effort by local people in the faded car bumper sticker I saw at Pampisford last Thursday and the odd poster on a playground fence. Now the local housing plan has been published, showing that most of the new houses over the next 20 years will be built at Northstowe, Bourn Airfield, Waterbeach and on the outskirts of Cambridge at Trumpington.
But there is always the chance that the people who own the land on which Hanley Grange would have been built will argue that allowing such a settlement would - mirroring Northstowe - meet the housing demand south of the City.
So as always, the price of freedom is eternal vigilance.

Safe routes to school in Whittlesford

Out in Whittlesford this morning and early afternoon - dodging the showers and occasional hailstones - and had a long talk with a village mum about how best to get children moving about the place safely, including to school, and the play areas and even the shop.

There are many parts of the village where to get from one place to another means crossing an awkward junction with poor sightlines, or a narrow pavement, or no pavement at all.

The junction of Newton Road and Middlemoor is a good example, and if there are going to be new houses at Newton Road we will have to think about innovation - which is where we would need to explore funding options, and get the the road safety experts at the County Council to advise in terms of coming up with safety ideas. Otherwise children just get driven everywhere, don't have the chance to learn independence, and the roads get busier.

Sensible suggestion from a Mum in Whittlesford this evening as I was out talking to people. The warmer and longer days soon bring all the children out on bikes, skateboards etc. 

Parish council reports

Weather looks promising this weekend - good time for putting down lawn feed - but I MUST write the parish council end of year report for Whittlesford: including sorting out of parking off Station Road, reaching agreement over the village social club hours, clearing the asbestos sheds and planting the community orchard, continuing efforts toameliorate the impact of the scrapyard, the proposals to have a lorry depot on the A505 at Moorfield Road, and the decision to produce a Neighbourhood Plan for the village.

Baffler sound barrier for the scrapyard at Whittlesford

The parish council at Whittlesford voted in favour of the planning application from the scrapyard to put up a noise reducing sound barrier.
We want to understand more about the technical build and we want the environment officers to monitor this, from the district council, but this is a good step forward to reduce the noise from the business.
We also have the road swept now by the district - and trying to get the County to do something about the mud on the road.
 I have written to the police asking them to keep up their patrols in Station Road and we will also write to the transport commissioners about unsheeted loads leaving the yard.
 

Hole in the ground

Good to see some investigative work going on by the County Highways engineers as to the drain at Station Road, Whittlesford which has become blocked with mud. We on the parish council asked the district who asked the county to take a look.

When it rains the road near the postbox leading to the station itself is more like shores of some African watering hole.

Scouts II

Whittlesford Parish council is backing Duxford & Whittlesford scouts in their bid to build a hut in Duxford for the benefit of the scouts in both villages. By the by, they have raised £160,000 which is phenomenal, including a £40k chunk from Amey Cespa.

The wood for the trees

I've queried with South Cambs the tree felling going on at Whippletree Road in Whittlesford.

The tree officer reply is that  SCDC received an application to fell a protected Ash tree last year. This was followed up by a site meeting with the tree surgeon and owners of the land and consent to fell was granted. 

The  area of woodland behind the front boundary is not subject to any statutory protection and the owners wish to re-establish the front hedge, remove the self-set thorn and to bring back a wild flower meadow which once was there along with planting a small orchard.  Only the removal of the Ash required consent from SCDC.

I have asked them to check Shelford Road - just to be sure there too that any tree felling is legit.

Station Road Whittlesford will be swept tomorrow, Weds 3 April!

Hopefully by more advanced technology than that used by Cossette (see pic).

South Cambs environment team called me this morning to say that they will put a road cleaning team onto Station Road Whittlesford tomorrow at about 7.15am.

Hopefully with the Easter break, there won't be as many commuter cars there, so thay can get a good run.

Duxford Chapel...hmmm

The parish council at Whittlesford has had a good due diligence read through the arrangements/contract that exists between the district council and English Heritage re the chapel and looking after it.

The district council is keen that the parish council becomes the partner with English Heritage.
 
We have some questions - especially on the financials. So we are not planning to rush into this.

Fowlmere's bus service ...lessons

The bus services running through the villages of South Cambridgeshire have been heavily subsidized and the County is right to look at this cost.
Over the past year Whittlesford, Hinxton and Heathfield residents who used the C7 bus have had to work hard in trying to ensure the replacement to their service proposed by the County Council is fit for purpose.
For smaller villages such as Hinxton and Fowlmere where there is no shop or Post Office, let alone the rail service that Whittlesford enjoys, public transport is a vital link.
Fowlmere's bus service is under threat as the subsidy is going to be withdrawn. This is already a very limited service of five buses a day into Cambridge, Mon to Fri, and the County Council needs to show that this basic service will be maintained, and that there will not be the dip in service that ocurred for Hinxton, Heathfield and Whittlesford.

Station Road Whittlesford

Since residents complained about the state of this road at the parish council meeting I've been on to the district council, who have tasked a sweeper from the depot to sweep the road, and at the same time got the County to agree to unblock the drain at the bottom of the road. These are the symptoms, but they still needed tackling.
The underlying issue is the mud and silt coming from lorries using the road, and the Highways Depot is considering the evidence compiled at our instigation by the highways engineer. And the recycling yard have said they will sweep the road following a visit from the district environmental team. 
The thing now is to make sure all the above happens, but these are helpful undertakings by the relevant local authorities to keep what is largely a residential road up to snuff.   

The Sandhills of Whittlesford

At Whittlesford Parish Council meeting in March the state of Station Road was raised by residents - not the holes and bumps but rather the silt and mud deposited there by lorries using the road.
In dry weather this produces swirls of dust and grit like something out of a Nebraska frontier town, leading to a number of complaints by local residents.
I contacted the environment enforcement officer at the District Council who passed me on to the highways engineer at the County transport deport on the other side of the railways at Whittlesford Bridge. She has been out and taken photos and confirmed there is a potential offence under the Highways Act.
Now the issue is with the highways supervisor for the area for assessment and decision. We will keep the pressure on to get the road cleaned up and try to get those who cause it to pay for the costs.