Daily Archives: 16 Sep 2015

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16 Sep 2015

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Cranbrook, DCC, EDDC, Environment (local)

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That report on Cranbrook again: design – or rather lack of it

“The quality of the architecture does not reflect the distinctive characteristics of the built environment in Devon. Cranbrook looks like it could be anywhere in the country. A more detailed and robust design guide should be created and enforced in future phases of the development.”

http://www.devon.gov.uk/cma_report.htm?cmadoc=report_cs1519.html

Er, didn’t East Devon District Council have a “Design Champion” during all this time? In 2014 the “Planning design and heritage champion” was Councillor Alen Dent and we seem to recall that Mrs Helen Parr also once held the job. Did they not notice this?

There also appears to be an “East Devon Design Review Panel”:

http://eastdevon.gov.uk/planning/planning-services/planning-development-management/design-review-panel/

Anyone else ever heard of that before? And where are its agendas and minutes?

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16 Sep 2015

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AONB, Environment (local), Fracking

Fracking licenses threaten hundreds of our most important wildlife sites

“Hundreds more of England’s most important wildlife sites are now at risk from fracking after the government opened up 1,000 sq miles of land to the controversial technology, a new analysis has found.

Among the 159 licences issued last month to explore for oil and gas onshore in the UK – likely to include fracking for shale oil or gas – are 293 sites of special scientific interest (SSSI), the definition given to an area protecting rare species or habitats.

According to the RSPB, which compiled the list of SSSIs, the result could be significant damage to the UK’s remaining habitats for rare wildlife and plants.

Martin Harper, director of conservation at the charity, said the government had backtracked on its pledges to protect important habitats. “In February, Amber Rudd [energy and climate change secretary] specifically promised to ban fracking within all sites of special scientific interest, but this promise seems to have been forgotten,” he said.”

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/sep/16/new-wave-of-fracking-licences-threatens-hundreds-of-key-english-wildlife-sites

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16 Sep 2015

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Affordable and Social Housing, Democracy, Local Plan, National Planning Policy Framework, Neighbourhood Plans, Transparency

NPPF to be “simplified” by group of developers, consultants, the Tory MP for Henley, a Tory Councillor and a Planner from a Tory Council!…

“Planning Minister Brandon Lewis  (15 September 2015) launched a new group of experts to help streamline the local plan-making process.  The 8-strong panel will consider how it can be simplified [yet again!] with the aim of slashing the amount of time it takes for local authorities to get them in place.

This will provide greater certainty to communities regarding plans for new homes and infrastructure in their area, while speeding up the planning process so developers can get on site quicker.

Members include:

  • Chair John Rhodes of planning consultants Quod
  • Adrian Penfold from developers British Land
  • Richard Harwood QC from legal firm 39 Essex Chambers
  • Councillor Toby Elliott from Swindon Borough Council
  • Keith Holland, a retired Senior Planning Inspector
  • Liz Peace, formerly of the British Property Federation
  • John Howell MP, member for Henley
  • Derek Stebbing, Local Authority Plans Manager for Chelmsford City Council”

Quote from the Planning Minister:

“Our planning reforms have caught the imagination of communities across the country, allowing them to bring forward developments that are a real benefit to local people.

However, while many have seized this opportunity, it’s fair to say the process of getting Local Plans in place can sometimes be lengthy and complicated.

That’s why we’ve brought together this panel of experts to help look at ways to streamline the process. Their first-class advice will help councils push on and deliver the homes and infrastructure that their communities need.”

https://andrewlainton.wordpress.com/2015/09/16/its-pag-ii-they-are-the-main-cause-of-slow-local-plans-so-why-let-them-wreck-them-further/

“Group of experts, eh”.  Same old ……

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16 Sep 2015

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Affordable and Social Housing, Austerity cuts, EDDC

East Devon council housing – 260 plus homes will have to be sold off

Can anyone explain why East Devon has to sell off more than twice as many council houses as the whole of Cornwall, four times as many as Bournemouth, Wiltshire, Cheltenham and Stroud and Exeter and seven times as many as Mid Devon, not to mention thirteen or fourteen times as many as Swindon, Gloucester and Sedgemoor? It can’t be explained by relative general house prices surely?  And why in order for housing association tenants to get up to £100,000 to buy THEIR homes?

To put it into another context – you would have to add up all the council housing to be sold in Sedgemoor, Gloucester, Swindon, Mid-Devon, Stroud, Cheltenham, Taunton Deane AND Exeter (286) to overtake just East Devon (262)!

TOTAL (South West) 1440 1.4%

Bristol, City of 374 1.3%

East Devon 262 6.1%

Poole 259 5.7%

Cornwall 111 1.1%

Bournemouth 71 1.4%

Wiltshire 71 1.3%

Exeter 70 1.4%

Taunton Deane 62 1.1%

Cheltenham 59 1.3%

Stroud 57 1.1%

Mid Devon 31 1.0%

Swindon 6 0.1%

Gloucester 5 0.1%

Sedgemoor 2 0.0%

http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/East-Devon-areas-worst-hit-new-government-plans/story-27808795-detail/story.html

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16 Sep 2015

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Affordable and Social Housing, Cranbrook, EDDC, Planning System

And still we don’t build age-appropriate housing …

Cranbrook was criticised for having no plans to deal with older people’s housing needs. You can see why:

“Devon is facing an “unprecedented” challenge due to a “disproportionate” increase in the number of over-65s, according to a report.

The numbers are expected to increase by 20% within the next 10 years, a report to Devon County Council said.

The cost to the county’s health and social care system could rise by more than £275m over the next five years. The council said investment in disease prevention was needed “to reduce the financial burden”.

‘Downward spiral’

The number of over-85s is expected to grow by 37% over the next 10 years, according to the report. Andrea Davis, the councillor responsible for improving health and wellbeing, said: “We should celebrate that we are living longer. “But there’s no point in living longer if we are not very well.
“It’s when you are in your 40s, 50s, 60s or 70s that you can make a difference to those very late years of your life.”
Councillors will discuss the report at the corporate services scrutiny meeting on Thursday.”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-34260197