Campaign leaflet - (Oct. 2008)

 

The plans to build housing in the area east of the ring road (known as area of search 1C of the urban extension East of Kingswood in the Regional Spatial Strategy) can only go ahead if the green belt status for the woods and fields near Shortwood, Cadbury Heath, Warmley and Oldland Common is removed.

 

Hazel Blears, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, is proposing to do this but has to consult with affected people first. That means us. We have until October 24th to write to her spelling out our objections and maybe, suggesting alternative ways to manage the need for more homes in the South Gloucestershire area. You can get hold of the report and accompanying documents from the government website: http://gosw.limehouse.co.uk/portal/regional_strategies/drss

 

Many of you will already have written to South Gloucestershire Council protesting about the original plans and we have organised a high profile campaign in the local press. Now is the time to let government ministers know what we think but they have not made it easy for us! You MUST do this by filling in the official form and commenting specifically on the changes that the Secretary of State has made to the draft spatial plan, especially those that affect our area (Housing Market Area 1). Comments have to relate to specific paragraphs or policies, and a separate form should be completed for each different issue you want to comment on. It is complicated, so if you need help on this, come to the next village meeting and we can fill in the forms together or we will try and put some sample forms on our campaign website which you can adapt for your own use.

 

In addition and in the space provided, you may want to make some or all of the following general points:

 

§  The green belt exists to promote the well-being and enjoyment of everyone, not just those who live in the rural areas.

§  The designated areas of countryside are important for farming and recreation.

§  The green belt provides a vital haven for wildlife, including many rare species.

§  8000 new houses will require a big increase in local amenities, such as schools and health services, as well as resulting in even more traffic congestion.

§  Additional homes are needed in South Gloucestershire but can be built within existing settlements, using (for example)

o   the sites of derelict agricultural buildings

o   flats above local shops

o   infilling within villages or small towns.

§  Villages support strong communities: allowing children to play safely and encouraging neighbourliness.

§  We have experienced an extremely poor level of consultation on South Gloucestershire’s Core Strategy – Issues and Options document. This contradicts the government’s commitment to increasing community involvement in planning and development.

§  South Gloucestershire Council already had an all-party agreed policy that included 20K houses that did not fiddle the Green Belt or indeed build on the Green Belt. The houses went where councillors with local knowledge knew they were needed, i.e. where the jobs are.

 

If you want to focus on what will happen to Shortwood, you could mention that there have been further increases in the targets for the ‘area of search’ (East of Kingswood - 1C) of approximately 2000 houses, which would result in 8000 new homes being built to create ‘urban extensions’ on what is now green belt land. This will completely change the quality of life for residents and obliterate our village.

You should make your response to the Government Office of the South West (GOSW) by sending your form(s) by

  • e-mail to RSSconsult@gosw.gsi.gov.uk ,
  • post to Regional Planning Team, Government Office for the South West, 2 Rivergate, Temple Quay, Bristol, BS1 6ED or
  • fax to 0117 9001914.

 

Please keep a copy for yourself and the action group. Get everyone in your household to send their own forms. The more responses they receive in Government Office,  the better we can get our voices heard. It is a good idea to send a copy to Steve Webb, our Member for Parliament (steve@stevewebb.org.uk) and also to the Pucklechurch Parish Council (parish.council@pucklechurch.org). It may help them to produce their own clear action plan to register the parish's objections and throw their weight behind the various housing and green belt campaigns.

 

Here is some background information taken from the latest version of Planning Policy Guidance 2 (PPG2 – March 2001).

 

The green belt regulations set out five purposes of including land in Green Belts:

·   to check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas;

·   to prevent neighbouring towns from merging into one another;

·   to assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment;

·   to preserve the setting and special character of historic towns; and

·   to assist in urban regeneration, by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land.

 

Land is designated as green belt to fulfil the following objectives:

·   to provide opportunities for access to the open countryside for the urban population;

·   to provide opportunities for outdoor sport and outdoor recreation near urban areas;

·   to retain attractive landscapes, and enhance landscapes, near to where people live;

·   to improve damaged and derelict land around towns;

·   to secure nature conservation interest; and

·   to retain land in agricultural, forestry and related uses.

 

 

The Guidance states that “the essential characteristics of green belts is their permanence… Once the general extent of a Green Belt has been approved it should be altered only in exceptional circumstances. If such an alteration is proposed the Secretary of State will wish to be satisfied that the authority has considered opportunities for development within the urban areas contained by and beyond the Green Belt…..A Green Belt should be several miles wide, so as to ensure an appreciable open zone all round the built-up area concerned. Boundaries should be clearly defined, using readily recognisable features such as roads, streams, belts of trees or woodland edges where possible”.

 

In section three, which refers to control over development, the Guidance says: “there is...a general presumption against inappropriate development within them. Such development should not be approved, except in very special circumstances… the Secretary of State will attach substantial weight to the harm to the Green Belt when considering any planning application or appeal concerning such development…The construction of new buildings inside a Green Belt is inappropriate…When any large-scale development or redevelopment of land occurs in the Green… it should, so far as possible contribute to the achievement of the objectives for the use of land in Green Belts… The visual amenities of the Green Belt should not be injured by proposals for development within or conspicuous from the Green Belt…Community Forests offer valuable opportunities for improving the environment around towns, by upgrading the landscape and providing for recreation and wildlife”.

 

In Annex A, the guidance states “areas that are close to existing urban development, or within conurbations… may come under intense pressure for development, and if so need to be protected and maintained”.

 

 

 

The next village meeting open to all Shortwood residents and regular visitors is on Tuesday October 14th at The Bridge Inn, starting at 7.30pm.

Come and share your ideas!

Get advice on how to the consultation exercise!

Bring your family, friends and neighbours!

 

 

 

Warmley Group also has an excellent website www.saveourgreenspaces.org with lost of useful downloadable stuff. It's the hub of the regional protest movement and all the other Green Belt campaigning groups are linking into it.
 
 
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