New Ridley: Decision on False Premises?

Recently I posted some thoughts on the council's complete reversal in its thinking when it chose to approve the planning application for the development at New Ridley. One of the reasons for the decision that I picked up was that the county is concerned that 80% of planning decisions are overturned on appeal. However, a quick look at the Planning Inspectorate's own figures (see page 77) reveals almost the exact opposite to be true: for the Northumberland County Council planning authority in 2013-14 68% of appeals were dismissed.

Was the decision made on a misunderstanding of the facts?

New Ridley: End of the road...

I was deeply disappointed by the about turn of the council last week when it approved the development in New Ridley. I thought we had a really good case for the following reasons.

New Ridley: Approval Recommended

Today I received a copy of the County Council planning officer's report on the New Ridley application which is being decided next Wednesday. Unfortunately, and despite the council rejecting the original application, the planning officer has again recommended conditional approval.

You can read the planning officer's report in full by downloading it here.

New Ridley: Amended plans and planning committee

Amendments and planning committee date

There have been some amendments to the New Ridley plan and a date has been set for the planning committee.

New Ridley: Appeal and New Application

The deadline for making representations on the New Ridley planning appeal looms fast, so I thought I'd outline the basic points I am making in my response. Before I do that, I will mention that Esh have now also submitted a new planning application to build 16 houses rather than the original 22. I am assuming that if the appeal goes in their favour then they will withdrawn the new application and proceed with the original, so this looks like Plan B in case the appeal is unsuccessful.

New Ridley: Have your say on the appeal

As I indicated yesterday, Esh have submitted an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate against NCC's rejection of their application to build 22 houses in New Ridley. If you would like to make a representation about the appeal to the Planning Inspectorate you can do so at http://www.pcs.planningportal.gov.uk/pcsportal/ViewCase.asp?caseid=2213838&coid=115776

The deadline for comments is 8 April, and I encourage anyone with an interest in this case to make representations.

Appeal Documents

Mike Easey kindly downloaded all 30+ documents relating to the appeal from the NCC web site (see http://publicaccess.northumberland.gov.uk/online-applications/caseDetails.do?action=dispatch&keyVal=MDFAMHQS2L000&caseType=Application). 

These have all been assembled into a single PDF file which you can download here. Note, it's a 54MB file, so until we get our superfast broadband it could take a little while to download. 

New Ridley: Appeal

Appeal

On 17th July last year we celebrated the rejection of the planning application in New Ridley. The deadline for the developers to appeal was this month and it seems that Esh have, indeed, submitted an appeal against the planning decision.
Since July the following planning applications have been approved which will doubtless be giving the developers some succour:

Result! The kind of rejection I enjoy!

This evening I joined around 20 or so residents in the council chamber in Hexham to witness the planning committee make a decision about the New Ridley application. Very good objections were made by Janice Wilkinson on behalf of the community and Cllr Anne Dale on behalf of the Parish Council. The applicant made a presentation in favour of the development, but it was not very convincing.

Cllr Tony Reid from Prudhoe made the most interesting contribution to the debate when he announced that he came to the meeting expecting to support the application but after he saw the details felt that it would be inappropriate. You can imagine the relief in the room when, despite the planning officer's initial recommendation of conditional approval, the planning committee voted unanimously to reject the application.

Of course, we  must wait to see what the developers will do next. On their way out they were overheard saying they would wait six months and put in another application. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. This evening is for celebrations. I joined a few locals in the Dr Syntax afterwards for a small glass of bubbly.

Plaudits go to all who wrote letters of objection, signed the petition, posed for photographs, turned up to the public meetings, fed in material to inform Janice's speech, who attended this evening's meeting, and who provided moral support all the way through.

New Ridley: Decision Day

I have just received notification from the County Council this morning that the New Ridley application WILL be heard at the West Area Planning Committee on Wednesday 17 July at 6pm in the Council Chamber at Prospect House, Hexham.

The meeting is open to members of the public so it will be great to see lots of people there.

New Ridley: Site Visit

The Planning Committee carried out a site visit at New Ridley yesterday. From all accounts they asked pertinent questions and seem to have a grasp of the situation.

Now we just need to wait for confirmation of when the application will go to the West Area Planning Committee. I originally indicated that this would happen on 17 July, but it turns out that has not been confirmed. As soon as I know the date I will post here.

New Ridley: Site Visit to Take Place

The New Ridley development was put on the agenda of last night's West Area planning committee for members to agree a site visit which will take place some time in July. I note from the accompanying papers that the Environment Agency has now withdrawn its objection following the submission of a Flood Risk Assessment.

New Ridley Again

I know my previous post on this subject was subtitled 'Final Thoughts' but, just as many movie franchises manage to find another sequel just when you thought the series was finished, so too there remains more to say about the proposed development in New Ridley.

We are still awaiting the outcome of the planning application, though this could be imminent if the committee date of 19 June indicated on the NCC web site is correct. EDIT 12 JUNE: it seems that the application will NOT be going to the planning committee on 19 June.

I was very interested to see that the Environment Agency have recommended the application be rejected on the basis that the flood risk assessment (FRA) does not comply with the requirements of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). There were several deficiencies in the FRA highlighted by the Environment Agency and you can read their full representation on the Consultee Comments section of the application.

Also on the Consultee Comments section is the response from Northumbria Water. Unfortunately, there seems to be no way to read the representations made by the Broomley and Stocksfield Parish Council or the individual letters sent in by members of the public. There is one public comment that has been submitted via the web site (see here), so it is important that all the representations made by letter are also taken into account by the planning committee. I have asked NCC to clarify the position of these representations and I'll post any replies here.

New Ridley: Final Thoughts

I have just returned from a very good meeting organised and run by the Parish Council to update residents on the New Ridley plans. The Parish Council will be submitting a very strong statement of objection to the plans, listing several major planning criteria that the application clearly fails to meet.

If you haven't already done so, please write a letter of objection (see here for relevant dates, address, and sample text).

Even if you don't live in New Ridley itself and think that it won't affect you in Stocksfield, Mickley, or Riding Mill, consider this: the New Ridley application proposes to develop green belt land. If this application gets approval then it is likely that further applications will follow. The first would probably be to extend the New Ridley development to the original planned 55 dwellings.

But if that doesn't seem bad enough, the second consequence could be proposals to build on the fields opposite Broomley First School. Those fields are extensive and could potentially accommodate hundreds of houses. It causes me great concern to think of the impact that would have, not only on Stocksfield immediately, but also on the surrounding villages of Mickley and Riding Mill in terms of the increased traffic volumes on the A695. This road, which runs through the heart of all three settlements is already very busy, and large scale development would only make the situation worse.

I hope the planners will reject this application on the grounds that it demonstrably fails to conform to existing major planning policies. The more objections that individual residents can send, the stronger the message the planning officers will have. Stop this development a) because it is simply a bad opportunistic proposal and b) to stop even worse developments down the line. Please, get writing and get your objection lodged.

New Ridley Latest

On 4 March the planning application for the proposed development at New Ridley went public (you can view the planning application and comment on it online here). There will be a public meeting at SICA (the Stocksfield community centre) starting at 7.30 p.m. on 20 March. Recall that this is a large development (22 houses in a village of 55 dwellings) in a location with no amenities. I shall be writing a letter of objection which I will post up here.

In the meantime I would urge you to make your own representations to the Council by writing to:
            
                Planning Department
                Northumberland County Council
                County Hall
                Morpeth NE61 2EF

The Planning Reference is: 12/03471/FUL

Two things to point out.

• First, the deadline is tight and your letters need to be submitted by 5 April (following advertisement in last week's Hexham Courant) 25th March (not 16 March as the original notifications advised).
• Second, if you are objecting to the plans, please make sure you state clearly on your letter that it is a letter of objection otherwise it may just be recorded as a representation only.

UPDATE: Here is the text of a letter of objection I have sent to the County Council.

What development?

There sure is a lot of proposed development in the pipeline for ours and surrounding areas. First there's the opencast mine over in Whittonstall. Within our immediate area are the proposals for 22 houses in New Ridley and the Parish-council led plan to build some affordable housing in Stocksfield which is linked to the Parish plan.

Most planned developments raise issues and, invariably, objections. Judging by the mood of the meeting in Snod's Edge in January there is very strong feeling against the opencast mine, and not just amongst the residents of Whittonstall who will feel the immediate impact. Likewise, there is a groundswell of objection (and some incredulity) surrounding the plans to increase the size of New Ridley.

However, when it comes to the Parish Council's plans, feelings are not so one-sided. Indeed the proposal has attracted quite a lot of local support, not least because it has come from within the community rather than being dropped on us from a speculative developer from outside the areas. But there are also some who feel very strongly that the development should not go ahead. Various reasons for opposing the plan have been suggested to me from the effect on local wildlife (especially the otters) to concerns that the new buildings might have an adverse effect on the Guessburn's ability to flood when necessary leading to possible damaging erosion of its banks. At the moment I am interested to hear people's views on this proposal.

Please feel free to comment below either on the Guessburn development or on the other plans mentioned above. If you'd prefer to get in touch another way please see how on the Contacts page.

Developments in New Ridley

Last month I wrote about the proposal to build 55 houses in the middle of New Ridley on green belt land. I met a number of residents and was asked whether a petition could be raised to protest the matter. So, aided by some keen local helpers, we collected 81 names which include the majority of New Ridley's residents. Here are a few of us:

Yesterday evening I had the privilege of delivering the petition to the county council's West Area Committee. In the afternoon I learned that the developers have revised their plans following the consultation event at the golf club and intend to submit an application to build 25 houses instead. Esh are quoted in the Newcastle Journal as saying:

This is a substantial change and we hope that it will meet with approval.

Granted, the new proposal is 55% smaller, but from the views expressed to me by residents, I would be very surprised indeed if such approval will be found locally. It would still entail a nearly 50% increase in the size of New Ridley, a village which, lets face it, has no amenities.  In addition, here are a few more reasons that make this development problematic:

• The proposed plot is a greenfield site on green belt land
• The proposed site has a high landscape value
• The land around Stocksfield and environs is of high agricultural quality
• Because of the paucity of public transport links to New Ridley, residents of the new houses would be car bound. 

Once the plans are submitted the Parish Council will also be able to make representations. If you have any input you want to make or ideas to share please feel free to leave a comment below.

You cannot be serious! The New Ridley housing development

Along with a number of other local residents, I attended the recent meeting at Stocksfield Golf Club about the proposal to build 55 houses in the middle of New Ridley. Since then, I have knocked on nearly every door in the village and spoken to many residents. It is clear that most local people do not want this development to happen and I agree entirely.

I was dismayed by the attitude of those promoting the development. It is not acceptable to refer to local people as NIMBYs (as it was reported to me that they did) and it is indicative of their lack of respect that the questionnaire they distributed repeatedly referred to New Ridley and Stocksfield as Longframlington!

Like many in the area, I am not opposed to any and all development, but any growth should be gradual and organic. As the local parish council has shown recently it is entirely possible to come up with a plan for low cost housing development that is in sympathy with the local environment and which has the support of the community. In contrast, this development would almost double the size of the village and fundamentally change it for residents forever and irrevocably. As any New Ridley resident will tell you, the village has insufficient amenities to support such large and rapid growth. There are problems with water drainage and mains water supply, broadand provision is poor, there are no shops, and (beyond a single weekly bus to Hexham) there is no bus service. Broomley first school in Stocksfield is at capacity. Add to all that the pressures an extra 100 or so cars will put on an already crowded New Ridley road, and I can see nothing of merit in this proposal.

Today I hand-delivered a letter to residents of New Ridley outlining my objections to the development and inviting them to sign a petition of opposition which I will submit to Northumberland County Council. If you want to sign the petition a copy is also available in the Dr Syntax Pub in New Ridley.   This is just the first step in telling the council and the developer that we do not want these houses to be built.

I am sure the parish council will also be working strenuously to oppose this development as and when formal plans are submitted by the developer to the county council.