Thursday, 20 June 2013
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 I note from the accompanying papers that the Environment Agency has now withdrawn its objection following the submission of a Flood Risk Assessment.
Wednesday, 19 June 2013
Broadband by Balloon
As the reality of superfast broadband for Northumberland gets ever closer (see www.iNorthumberland.org.uk) a new technology is being tested. We know that the majority of the county will be getting their broadband through the new fibre optic network that will be laid over the next two-to-three years. For those communities that will not be covered by fibre, two alternatives currently exist: wireless and satellite. However, Google has recently announced a new way of getting Internet connectivity to those hard-to-reach places: it's by balloon. See this story on the BBC News web site for details. It looks fascinating!
Friday, 14 June 2013
Cakes and Tombolas
Tomorrow (15 June) sees this year's summer fair at Broomley First School. Two of our children have attended the school and we have been extremely pleased with the experience. Our youngest, Zachary, is just coming to the end of Year 4 so, for us, we're coming to the end of a ten-year era (our middle child, Carys, started at the pre-school in 2003).
Shameless plug: Zachary will be manning the Hook a Duck stall for the first hour and I'm sure he will be delighted to relieve us of some of our small change!
The summer fair runs from 11am to 1pm, so if you're free, please pop down and hook a duck and take your chances on the other games. Also buy a cake and a cup of tea, a raffle or tombola ticket, or something from one of the many other stalls and support this excellent local school. Ideally, buy something at every stall!!
Shameless plug: Zachary will be manning the Hook a Duck stall for the first hour and I'm sure he will be delighted to relieve us of some of our small change!
The summer fair runs from 11am to 1pm, so if you're free, please pop down and hook a duck and take your chances on the other games. Also buy a cake and a cup of tea, a raffle or tombola ticket, or something from one of the many other stalls and support this excellent local school. Ideally, buy something at every stall!!
Monday, 10 June 2013
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 imminentif 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.
We are still awaiting the outcome of the planning application, though this could be imminent
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.
Wednesday, 20 March 2013
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.
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.
Saturday, 9 March 2013
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.
UPDATE: Here is the text of a letter of objection I have sent to the County Council.
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.
Friday, 1 March 2013
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.
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.
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