News Headlines
Garden
Grabbing concerns raised by new figures
(05/08/10)
Fight4FourMarks four year
battle to object to in-appropriate windfall sites development has been
supported by
government statistics, and the recent changes to
PPS3 Planning
Policies.
New figures have laid bare
concerns over the dramatic increase in the number of 'gardens grabbed'
for development in the last 12 years. Decentralisation Minister Greg
Clark said the statistics show the Government was right to take
immediate action to prevent unwanted garden grabbing by changing the
planning rules.
The percentage of new homes built
on previously residential land - which includes back gardens - has
increased to 25 per cent, up 14 percentage points since 1997, when only
one in ten homes was built on similar land. In the South East the
average rise was from 16% to 32%, but in EHDC it has almost doubled
to 48% (for the full national analysis by local authority
click here).
Last month, Greg Clark changed the
planning rules (PPS3) to give councils new powers to prevent unwanted
garden grabbing by taking gardens out of the brownfield category that
includes derelict factories and disused railway sidings. EHDC, like many
councils, has been left frustrated at the increasing amount of
inappropriate development on gardens which they have been unable to
prevent. Taking gardens out of the brownfield category can dramatically
transform councils' ability to prevent unwanted development on gardens
where local people object and protect the character of their
neighbourhoods.
Allocated RESERVE SITE North
of Brislands Lane
(31/07/10)
The public exhibition on Friday 23rd July was a
big disappointment lacking in any real details, with only
poor quality draft site plans available. The few glossy information sheets
had in some cases
incorrect information on them (a commuter station in FM !). The
proposed 130 dwellings on the 4.35 hectare site is far too high - EHDC stated 90
dwellings in the Development Brief, and with PPS3's 30 dph density required removed
recently by the
Government, this proposal is a gross over-development. We await a
formal application and some real details to look at. There was no
drainage report (or consultant in attendance), and also no highways
report to look at; consultants from Persimmon's agents were unable to
offer any real information and the Persimmon Homes' representative
left early before many local residents were home from work and able to
get to the Village Hall. It was hardly a successful or wide public
consultation and this will be recorded with EHDC Planning Officers,
the District Councillor and Parish Council.
Some specific issues are :
* far too limited public open spaces;
* the affordable housing % shown on the map was 49 out of 130 -
hardly 40%;
* the primary vehicle access is too narrow and is a disaster just
waiting to happen (as per Treloar Heights house fires);
* there was no drainage survey to see (neither sewage or run-off
surface water)
* highways access into and through
the Barratt baseline site and ultimately to the A31 will be a
nightmare scenario in reality (whatever academic theoretical report
the Highways consultant and HCC may come up with - as has been proved
time again the reality is very different).
* the Sustainabilty presentation sheet claimed residents would be able
to access local facilities and services (some limited services as we
all know) and employment opportunities without having to rely on a car
(ha ha - there are very limited employment opportunities in Four Marks
itself and the vast majority of the population commutes and shops by
car to Alton, Winchester, Guilford, Reading, Southampton/Portsmouth
and London (by train via Alton station).
* the Sustainabilty sheet showed a number of bus routes (currently we have the 64/X64 which
was shortened to Alton-Winchester only) and which has start / end
times that make it useless for Alton train commuters.
EHDC launch
NEW COMMUNITY
PLANNING WEB SITE &
FACEBOOK PAGE
PlanningResource
Comm &
Local Govt
RTPI
Planning
Aid
| 15/07/2010 |
Greg Clark
dispatches unnecessary building targets |
click here |
|
24/06/2010 |
The
future of local planning |
click here |
| 09/06/2010 |
'Garden grabbing' to be curbed
|
click here |
|
09/06/2010 |
‘Garden Grabbing’
NFU Mutual
|
click here |
| 09/06/2010 |
Stopping Garden Grabbing
& Housing Crisis |
click here |
| 09/06/2010 |
Move to end
'garden-grabbing' house building |
click here |
| 17/06/2010 |
‘Garden grabbing’ powers welcome |
click here |
| 08/06/2010 |
Good Practice Advice on Pre-Application
Discussions |
click here |
June
2010 changes to PPS3 Garden Grabbing policies
here
Monday 19th July 2010
NEW DEVELOPMENT
ACTIVITY IN FOUR MARKS
It has been a quiet
year or so, but we are seeing increased activity in our village
from potential site developers. An immediate event is regarding
the North of Brislands Lane allocated (reserve) site.
Persimmon Homes are
holding a pre-application public
exhibition at Four Marks Village Hall on Friday 23rd July 2010 between
2pm & 8pm. Do go along to let them and their various consultants know
what you think (objectively & unemotionally) about their plans.
Click here to see the F4FM formal invitation from Julian Higgins of
Pro Vision Planning Consultants
EHDC Development Brief
Reserve Site Map
From 2009 : Reserve Site, North
of Brislands Lane
Local Plan Approved
Reserve Site, North of Brislands Lane
As this
is a Reserve Site in the adopted EHDC Local Plan, we have little choice
about development taking place at some time in the future ONCE A NEED IS
SHOWN - so
unfortunately we cannot object to it as an overall plan, only the
details.
This is
only in a very early pre-Planning Stage. Although there may
have been pre- application discussions (developers in consultation with
EHDC, which is normal practice), there is no actual planning application
made so far.
An EHDC
Development Brief for developers is out for public consultation until
9th October. The Development Brief is prepared as additional planning
guidance and sets out the way EHDC wishes to see the site developed with
an emphasis on high quality and sustainable development. It will provide
the basis on which planning applications can be submitted and
assessed.
During the
Brief's consultation period anyone can make their views known about
the Development Brief itself by 9th October 2009. Comments or
questions can be made to either Four Marks Parish Council at
their public open meeting on 9th September in the Village Hall at 19:30,
or direct to EHDC on their web site under Planning or to us at
Fight4FourMarks.
EHDC Development Brief
Reserve Site Map
