Note of Meeting with Alastair Burt MP, 17 March 2012, Bletsoe Village Hall at 10am
Present:
Alistair Burt MP; Ann Gibbons Vice-Chair Bletsoe PC; Lance Feaver Chair BRA; Cllr Alison Field-Foster
58 representatives Parish Councils, Residents’ Organisations and Ward Councillors of Biddenham, Bletsoe, Bolnhurst & Keysoe, Bromham, Cardington, Colmworth, Cople, Felmersham & Radwell, Harrold, Melchbourne, Milton Ernest, Odell, Pavenham, Ravensden, Roxton, Sharnbrook, Stagsden, Staploe, Stevington, Thurleigh, Wyboston, Chawston & Colesden.
Ann Gibbons welcomed delegates & thanked BRA for organizing the meeting and introduced Alistair Burt, and Lance Feaver outlined the purpose of the meeting and the agenda.
Alison Field-Foster outlined the present situation over Meadow Lane; the odour issue may no longer a problem because it seems to be coming largely from the abattoir. The Borough Council is now pushing hard & consulting with Anglian Water. Four BBC Cllrs are going through the issues in detail. There will be a members’ site visit on 19 March. A large attendance at the Planning meeting on 26 March is essential.
Alistair Burt outlined the present Government’s position. This was followed by a Question and Answer session, the main points from which are summarized below.
Law
Alistair Burt stated that the law needs changing because the imbalance between the settled and travelling communities is causing resentment between them. At the present time there is uncertainty about the legal framework until it is clarified by publication of the new National Planning Policy Framework, probably by the end of March, followed by new guidance on providing G&T sites to replace Circular 1/2006. On 6 April 2012, Section 123 of the Localism Act will come into force and prevent retrospective applications.
LPAs must continue to determine planning applications in accord with the law at the time of application, but Planning Inspectors must determine appeals in the light of the law and guidance in force at the time they make their decision. The key issue will continue to be the provision and availability of suitable sites.
Defining quantity of pitches needed for the Borough Area
Local Planning Authorities’ local assessment of required pitch numbers has to be reasonable, based on robust evidence, in order to withstand challenge at Inquiries. The issue of need has to be defined properly; it should not be the case that simply making an application demonstrates need. It should be based on the pattern of travel; if they are from a different area or from overseas the answer should be no. If the LPA designates a reasonable number, then there will be no argument for other sites elsewhere, especially outside Settlement Planning Areas. The reasonableness of the assessment of need will be tested at examination.. For this reason, it is important the Borough Council properly researches the number of pitches required and then sticks to the total it identifies, whether it is 18, 25 or any other number. The risk is that if the total is deemed unreasonable then it may be over-ruled on appeal and unsuitable sites be given temporary or permanent permission.
Meadow Lane can be taken into account against need for pitches as determined by BBC if it gains planning permission. If it fails, the inadequate number of pitches available will influence Inspectors’ decisions on appeals, making it more likely that unsuitable sites like Staploe/Bletsoe will gain temporary or even permanent permission.
Meadow Lane
There will be a good number of pitches there which is a better solution than a scatter of sites in rural ones. Hopefully it will ease the pressure of applications in rural areas. It is near-urban but better than Bletsoe and Staploe where the pitches are in open countryside but too close to the settled community.
Cardington Parish Council’s position of not opposing the application was commended and its insistence that Meadow Lane must be managed properly was strongly supported.
Noise
Planning policy does not differentiate over standards between settled and G&T accommodation so should not lead to rejection of potential sites if decisions are made properly according to the merits of a case.
Finding other sites
Rural Cllrs are pushing for other sites and the Borough Council is examining all sites including their own, & especially those near towns, for the G&T ADP.
New government guidance is unlikely to abolish rural sites altogether and indeed ML is not in the urban area.
Keeping up the pressure
There is a deal of frustration on the lack of ML movement & the vulnerability of small villages. If all villages get together on a non-party-political basis, there would be a powerful voting body able to put pressure on the Borough Council.
There is the need to be fair to the G&T community, which is an important reason why the rural areas working together could be a powerful force in pushing BBC to find sites in their preferred urban areas. Alastair Burt issued an invitation for a small group of representatives from the villages, including Cllrs, to go with him to a meeting with the Planners in about a month’s time when issues are clearer.
E & D Baker 23 March 2012