Tag: planning

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How do we stop bad planning??

Help need to keep a watch on planning applications! ………………………………..

Our Society were keen campaigners for the creation of the South Downs National Park which came into being in 10 years ago.  The new National Park designation theoretically provides the highest planning protection. However, having this protection doesn’t mean to say our countryside is safe. We are in the crowded south-east of England and there is constant pressure on the South Downs for new land developments. For decades the Society has tried to ensure that this 100 mile stretch of iconic and naturally beautiful landscape covering an area of over 400,000 acres (1.6K hectares) is conserved and enhanced, whilst protecting wildlife and cultural heritage.

How do we, in our Society,  go about ensuring the Park will survive for future generations to enjoy it? Well, any new development must have planning permission and we monitor new planning applications. Some may not be in accordance with the National Park purposes, so we lobby and/or comment to the Park. We do this through a team of volunteers who keep a check on applications in their local area and raise any problems or issues with the Society’s Policy Officer who then takes the matter up with the National Park.

Why is this important? Because, once a planning permission is given there is virtually no way of undoing it so it’s good to catch these things early and convince the officers and members of the National Park to consider our comments aimed at protecting the Park.

We make no bones about it; it’s difficult keeping an eye on the thousands of planning applications across the Park in all of its 176 parishes. The South Downs National Park Authority processes far more planning applications than any of the other 15 national Parks in Great Britain. However, we believe we’ve made it easy for people to volunteer a little bit of their time to check planning applications on a weekly or monthly basis. We have divided up the area of the Park into about 25 small ‘districts’. Each volunteer checks on their own district. This only takes an hour or two a week. Our office circulates the planning lists to all our committee members and the ‘District Officer’ just has to look for the ones on his/her patch and send in an email with a note of concern to our office. Basically, that’s it!

One can do as little or as much as you want to help. If you want to join our network please CONTACT US.

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Appeal against enforcement by shooting organisation at Iford near Lewes

Iford Shoot Appeal Hearing

Extract from the appellant’s submission showing the shooting plan: The South Downs Way runs through this area. (more details in our report) see also sketch map below.

The battle to protect the South Downs by local communities against the expansion of commercial shooting on the Downs near Lewes took another turn last month. Despite previous planning action by the local council, commercial shooting on the Downs near Lewes has continued over the last 10 years. Lewes District Council (on behalf of the SDNPA) issued an enforcement notice on 14 August 2018. This then generated an appeal which was heard by the government’s planning inspector at a hearing on 10 March 2020 in Lewes.

The game shooting organisation had legal counsel and a planning consultant present. The SDNPA case was put by the local Enforcement Officer from the Lewes District Council and a South Downs National Park Officer who put forward some points in favour of the enforcement case.  The owners of Breaky Bottom Vineyard engaged a barrister who was a key figure in putting the alternative case to the inspector against the expansion of shooting beyond the 28 days legal limit. The Friends of the South Downs were represented by one of their local volunteer District Officers, Brian Davies, who spoke at the hearing giving evidence against the expansion of commercial shooting.

There are some concerns about the lack of fair and proper public notifications of the appeal hearing , the proximity of shooting activities to public rights of way, the noise of shooting disturbing the tranquillity of the Downs, the effect on the flora and fauna of the area, the use of the National Parks Whole Estate Plans in making out a case for shooting and the impact which such intensive activities have on the nearby villages and their residents.

Commercial Shooting activities at this location are at odds with a number of the policies of the South Downs National Park including:  Landscape Tranquillity Policy (SD7), Landscape (SD4), Biodiversity (SD9) and Section 6B, – Enjoyment of the National Park and it’s policy SD23.

The decision by the Government’s Planning Inspector will be announced in the next couple of months. 

The image above is approximate in the centre of this sketch map.

 

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210 homes development given the go-ahead at the former Syngenta site, Henley Old Road, Fernhurst

Our Society has always supported the principle of development for housing on the former ICI brownfield industrial site (more recently called Syngenta) just outside the village of Fernhurst, north of Midhurst. Together with Fernhurst Parish Council we have successfully campaigned for a continuous path to connect this site with the main village. There are a number of good features about this development, however we are disappointed that there are only 20% of affordable homes being allocated for this site. 

This site was specified as an ‘exemplar renewable energy’ site in the National Park Local Plan . Out of the 210 homes 140 have been given permission to have wood burning stoves.  Both Fernhurst Parish Council and the Society had campaigned against this, as we were concerned about the pollution from PM2,5, which is emitted by them and has been identified by the World Health Organisation as the most serious air pollutant for human health.

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Countryside development up a narrow lane rejected at Selborne Road, Newton Valence, Alton

At the SDNPA Planning Committee meeting in March 2020. There was much criticism of this scheme from the members of the Planning Committee and it was unanimously rejected by them, despite planning officers having recommended approval.

Our Society has previously asked the National Park not to take into consideration Whole Estate Plans (WEPs) when considering planning applications.  WEPs are not a statutory planning instrument and are unique to the SDNPA.  They do not undergo any formal public scrutiny process before they are approved by their Policy & Resources Committee. In this case  the South Downs National Park had endorsed a WEP previously for this estate.

 

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What have Building Regulations got to do with climate change?

The average household in the UK emits 2.7 tonnes of CO2 every year from heating their home. The Government’s Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has identified the need to reduce emissions from the UK’s buildings – which made up 19% of the UK’s overall total emissions (2017 data). The government has already declared that we will have to move away gas central heating in new homes constructed after 2025. However that’s not the whole story. The way a house is constructed is very important when it comes to reducing greenhouse gases. The UK was very close to achieving the design of new homes to a ‘net zero carbon’ output in 2016 but the Government backed away withdrawing the regulations. However, since then new evidence has persuaded Parliament to legally commit to the UK achieving ‘carbon net zero’ by 2050. To achieve net zero action will be needed on many fronts including how houses are built.

In the latter part of 2019 the Government consulted on new standards for building regulations (to come into operation from 2025). Our Society took a look at these proposed regulations and found they were only aimed at making a 31% improvement! We decided to make a robust submission to the government asking them to go over ‘carbon net zero by 2025, in just under 5 years. A bold request you might ask?  Our Policy Officer Vic Ient studied reports from a number of organisations including the Passivhaus Trust  and found that the technology and design capabilities are already available to achieve ‘net zero’ carbon emissions. Click below to see our report and submission:

SDS Comments on The Future Homes Standard 2019 Consultation dated 07-02-20

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Taller Mobile Phone Masts?

Is the relaxation of Permitted Development Rights (PDRs) the right way forward to support the deployment of 5G and extend mobile networks?

Report by Friends of the South Downs Policy Officer, Victor Ient

After some considerable research using my own telecommunications experience, updated by consulting engineers currently working in the mobile sector, I have submitted, on behalf of the Society, our opposition to the relaxation of permitted development rights to allow the unregulated installation of many more and taller* mobile phone masts in Areas of Special Landscape Importance including national parks. We believe there is a viable alternative to just simply relaxing the rules. We have put forward a 6 point plan for a less obtrusive deployment to the Government in our submission to the public consultation. Click here to see a copy of what we said: Response to PDRs

*The current restriction on the height of the masts is set at 82ft (25m) but it could be doubled to 165ft (50m) — almost exactly the same height as Nelson’s column.

Telecommunications Clutter in the Countryside

Unfettered development of masts in protected areas will be a disaster for our beautiful countryside. What is the point of providing the highest planning protection for National Parks when the area could be littered with telecommunications clutter?  Keeping the planning rules as they are would ensure mobile operators would effectively have to comply with the purposes of the National Parks and protected landscapes.

Lack of Mobile Strategy in the Countryside

Sadly, the government has not previously put forward a strategy for the provision of mobile telecommunications in the countryside.  Many of the problems of the 1980s, when mobile base stations were first deployed, still exist today.  Figures differ, but it is quite clear that there are many areas where 4G is currently not available.

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Consultation & Climate Change are key issues at National Park’s planning meeting on housing development in Petersfield

At the South Downs National Park’s planning committee meeting on 8th August, the Friends of the South Downs (South Downs Society) challenged the National Park in five key areas over a planning application for a large commercial and housing development North of Buckmore Farm, Beckham Lane, Petersfield consisting of a just under a 5,000sqm  business site and a residential site for up to 85 residential houses*.

This is what the Society’s Policy Officer, Vic Ient, said to the committee on Thurs 8th August: Click here to see the SDNPA Video recording   Also using this link you will be able to see the full debate and presentation.

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Friends of the South Downs raise concerns about the lack of measures to tackle climate change on major development in Lewes

On Thursday 11th April, at the South Downs National Park Planning meeting, detailed plans for the latest phase of the North Street Quarter development in Lewes were approved. This is despite concerns that the scheme did not go far enough to reduce carbon emissions.

Vic Ient, Policy Officer of the Friends of the South Downs, who attended the meeting and addressed the National Park members said the Society had great concerns about the lack of importance given to tackling climate change in the application.

See Sussex Express article.

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Greater renewable energy focus needed in development for 226 homes at Old Malling Farm Lewes

Re: SDNP/18/06103/OUT, Old Malling Farm, Old Malling Way, Lewes, BN7 2DY: Outline approval for residential development comprising up to 226 dwellings with associated landscaping and parking, with access from Monks Way (All Matters Reserved except Access and Layout).

The Society objects to the development in its present form. We believe that the current plan should be referred back to the developer so that the road layout and access arrangements can be reviewed along with the submission of a revised sustainability assessment. Accordingly, the application should be deferred so that improvements to the application can be made.

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Consultation Response to Fracking as Permitted Development

Response from the South Downs Society (Friends of the South Downs).

The ‘Friends of the South Downs‘ is the membership charity, working to campaign, protect and conserve the landscape of the National Park.

These are the views of the District Officers – who respond to planning consultations and Local Planning Issues on behalf of the Society.

We do not consider that the scope of drilling exploration fits within the definition of permitted development.  It has landscape impact and restoration consequences; archaeological implications; aquifer implications; earth tremor implications for historic structures; and traffic implications on rural roads that may need Grampian conditions to alleviate.  This is well beyond the scope of permitted development even if the permission is time limited.

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