Planning policy changes gets mixed response from farming industry

Danny1 — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 16:59:16 +0000

A government policy to streamline the planning process in England has prompted a mixed reaction from farm industry leaders.

At 50 pages the government’s National Planning Policy Framework, published on Tuesday 27 March, was a lightweight version of the original 1,300-page document.

The reduction was in response to a call to cut red tape.

For rural businesses the main points were:

Boost sustainable growth of rural businesses with well-designed building conversions and developments.
Support the development and diversification of rural businesses.
Promote sustainable rural tourism which maintains the countryside’s character
Maintain and develop local services and community facilities.

The Country Land and Business Association hailed the framework as a long overdue boost for planning in rural areas that would kick-start rural innovation.

CLA president Harry Cotterell said:

“The section on supporting a prosperous rural economy is excellent, laying the foundations for the growth of all types of business in rural areas.

“This includes conversion of existing buildings, constructing well-designed new ones, allowing new land-based businesses to get started and helping farmers to diversify.”

Mr Cotterell added that the NPPF’s “presumption in favour of sustainable development” would be a fillip to rural businesses, allowing planning applications to proceed more quickly.

But the NFU’s opinion was more circumspect. The union’s head of policy services Andrew Clark said:

“It is encouraging to see that local authorities will be expected to assess the needs of the food production industry and any barriers to investment that planning can resolve. But we are disappointed that ministers have not made this a requirement.

“Other sections appear to support a thriving and diverse rural economy but again there appear to be substantial caveats in place for it not to be entirely positive.”

Mr Clark added: “The section on protecting the natural environment reinforces the importance of taking appropriate regard to different designations. However, farmers will be surprised that the NPPF provides planning status for Nature Improvement Areas and introduces the concept of ‘stepping stones’ and ‘wildlife corridors’ as part of the countryside hierarchy.

“In addition, the ‘new opportunity for local green space to be mapped in local and neighbourhood plans with protection equivalent to green belt land’ is extremely worrying.”

The Tenants Farmers Association also expressed concern, warning that landlords could find it easier to serve farm tenants with notices to quit under new planning rules.

“Landlords could obtain planning consent for change of use more easily, without adequate restrictions, said TFA chief executive, George Dunn

“We could see an increase in the number of cases in which tenants face notices to quit without sufficient, alternative provision being made,” Mr Dunn warned.

The TFA said it was urging the government to ensure it retained an appropriate check on planning applications on tenant farms.

http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/28/03/2012/132154/Planning-policy-changes-gets-mixed-response-from-farming.htm

Coventry is winning carbon race

Danny1 — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 16:55:55 +0000

COVENTRY has topped a table of UK cities for cutting its greenhouse gas emissions.

That is according to a report commissioned by The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and Oxford Brookes University.

The city saw a reduction of 21 per cent between 2005 and 2009, the study published on Tuesday revealed.

It topped the league table of 20 cities – three per cent ahead of Wolverhampton, Stoke on Trent and Hull in joint second place.

Neighbouring Birmingham was joint fourth with a 15 per cent reduction and Belfast was bottom with just four per cent cut in emissions.

Jeremy Blackburn, head of UK policy at RICS, said: “This research highlights the importance of addressing energy usage and consumption.

“We welcome the steps the Government is taking to introduce zero carbon targets for new buildings, but it is clear it needs to go further and address energy efficiency in Britain’s existing homes.”

In June last year Coventry was one of just three cities to be awarded global Living Labs status by the Brussels-based European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL).

There are also a series of eco home trials taking place around the city while Coventry University

Technology Park has become a real-life test and experimentation environment for low carbon innovations

Report author Professor Tim Dixon, director of the Oxford Institute for Sustainable Development at Oxford Brookes, added: “The battle against climate change and resource depletion will be won or lost in the world’s cities.”

Sites earmarked for free school rejected on safety grounds

Danny1 — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:45:35 +0000

TWO Runcorn sites earmarked by parents planning to create Halton’s first free school have been rejected by councillors.

Sandymoor School is currently recruiting first year pupils to start this September in temporary accommodation.

They hoped to build their secondary school and sixth form on land allocated for a primary school in Pitts Heath Lane, with a shared sports facility on the north of a proposed extension of Wharford Lane.

Alternatively, they are suggesting using land south of the extension.

The land, owned by the Homes and Communities Association, is a 5.12 acre plot reserved for a primary school.

Gerald Meehan, director for children and young people, told the executive board on Thursday that both proposals posed safety risks.

He said: “Children would have to cross a road to access sports facilities.

“The reasons we are rejecting these proposals are for practical difficulties.”

Clr John Stockton said: “Residents of that area are in for a huge shock.

“A small percentage of residents want this free school. A large percentage bought their homes on the premise that the land was reserved for a primary school.

“They would be surprised to find there could be many more buildings on it.”

The board resolved to inform the Department for Education that the proposed site is not suitable.

http://www.runcornandwidnesworld.co.uk/news/9532687.Sites_earmarked_for_free_school_rejected_on_safety_grounds/

Cadets start building appeal

Danny1 — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:41:24 +0000

A community has rallied round to donate hundreds of pounds to help a sea cadet group rebuild its base after it was destroyed by a fire.

Training Ship Venomous, the home of the Loughborough Sea Cadets, was gutted by a blaze on February 5.

Firefighters believe the blaze was started by an electrical fault in a fridge.

The sea cadets want to raise £250,000 to build a new base – and have made a promising start, with many donations coming in.

Commanding officer Lieutenant Kay Adey said: “We’re off, with about £1,200 so far in total. It’s excellent for the first week.

“We had the nice big donation from the market traders and a friend of a staff member donated £200 after a bingo win, which was amazingly generous.

“After the story was in the Mercury, I had another call from someone wanting to donate £100.

“The kids had been very upset by the fire but are now getting excited about fund-raising.

“We’re planning a sponsored swim in March and a bike ride to Skegness later in the year.”

The town’s market traders hold a football tote every week for charity and have donated £500.

Tony Simons, chairman of Loughborough Market Traders’ Association, said they were happy to help.

He said: “One of our traders, Roger Boon, used to be a sea cadet and as we raise money on the market each week, we decided to give some to help out.

“We have a football tote among the traders and half the money goes to the winner and the other half to a good cause.”

The total amount the sea cadets need to raise is going to be about a quarter of a million.

Rebuilding the old premises would cost £100,000 but the group has decided to attempt something bigger and better.

Lt Adey said: “We want the new building to have proper sleeping accommodation and a proper galley. We’re going to be expanding sideways, backwards and upwards and, having looked at it, we would like to spend about £250,000.

“The old building was insured but I don’t think we’ll get much from the insurance company – just the cost of replacing the concrete shell of the building.”

The cadets had their first meeting since the fire on Tuesday, using the Combined Cadet Force rooms at Loughborough Grammar School.

Once the remains of the gutted old building in Beeches Road is removed, local building company William Davis will be donating a temporary cabin, and is also offering to help build the new base when the fund-raising is complete.

Anyone who wishes to help the sea cadets can contact Lt Adey on 01509 268 904.

http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/Cadets-start-building-appeal/story-15255000-detail/story.html

Fire crews called to farm building blaze

Danny1 — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:39:13 +0000

AN investigation has been launched following a fire in a farm building in Bures.

Fire crews from Colchester, Long Melford, Nayland and Sudbury were called to Peyton Hall Farm, in Pebmarsh Road, at about 4am on Sunday.

The fire started in the large wooden building, which contained a number of vehicles, and spread to the roof of a swimming pool building.

A spokesman for Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said crew used water form a nearby pond to tackle the fire.

He said: “At 5.20am firefighters were using three main jets and two hose reels to tackle flames in several parts of the main building.

“A two pump relief from Halstead went to the scene at 7am to relieve crews that had been working through the night.”

By 8am crews were dealing with a number of hotspots and were damping down the rest of the building.

A joint police and fire service investigation will be carried out to establish the cause of the blaze.

http://www.maldonandburnhamstandard.co.uk/news/countywide/9540122.Fire_crews_called_to_farm_building_blaze/

Governor quits in protest at £600,000 spending

Danny1 — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:37:55 +0000

A SCHOOL governor has resigned in protest after a Knutsford primary school unveiled plans to build two new classrooms.

Bexton Primary School on Blackhill Lane has submitted the plans to Cheshire East Council to extend the school’s buildings.

The application relates to a proposed extension that will provide the new classrooms and associated facilities, and will also form a link block between the currently unconnected halves of the school.

Bill Gore, a governor at the school for four years, said he could not back the plans – thought to be costing Cheshire East Council £600,000 – as he did not deem them as being essential, and decided to stand down last week.

“Teachers have had their pay held back and there’s things happening in Knutsford as part of the town plan which we can’t get done, but the council are building two classrooms,” he said.

“While it is nice to have they are not essential, and we’ve just had a hall extension built, a new playground for the early learners and now they want to build this as well.

“It’s good to have in a time when there is no financial constraints from Government and the local authority, but when buildings like Bexton Court have been shut and people are having to go out of the area to be cared for it is not on.

“Just think what £600,000 could have been spent on. People call me a champagne socialist and an old fool, and maybe I am, but someone needs to stand up and say the council is spending the money on the wrong thing.”

Three temporary classroom buildings will be demolished as part of the application.

Tony Ranfield, chairman of governors at Bexton Primary School, told the Guardian the school deserved the money being spent on it.

“We’ve had temporary classrooms for 15 years, and the council has now decided we can have this extension and are contributing the money towards it,” he said.

“The classrooms and Bexton Court are in different pots of money and the mobiles are from the education pot, and what Bill wants is money from community rates for the town plan.

“This money is something we have been awarded and chosen to have done. The mobiles are getting old, and the fact that the school is successful is considered – they don’t throw money at schools that are not.”

According to documents released by Cheshire East Council the application is due to be discussed at the Northern Planning Committee of the council on February 22.

http://www.knutsfordguardian.co.uk/news/9532758.Governor_quits_in_protest_at___600_000_spending/

Incredible Edible: ‘It’s not all about free food’

Danny1 — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:36:35 +0000

How one woman’s idea to grow food on public wasteland has taken root in a Yorkshire town – and is spreading fast.

In 2008, as the economy was going downhill and fears about climate change were on the rise, Pam Warhurst, a businesswoman and former council leader in Todmorden, Yorkshire, decided to do something positive in her community. Her bright idea involved food and the use of public spaces and it quickly caught her neighbours’ imagination. Now the seed Warhurst planted in Todmorden is not only bearing fruit – it’s taking root in other towns across the UK and as far away as New Zealand.

The idea was beautifully simple. All over town, green areas of public land were going to waste. Even cultivated areas were not being used to their potential. Meanwhile, people were buying their food from far-flung places. Why not put these public spaces to more productive use? Before long, edible things were cropping up all over town in green spaces the organisation refers to as “propaganda gardens“.

“At first, we had trouble getting people to help themselves,” says Mary Clear, “because we’re from a country where people say, ‘Get off my land’, so we had to tell people it was OK.” Now, locals are volunteering as well as picking: there are 273 people on Incredible Edible’s “muck-in” list. Local food shops have come around to the idea and, says Warhurst, “nearly 50% said it had had a positive impact on their income”. “It’s not all about free food,” Clear stresses. The propaganda gardens exist to remind people that food can be grown close to home.

The project has been welcomed by the local authority and has also attracted outside interest. “People came from New Zealand and are now adopting edible spaces in the rebuilding of Christchurch,” says Warhurst. The Incredible Edible movement has now spread to 30 other towns around the UK and beyond.