Notes from the Chairman
Braintree District Council have now released their proposed modifications to the Section 1 Plan - the Strategic Plan which originally contained proposals for three garden communities, including the proposed West of Braintree Garden Community. Residents will be pleased to see that, in line with the Inspector’s recommendations, the West of Braintree Garden Community proposal has been abandoned (cue the Monty Python Dead Parrot sketch for those old enough to remember it).
Residents are able to log on to the BDC portal and comment on the modifications - see the weblink below. You have to do this section by section. The West of Braintree section is ‘MM42 SP10’ on the index on the left hand side - you can go in, say if you think the modification (viz abandoning it) is sound and legally compliant, and, further down, comment further.
In addition to abandoning the West of Braintree garden Community, there are other helpful changes in the document, including:
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a welcome emphasis on preserving the historic environment and the preparation of Historic Impact Assessments
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A commitment that 'Future growth will be planned to ensure existing settlements maintain their distinctive character and role, to avoid coalescence between them and to conserve their setting.’
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To protect water quality, the AA recommended the inclusion of policy safeguards to ensure that adequate water and waste water treatment capacity or infrastructure upgrades are in place prior to development proceeding
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A stronger commitment to biodiversity and wildlife conservation, particularly for the Essex coast.
Richard Gleed
AUGUST 2020 Email received from BDC Consultation open from 27th August to 5pm 9th October
We are writing to you as someone who has previously responded to consultations regarding Section 1 of the Draft Local Plan for the 3 North Essex Authorities - Colchester, Braintree and Tendring, or as a registered consultee on Braintree Council's Local Plan database.
Having jointly submitted a Draft Local Plan for examination in 2017 and following recommendations from the Inspector, a focused 6 week consultation of 47 Proposed Main Modifications to the Draft Section 1 Plan is now taking place in accordance with section 20 (7C) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.
Available for consultation are:
• Schedule of the 47 Proposed Main Modifications
• Associated Sustainability Appraisal
• Associated Habitats Regulation Assessment
The consultation relates specifically to the Proposed Main Modifications and associated documents. This consultation is not an opportunity to repeat or raise further representations about the published plan or to seek further changes to the plan.
The documents are available at www.braintree.gov.uk/NEAMMS1
The consultation is being held between 27th August and 5pm on 9thOctober 2020.
Responses can be made online via the link above.
Where possible, hard copy documents will be available from the following Braintree/Colchester/Tendring libraries for the duration of the consultation;
• Braintree Library - Fairfield Road, Braintree CM7 3YL
• Colchester Library - Trinity Square, Colchester. CO1 1JB
• Clacton Library - Station Road, Clacton-On-Sea. CO15 1SF
However, if these libraries are subject to closure, then the consultation documents will continue to be available online.
Yours faithfully,
Emma Goodings
Head of Economic Development & Planning Policy
Braintree District Council
You are receiving this email as you are registered on the Braintree District Council Planning Policy mailing list.
To view or amend your personal details and contact preferences please click the following link:
https://braintree-consult.objective.co.uk/consult/details.jsp or email planningpolicy@braintree.gov.uk
May 2020
What's next with the Neighbourhood Plan
We have now reviewed the comments made on our Regulation 14 draft of the Salings Neighbourhood Plan, and made a number of revisions to it.
The 'Submission Plan' has now been sent to Braintree District Council (BDC), together with: a Consultation Statement, which explains how we have consulted the community in drawing up the plan, and how we have responded to the comments made on our Regulation 14 Draft; and a Basic Conditions statement, which explains how our plan conforms to national planning legislation and guidance.
BDC will now carry out a 6 week consultation on our plan with interested parties, and appoint an Inspector to review it. We expect this process to be completed by the autumn. The referendum on the plan will not now happen until May 2021 due to COVID-19.
Copies of these documents are available below, together with a guide to the Neighbourhood Planning process.
The NEA Local Plan May 2020
Inspectors Letter May 2020 re NEA Local Plan
January 2020
UDC Inspectors Examination Letter
please click on link to go to the page
November - December update
The Salings Neighbourhood Plan - an update
Many thanks to those of you who completed our Neighbourhood Plan Questionnaire - we had 56 responses from residents, plus representations and responses from Braintree District Council, Essex County Council and potential developers.
Turning first to the residents’ responses, we had 100% support for our vision statement, and support of 93% or more for each of the individual policies. We also had a number of very helpful comments - for example, on the need to include rainwater harvesting and renewable energy in our design policies.
Turning to the other responses, it is clear there will be some tensions to resolve. For example, seven residents wanted a larger a ‘green buffer’ or Local Landscape Protection Zone (LLPZ)- to quote two of them, ‘the bigger the better’. In contrast, BDC were concerned it might be too big! However, on a more positive note, both potential developers for the proposed West of Braintree Garden Community stated that they intended to retain operations at Andrewsfield.
The next stage is for us to revise the plan in the light of the comments and formally submit it to BDC, which we hope to do by the end of January, together with supporting documentation
New document UVE FINAL Design Codes Feb 2019
Please go to the Evidence Base link above to view all documents
SURVEY Now Closed
Draft for Regulation 14 Consultation Document
The Appendix showing Special Character Area for Bardfield Saling
The SCA for Bardfield Saling forms part of a series of Policies
that seek to protect the village from inappropriate development-
not all development.
It is not intended to be a ‘light-weight' Conservation Area.
The village is already protected by the Rural Area policies of the
Local Plan and the fact that it does not have a village development
boundary reinforces that fact. Similarly, the Listed Buildings benefit
from protection under the Planning
(Listed Buildings and ConservationAreas) Act 1990 and
Heritage policies SAL1,2 and 3.
With respect, anyone seeking to introduce a Conservation Area
for Bardfield Saling would be weakening our ability to protect
the village from new development. Our best protection should
be for the status quo to remain.
However, due to BDC’s failure to bring forward a sound Local Plan
no village or settlement is immune from development because
in the absence of a 5 year housing supply, the presumption in favour
off sustainable development writs large and Inspectors are granting
isolated consents where they have no overriding reason to refuse.
Therefore in the principle housing areas where the risk of infill is
highest, we need to ensure that permitted development accords
with established village design codes, not the Essex Design Guide
which is so woefully out of keeping with traditional village housing.
This is a draft plan and can be widened, but remember its purpose
is to guide the form of any permitted development that might slip through the net, not encourage new development in undeveloped areas of the village.
If you have any comments please write to us and post them through the Village Hall post box. Giving your contact details so that we can contact you if need be.
regards
Roger Hayward
May/June Update
The Neighbourhood Plan - an update
I expect those of you who kindly completed the Residents’ Questionnaire in early 2017 must be wondering what your Neighbourhood Planning Committee have been up to - where is the Draft Plan you might legitimately ask!
Well, ‘in hand’ is the short answer.
Since our appearance at last year’s Fete, we have:
• Agreed with Liz Lake the Landscape Assessment Survey
• Completed an exercise on Design Codes, to help us set policies for what characteristics any new developments in the Salings should have (specifying the use of local materials, for example)
• Agreed to commission a Housing Needs Survey - again thank you to those who responded - new had a response rate of about 30%, which is well above average
• Drafted policies on:
• Green Spaces (which we can designate and protect in the Neighbourhood Plan)
• Key Views and why they are important
• A ‘Green Buffer’ to protect the Salings from being absorbed by the West of Braintree Garden Community (if it eventually goes ahead)
• A ‘Special Character Area’ for Bardfield Saling to recognise how the many historic properties in the village combine to give a unique rural view.
Several of these initiatives have been based on the advice we received from our ‘friendly reviewer’, who pointed out to us, for example, the opportunity to designate and protect local ‘Green Spaces’ of particular significance to the community (such as the green in front of Saling Grove).
The other objective behind this work is to ensure a sound evidence base to show the inspector whom Braintree District Council will appoint to review our plan.
All of this has meant that it has taken longer than anticipated to develop a draft we can share with residents to check your views, but we should now be on course to do that over the summer. Meanwhile the proposals on key views and green spaces are
POLICY SAL 3 - MAINTAIN KEY VIEWS AND VISUAL CONNECTIVITY
WITH THE SURROUNDING COUNTRYSIDE
As the LAS shows, the Salings have a high visual amenity value.
We have examined the over 40 different views it identified, and
selected fourteen as ‘key views’ that we believe summarise the
views over open countryside that residents value. These include the
four views that we consulted on in the Residents’ Survey.
Any development proposals must not lead to any visual degradation of these views.
The fourteen key views are listed in Appendix xx, and the map below shows their location.
Map and the Appendix listing the key views:
Please click on these links to view
Landscape P Zone Green Buffers
Your Comments and suggestions are always appreciated
Thank you for your patience - and thanks to our hard-working committee, who
like me are hoping that the end is in sight!
Richard Gleed
April 2019 Uttlesford Local Plan examination which includes West of Braintree
Louise St John Howe
Programme Officer:
PO Services, PO Box 10965, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 3BF
Tel: 07789-486419 email: louise@poservices.co.uk
Dear Representor,
Examination of the Uttlesford District Council Local Plan
Inspector Louise Crosby MA MRTPI and
Inspector Elaine Worthington BA (Hons) MT MUED MRTPI
Following my letter of 8 February 2019 notifying you of the Inspectors’ appointments, I am now able to give you details of the hearing sessions of the Examination of the Uttlesford Local Plan.
The hearing sessions will take place in two stages.
Stage 1 will solely cover legal and procedural matters, duty to cooperate (DtC), objectively assessed needs for housing and employment land, the spatial strategy, strategic infrastructure and London Stansted Airport and the proposed garden communities. If following the Stage 1 hearing sessions, the Inspectors are satisfied that the relevant legal duty has been met and they consider the Plan is legally compliant and capable of being found sound on the matters considered at Stage 1 the examination will move on to Stage 2.
Stage 2 will consider development management type policies and the site allocations.
The Stage 1 hearing sessions will open at 10am on Tuesday 2nd July 2019 at Uttlesford District Council, London Road, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11 4BR. The dates for the first Stage of the hearing sessions are as follows:-
Tuesday 2nd July - Thursday 4th July
Tuesday 16th July - Thursday 18 July
Friday 19th July - Reserve day
Please click attached the following documents to find out more :-
ED5 Inspectors’ Matters, Issues and Questions
ED6 Inspectors’ Guidance Notes on the Examination process
ED7 Draft Hearing Sessions Timetable V.1
These documents can also be accessed on Examination Pages of the Uttlesford District Council website or via the link below:-
https://uttlesford.gov.uk/article/6005/Examination-documents
The Inspectors’ Guidance Notes set out the procedures which will be followed during the Examination, including full details on the provision of hearing statements and participation at the hearing sessions (paras 15-22)
Taking Part in the Hearing Sessions:
Only those parties who are seeking specific changes to the Plan are entitled to participate in the hearing sessions. The Deadline for confirming with me if you wish to exercise the right to be heard, giving the hearing session and matter in which you wish to take part, is 5.00 pm on Thursday 30 May.
Please Note: It is necessary to notify me if you would like to take part in the hearing sessions, even if you indicated previously that you wished to participate. Full details are set out in Para 17 of the Inspectors’ Guidance Notes.
Hearing Statements
Deadline for submission of both electronic and hard copies of hearing statements:-
Stage 1 - 5.00 pm Thursday 30 May.
Stage 2 - To be advised.
If anything is unclear or you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact me either by phone or email and I will be happy to help.
Kiind regards,
Louise
Louise St John Howe
Programme Officer,
PO Services, PO Box 10965,
Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 3BF
Email: louise@poservices.co.uk
Phone: 07789-486419
What is a Neighbourhood Plan?
A Neighbourhood Plan allows communities to determine and influence the type and nature of development they want to see in their area.
Gaining support and active acceptance by the community through voting for the plan is crucial to success.
There is a protocol to ensure the quality and support for neighbourhood plans is consistent.
Each plan must undergo scrutiny by an independent planning consultant to verify that the evidence supports the proposals.
So for a plan to achieve success, the process must be transparent and actively backed by the community.
So far over 100 neighbourhood plans have been successfully adopted across the country, with hundreds more at various stages of preparation.
These plans give communities the voice to decide what they want in their area from affordable housing to improved infrastructure.
Brandon Lewis Housing Minister Speaking about getting involved in neighbourhood Planning 22 March 2016