News Update
The South East Plan
Crispin Blunt MP’s column for Surrey Mirror – week beginning 6th October 2008
As I have said in this column before, when I was first selected as the prospective parliamentary candidate for the Reigate constituency I promised that my priority locally would be protecting the local environment from over-development. In particular I pledged to protect the Green Belt which covers all of the Reigate constituency. After eleven years of this Government the threat to the character of the Borough has never been greater.
South East Plan - Public Consultation closed on 24th October 2008
In July of this year Hazel Blears, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, amended the South East Plan. These amendments were subject to a public consultation which closed on 24th October 2008. The consultation was via the Government for the South East website:
(http://gose.limehouse.co.uk/portal/rss/pcc/consult).
Hazel Blears’ amendments proposes more than doubling the South East Plan’s original targets. The first draft of the Plan proposed the construction of 4,740 new homes by 2026 at a rate of 237 new dwellings per year. The Government Inspector’s report increased this figure by 1,500 and Hazel Blears increased that figure again to 8,240 new homes to be built by 2026. The Government also stated that they would in places review the boundaries of the Green Belt. These proposals could irreversibly impair the character of our area.
In addition to decisions taken by ministers in Whitehall to increase the targets in the South East Plan the Government has allocated a further target of 3,000 homes in the South of the Borough as part of Gatwick sub-region. The Government’s overall targets for Reigate and Banstead now stand at 11,240 new homes by 2026 – that is a likely increase in population of over 22,000 people. The size of the constituency is already growing exponentially. When I was planning for the (sadly) cancelled November election a year ago I discovered that there were 3346 new registered votes in the constituency representing a 5% growth between 2005 and 2007.
I can say that a Conservative Government would be committed to allowing locally elected politicians and local policy makers to decide planning policy and that we want your local council to be the planning authority not the Department for Communities and Local Government. Before addressing the meeting last week I spoke to my colleague Eric Pickles MP, Hazel Blears’ opposite number on the Conservative Front Bench. Eric assured me that the Conservatives remain committed to returning planning decisions to local authorities and ending the farce of the unelected regional assemblies. A Conservative Government would not adopt the South East Plan and would scrap centrally imposed targets.
However, a change of Government remains an ‘if’ not a ‘when’ and it is unlikely that an election will be called before May 2010. For this reason it is critically important that we all take the time to respond to the Government’s consultation so that Hazel Blears hears in the clearest possible terms our objections to this unsustainable assault on our local area.
It may take a decade to recover from the current economic crisis. But decisions taken now could destroy our local environment for a century – it will be our children and grandchildren who suffer if the Green Belt is eroded and our local environment becomes irrevocably over-built.
Ramble and Bat Search
Nork Park Conservation Volunteers organised a nature ramble and bat search in Nork Park last Tuesday evening, on 20th May.
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The ramble and bat search was led by Ian Wright, one of the Borough's Countryside Officers, with James Canneaux, the Borough tree specialist. As the bats do not normally begin to fly until dusk approaches, the ramble started with a walk around the park, looking at trees, meadow plants and the pond for signs of wildlife until it was nearly dark. Some bats were detected with the bat detector equipment. |
LOCAL BOROUGH ELECTION NEWS - MAY
2008
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We would like to thank everyone who helped or voted for our candidate at May's local election. The result was as follows: We would like to thank everyone who helped or voted for our candidate at May's local election. The result was as follows: Norman
Harris - Nork Residents' Association
1550 The turnout
was 36.22% which was about average for the
borough. Tattenhams
Residents’ Association were also successful: Jill Bray – Tattenhams
Residents’ Association
1348 Keith Whitham –
Conservative
750 Overall in
the Borough there were two changes: Two losses to the Conservatives,
an Independent winning in Reigate Central and a Liberal Democrat in
Meadvale and The Borough Council now is made up of 39 Conservatives, 1 Labour, 3 Liberal Democrats, 2 Independents and 6 Residents’ Associations |
PAST NEWS ITEMS
2008 Annual General Meeting of the
Association
Our guest speaker this year waschief superintendent Adrian Harper
of Surrey Police. As the most senior officer responsible for policing in
our area, his talk on the subject was most illuminating. It
was followed by question time.
We would like to thank everyone who helped or voted for our candidate at May's local election. The result was as follows:
Michael Selby - Nork Residents'
Association 1420
Paul Tweedale -
Conservative
516
The turnout was 34.45% which was the second highest in the borough.
BURGH WOOD AND HILLSIDE HAVE BEEN RESURFACEDOur repeated lobbying has paid off at last. One local resident has written to say that the road "looks absolutely super and is a joy to use - everyone who visits makes a comment!".
Councillor Harris has had many phone calls on this matter. He states that lobbying was "started by me when I was Surrey County Councillor two years ago and finally concluded by Nick Harrison, the current Surrey County Councillor." He continues.."they say that we have no clout or power but we do have perserverance and usually a good argument."
JUNK MAIL?
YOU EITHER love it
or hate it. Unsolicited mail, known generally as junk mail, is one of the
more unwelcome aspects of modern life. Most junk mail offers services and
goods some of which can be welcome. However, some junk mail can be very
unwelcome or even intimidating especially if it affects your
property.
On 1 January 2008, the Chancellor of the Exchequer will implement a land tax. This is a tax to the land owner of the gain attributable to planning permission which is expected to be 20%. To avoid the tax, planning consent and sale will need to be achieved in 2007. Hence, time is running out.
The truth is that it was only a recommendation in the Barker Review of Housing Supply of March 2004 which the Government issued for consultation and which was not accepted.
Another ploy is to infer that some neighbours have agreed to accept a proposal from the developer. In this case you should check the facts with your neighbours.
Bear in mind that although the sums that are offered may at first sight appear to be generous it is the experience of the Resident’s Association that the market value of the land sought by a developer is usually worth considerably more. You should also be extremely cautious about signing any “option agreement” that can lock you into a contractual commitment for six or more months. Always seek legal advice in such matters.