Barrow on Trent Blog

Fabius Maximus is taking a well earned rest!

Not only  the administrative  battle,  but also the war, over the land at Wragley Way,  is now finished

Planning consent has been granted;   the early stage of the development has commenced and the entire site is no longer  ” the land at Wragley  Way ” but the entire site is now the Derby Infinity Garden Village

The good news is that responsibility for complaints about the development now lie with our neighbouring Parish Council !

Fabius Maximus did pop over to see what progress was being made.

The foundations for the first 100 houses (out of 1900 ) have now been dug.  The foundations are full of water!  Not from rain but from rising groundwater.

As a consequence an ” emergency planning application ”  has been put in for a further 100 houses – not part of the original 1900 – to include provision for a selection of settling ponds to try to dewater the site

In Anglo Saxon times the area was called called Sedenefeld which I understand means Big Fen – it’s was a marsh

At some stage between the Middle Ages and the modern era two large drains were dug across it in an attempt to dewater it ..

Information from local farmers who have farmed the land for many years revealed that below the topsoil there is a large area of white clay ( not surprisingly it was originally the base of a marsh ) – so dewatering the site may prove quite difficult.

It’s interesting to note that the Victorian canal half a mile to the south of the site clearly had its base” puddled out ” with local clay

If this layer of clay is thixotropic,   building 2000 new houses and industrial units on it may well result in disturbance of the clay layer with subsequent structural damage to the houses built upon it

Only time will tell – and Fabius Maximus has had plenty of time already

South Derbyshire District Council has agreed the Boundary change requested by Barrow upon Trent and Stenson Fields Parish Councils

Press release

Council approves boundary changes

The final phase of a legal process to determine potential boundary changes and governance arrangements in an area of rural South Derbyshire has been completed.

A Community Governance Review was carried out following a joint request from Barrow upon Trent Parish Council and Stenson Fields Parish Council to change their parish boundaries.

South Derbyshire District Council was charged with determining the future status of the above areas, following consultation with local residents.

At a meeting of the Full Council on Wednesday, March 1, it was resolved that Barrow upon Trent will transfer around 153.5 acres of land into the parish of Stenson Fields.

Stenson Fields will also take in around 197 acres of land to the south-west, which currently sits in the unparished area of Twyford and Stenson.

Results of the public consultation were overwhelmingly in favour of the changes to the boundaries, as initially required by the two parish councils.

The draft proposals, consultation responses and more information about the Community Governance Review is available on the Council’s website at www.south-derbys.gov.uk

March 3^rd, 2017

Two matters still remain

The first is to determine the exact extent of the new Derby Infinity Garden village especially the “ Potential new housing ” adjacent to Chellaston which was excluded from the Local Plan

The second is to campaign to prevent the proposed transfer of the Parish of Barrow upon Trent from the Parliamentary constituency of South Derbyshire into the expanded constituency of Derby South

The Boundary Commission for England propose to transfer our entire Parish from our present Parliamentary Constituency, South Derbyshire  ( predominantly agricultural  ) to the constituency of Derby South ( an entirely urban constituency )

Current Boundaries                                                     Proposed Boundaries

Well!!  The proposed development at Wragley Way is now to be known as “ Infinity Garden Village

It is beyond belief !!

A strip of entirely agricultural land 900 metres long and 300 metres wide contiguous to the City of Derby, divided by a major access road, constrained on its’ southern border by a major trunk road is to become a  “ Garden Village “

It meets none of the criteria laid down by the Government which approved it

Trust politicians  “ Faugh !!!! “

Extract from the Derby Telegraph below

A councillor has criticised plans to create a new “garden village”, comprising 2,000 homes, on the outskirts of Derby.

It was revealed on Monday that the Government is supporting plans to create the development – called Infinity Garden Village – on fields opposite Wragley Way in Stenson Fields.

Ministers have set aside £6 million to accelerate the development of 14 new garden villages schemes across Britain. The money will be used to unlock the full capacity of sites, providing funding for additional resources and expertise to accelerate development and avoid delays.

To be eligible for the Garden Village programme, a proposed development must be a new separate settlement, as opposed to an extension of a town. Proposed schemes also have to meet other criteria, including having good design, while making best use of brownfield or public sector land is encouraged.

It is on this basis that Rob Davison, a Labour county councillor who lives in Stenson Fields, has spoken out against the Government’s backing.

Mr Davison said: “We know that the South Derbyshire Local Plan recently agreed by the district council Tories, but opposed by Labour, has cast the die for 2,000 houses at this location. But this ‘garden village’ badging falls at the first hurdle.

“Two key points: the Government says garden villages must be completely new settlements rather than the extension of an existing one. Yet what we are talking about is a long linear development that is about five sides longer than its width.

“The southern edge will be bounded by the A50. The northern edge will be Wragley Way. All the new houses built along Wragley Way will face the existing houses on the northern side. It’s preposterous to say it will be a new settlement.

“Secondly, it goes against what we have been seeking to achieve with parish boundary changes. At the moment, the 500 new houses recently built on the west of Stenson Road look and feel as if they are part of Stenson Fields. Yet they aren’t in Stenson Fields parish, so Stenson Fields parish council can’t provide services or take up issues for residents. Hopefully that will soon change.

Plans to build thousands of homes opposite Wragley Way were first mooted in 2012 and construction work on the first 130 homes is due to begin over the coming months.

Further planning applications are either yet to be submitted or determined, while a new six-mile link road across the south of Derby, from the newly-created Infinity Park development at Sinfin, right across to Stenson Fields, is also in the pipeline.

Please Check out the Community Governance Review Parish of Barrow on Trent Blog and if you agree please respond to the Consultation

THIS IS IMPORTANT IF WE WISH TO PRESERVE
THE CHARACTER  OF OUR PARISH

Well,  it is a bit of a mouthful but what it means is that South Derbyshire District Council have started the process which may lead to the area of Wragley Way being transferred out of the Parish of Barrow on Trent and into the Parish of Stenson Fields.

The information is available on the SDDC website Click Here

If you wish to make a comment you can do so by email at cgovreview@south-derbys.gov.uk

or by mail to

South Derbyshire District Council
Legal and Democratic Services Section
Community Governance Review
Civic Offices
Civic Way
Swadlincote
Derbyshire
DE11 0AH

before 4 September 2016

The only response really required is

“ I fully support the proposal for the Parish of Barrow upon Trent to divest around 153.5 acres of land in the north-west area, with Stenson Fields to incorporate this into its area. “

You can read or download the text of my response by following this LINK

The consultation period covers almost exactly the Summer holiday period – so I do not expect South Derbyshire District Council to receive many comments !!

A cynical view on the  “ Timings of Consultations “

Well, South Derbyshire District Council Local Plan Part 1 has now been approved by the Inspector

Not strictly true:- the plan as delivered was not approved by the Inspector

The Inspector has approved the plan subject to the acceptance by South Derbyshire District Council of her Main Modifications  at the  Special Full Council on 13 June 2016

You can read the Inspectors Report and the Main Modifications by following the links

As far as Wragley Way is concerned we now await a formal submission of detailed planning applications for the site

The Prime Minister and the Panama papers.

Make up your own mind!

Read the news reports,  listen to the radio,  watch the television and make up your own mind.

Common decency and the threat of legal action prevent me from making any comment at this point.

It is a important that everybody makes up their own minds and comes to their own conclusion.

It is quite simple – do you trust the Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland – or not

I do not!

The saddest thing about the whole affair is that not only do I now not trust the Prime Minister;  the affair has  tainted the entire political process and in passing every single elected official

My trust in politics and  politicians, already at an incredibly low point is now non-existent!

The consultation on the South Derbyshire District Council Local Plan Part 2 is now closed, 

The consultation ran from 15 December 2015  to 12 February 2016.

Consultation on the Man Modifications to South Derbyshire District Council Local Plan Part 1 opened on  29th January 2016 and was supposed to end on March 11 2016

The Inspector made clear in her note to South Derbyshire District Council on 7 January 2016 that she expected South Derbyshire District Council to advertise and consult on the Main Modifications to South Derbyshire District Council Local Plan Part 1

(sic ) I anticipate that the Council will advertise and consult on its revised schedule of proposed modifications to the Local Plan Part 1 as soon as possible.

Both my Elected Councillor and the Planning Policy Manager, Community and Planning of South Derbyshire District Council confirmed to me in writing on 14 January 2016 that
“  The consultation will be advertised in the local press and copies of the document made available at libraries within the District “

I studied the local press conscientiously but by 25 February 2016 I had seen no evidence of any advertisement of the consultation

I emailed initially  the Planning Policy Manager on 25 February and eventually my Elected Councillor on 1 march 2016 ( ten days before the closure date of the consultation ) and received a reply stating

The Local Plan Press Notice,  not Press Release,  will be published in the Press on Wednesday 2 March 2016, with the closing date for responses to the consultation being the 13 April 2016.

It was !

I can only assume that for some reason South Derbyshire District Council forgot to place the Notice in the first place

The closing date for Consultation has now been extended to 13 April 2016

So consultation on The Local Plan Part 2 – which is dependant on Local  Plan Part 1, closed 6 weeks before the consultation on Local  Plan Part 1.

Consulting on Part 2 of the Plan before the consultations of Part 1 have closed  might well be regarded in some circles as a prejudicial act

The Local Plan for South Derbyshire is predicated absolutely on the unmet housing needs of the City of Derby whose own Local Plan has only recently been submitted to the Secretary of State for examination and which itself has been challenged by at least one local Member of Parliament for failing adequately to consider brownfield sites within the City.

It as equally dependant on an agreement with Amber Valley Borough Council who have just withdrawn their plan completely,  but who have assured the three Inspectors that their new plan – anticipated in March 2018 – will still meet the requirements expected of it.

Not exactly a Plan – more like speculative aspirations

What a difference a day makes!  Well not really, but what a difference a month makes!

At a Council Meeting last night –  29th of February 2016 South Derbyshire District Council voted not to approve the application for the North Midlands Devolution Plan.

South Derbyshire is the second District Council in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire to withdraw from the plan – High Peak withdrew last week and a number of other Councils are already expressing their concern and may vote against.

Congratulations to South Derbyshire District Council – it is now clear where the truth lies over the past three months.

I have been concerned over the past three months that I was receiving contradictory information from South Derbyshire District Council and Derbyshire County Council and it is now absolutely clear that the information provided by South Derbyshire District Council was absolutely correct

It is not impossible however that the plan will still go ahead.  We must wait and see

On 29 January 2016 the West Bridgeford Wire reported

‘North Midlands’ Devolution deal receives Royal Assent and waits only on the Chancellor

Only ‘the nod’ from Chancellor George Osborne now stands between Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire securing the biggest handover of powers from Government in generations.

New laws received Royal Assent  yesterday (28 January 2016) which could release “game-changing” investment in infrastructure, job creation, transport and skills.

The UK currently has one of the most centralised systems of Government in Europe, but the new Cities and Local Government Devolution Act, which now has Royal Assent, paves the way for the handing down of powers which would give local people and business a greater control of their own affairs.

Council and business leaders from Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, with business support, have been negotiating for a comprehensive package of new powers and investment to be released from Government control into the hands of local people, who have a better understanding of the challenges and needs of the area.

The North Midlands Devolution deal would deliver:

• 55,000 new private sector jobs
• 77,000 extra homes
• An Investment Fund over 30 years to provide infrastructure such as roads and bridges
• Adult skills provision to better meet the needs of businesses
• A joint transport fund to spend on key transport improvements
• Better co-ordinated public transport, with Oyster card style smart ticketing
• More responsive and co-ordinated business support for growth
• 110,000 new apprenticeships
• More people entering employment through better targeted local programmes
• Journey times to London of less than 90 minutes by train.

Councillor Alan Rhodes, Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, said for every day that passed between now and Government sign-off of the deal, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire was losing ground to other parts of the UK.

Devolution deals have already been agreed for seven areas of the country. Now that the legislation is in place, all those deals can progress to the next stage and remain on course to go live next May. The clock is now ticking if we are to avoid being left behind and miss out on the game-changing investment our area desperately needs. The people of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire should have just the same opportunity for new jobs, better transport, affordable housing and control over their own destiny as people living in London, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield. The alternative to Devolution is remaining on the outside whilst other places thrive and the bleak prospect of life in the economic wilderness.Councillor Alan Rhodes, Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council

The Government accepts that Devolution is desperately needed to aid the economic recovery, the law is passed and we have a fantastic package of deliverable measures on the table. Now all the people of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire await is the nod from George Osborne. It seems like every day that another local business comes out in support of our deal or a major think-tank study concludes that the best chance for an area’s economic growth is with devolved powers and funding. The experts are saying Devolution is needed now, local people and businesses are saying it’s needed now, even the Government is saying it’s needed now. Let’s do it now.Councillor Anne Western, Leader of Derbyshire County Council

The law is now in place for Government to devolve powers so there is nothing stopping it happening – it is entirely in the Government’s court. Nineteen local council leaders in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire have put party politics aside, come up with a deal we’re all agreed on – most of which has also been agreed by Government – and published it. Now we are ready to seal the deal with Government so that people in the region can start to benefit as soon as possible from the boost to economic growth, new jobs, new homes and improved quality of life that it will bring. There is no reason from our perspective why this can’t happen now.Councillor Jon Collins, Leader of Nottingham City Council

Scott Knowles, Chief Executive, East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire), said: “The enactment of the Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill is a significant milestone which brings the prospect of the devolution of a swathe of powers to Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire another step closer.

“We have a broad base of businesses here which play a huge role in driving the UK’s economy and they stand ready to champion the completion of a Devolution deal, on the understanding that business engagement will remain central to its implementation.”

David Ralph, Chief Executive of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership,added: “Royal Assent to the Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill is a major step in the Government’s commitment to deliver Devolution, including a North Midlands Devolution Deal covering Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

“All partners in the Deal recognise the importance of a strong D2N2 area economy and believe Devolution will provide some of the levers to boost productivity, create more jobs, and improve the skills levels and career prospects of our communities.

“With legislation now in place, we hope to see Government picking up the baton and quickly confirming the Deal for our area, without further unnecessary delays.”

Nineteen councils across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire together with business leaders, including from the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership and East Midlands Chamber, have been in negotiations with Ministers over a Devolution deal for the area since last March.

They are seeking to create a single Combined Authority for the region by March 2016 – the first of its kind featuring district, borough, city and county councils.

Under the deal, the Combined Authority and a new Mayor, elected by the people of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, would be granted powers and resources currently held in London and gain responsibility for delivering a raft of new measures to boost economic growth, create jobs, build new homes and improve the quality of life for people living in the area.

The new powers would be held and delivered separately but in support of existing services, which would continue to be delivered by the local Councils

Three articles this morning, one in the Telegraph and one in the Derby Telegraph and one in the Burton Mail concerning South Derbyshire District Council.

You can read the articles online by following the links below

The Telegraph

Derby Telegraph

Burton Mail

Or you can read a summary directly by clicking on the link HERE

Disappointed but not surprised

“ Nuff  Said “

Time for an update on the current position of the North Midlands Devolution Agreement

It has been submitted to the Secretary of State.  There is an explicit written statement by Derbyshire County Council

Following months of positive discussion with the government, the North Midlands Devolution Agreement sets out the final negotiating position agreed by all Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire council leaders for the proposed transfer of powers and funding from London “

I have been personally assured three times over the last three months at Parish Council meetings by my District Councillor that Derbyshire County Council are misrepresenting South Derbyshire District Council and that the Leader of South Derbyshire District Council has not agreed the North Midlands Devolution Agreement.

At the Parish Council meeting this week my District Councillor read out a lengthy statement made by the Leader of South Derbyshire District Council to the last full meeting of the District Council in January 2016 which makes it absolutely clear that he has not made any such agreement and that South Derbyshire District Council have not agreed.

I am of course obliged to believe both statements.

They are incompatible.

It is disappointing that the Press, written. radio and television have not seen fit to report the South Derbyshire District Council meeting

It is equally disappointing that there is no public evidence that South Derbyshire District Council have made any representation  to  Derbyshire County Council about their wilful misrepresentation of South Derbyshire District Council’s position.

There is only one loser in this situation.

My confidence, belief, and trust in all politician at District, County and National level can fall no lower

Call me a cynic if you will,  but I am in no doubt that the North Midlands Devolution Agreement will return unchanged from the Secretary of State and that in the fullness of time, regardless of any consultations,  South Derbyshire District Council will approve the document as it stands.

”  You are a cynic ”

On 4 November 2015 I wrote THIS  –  “ I thought the Juggernaut of Devolution had juddered to a halt ”

I wuz  wrong !!!

It is not in the nature of juggernauts to halt,  they roll on inexorably squashing all opposition!

Derbyshire County Council have published their plans for devolution on their website you can read it HERE. 

For ease of access  use these links to download copies of the Full Document and the Summary

The document has been submitted for approval by the Secretary of State and has been approved by all of the council leaders in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire and the City of Derby and the City of Nottingham

Quote from the Summary document

“  SUMMARY: Draft North Midlands Devolution Agreement

This is a summary of the draft North Midlands Devolution Agreement submitted to the government by all 19 Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire local authorities and the local enterprise partnership D2N2 in December 2015.

Following months of positive discussion with the government, the North Midlands Devolution Agreement sets out the final negotiating position agreed by all Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire council leaders for the proposed transfer of powers and funding from London “

I was surprised to read that all council leaders had agreed the document since I understood that our own council leader had no mandate so to do.

I may be wrong !

Our local district councillor was equally surprised!

But the document has been submitted and will now be considered by the Secretary of State  – the appropriate action will be taken by government and a formal proposition to form the Authority and a Local Mayor will be returned to the local area for formal consultation and signing off.

The juggernaut rolls on.   At that stage I do not see the proposal being turned down and indeed a timescale for the election of the Local Mayor has been set for barely 16 months time

I urge everybody to read the documents and make up their own minds.

I am not a happy bear!!

I do have an alternative solution:

Rather than add an extra layer to both counties I propose that the City of Derby be stripped of its Unitary Authority Status and returns to its proper home in the County of Derbyshire

We would then have a Combined Authority just for Derbyshire  ( Derbyshire County Council ) and we could elect our own Mayor solving the problem of

“ No Mayor No Money “

The City of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire could then do exactly what they wish.

Combining all the councils of  Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, the City of Derby and the City of Nottingham into a combined authority is a foolish idea and is really no more than the bastard runt of the discredited old East Midlands Regional Authority with pretty much exactly the same membership but with the loss of Lincolnshire.

Runt – because it is pretty much a cutdown East Midlands Regional Authority

Bastard  –  because in my view it has absolutely no political legitimacy

The East Midlands Regional Authority didn’t work – the North Midlands Combined Authority   (we dare not call it East Midlands Combined Authority ( too much like the East Midlands Regional Authority ) will not work either

One vision sustains me in my despair.  If directly elected mayors are  so wonderful then perhaps we should have a directly elected Prime Minister.

The vision of a Conservative majority government serving under a directly elected Prime Minister     –   Jeremy Corbyn  –    is the only bright spot in my fantasies

The Boss is in New Zealand with the grandchildren for six weeks.  I am just about coping at home on my own but Local Government seems determined to destroy my  tranquillity

 安谧

Planning:   The current situation is that South Derbyshire District Council are consulting on their Local Plan Part 2. 

Local Plan Part 1 is not yet approved ; the Local Plan for the City of Derby has not yet been submitted,   the Local Plan for Amber Valley has just been withdrawn. 

The Inspectors for South Derbyshire and Amber Valley met with the South Derbyshire and Amber Valley councils in October to agree the apportionment of housing for each authority which was not capable of being provided by the City of Derby.

The three legs, City of Derby, Amber Valley and South Derbyshire District Council are supposed to support the Derby Housing Market Area. 

Two of the legs do not exist and South Derbyshire are consulting on part 2 of their plan before part 1 is approved – and indeed the Inspector has insisted that South Derbyshire District Council consult again on their Local Plan Part 1 before she issues her final report.

Total chaos.

Devolved authority.  All of the Councils comprising Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire including both the City of Nottingham and the City of Derby have just submitted a proposal to the Secretary of State for a Devolved Authority including both counties with an elected mayor.  None of the councils have any mandate so to do!

It is fair to say that I view 2016 as a year in which I shall spend most of the time being furious!

I no longer have any respect or confidence in either our District or County Council – and even less in the National Government

Article Derby Telegraph 5 Jan 2016 or read it HERE

What’s that got to do with Barrow on Trent?

Well it’s just an excuse to point out another piece of political chicanery.

I wrote this three years ago

“A Good Day to Bury Bad News
Another useful technique used in big organisation – codified recently, but used for millennia.
If you have some bad news or a proposal. that may be difficult – you wait until one of your colleagues releases some even worse news and then slip yours through whilst everybody’s eyes are elsewhere – works like a treat! “

So what really happened yesterday?

Whilst the rest of the world was agonising over the fate of Jose Mourinho, the government quietly released 424 documents – some of them fairly controversial, whilst nobody was looking

Article in the Guardian 17 December 2015.  Or read the text of the article HERE

So Fabius Maximus is grumpy again!

Christmas is coming,
The goose is getting fat,
Start a Planning Consultation,
HOW ABOUT THAT !!!!

South Derbyshire District Council Local Plan Part 1 has not yet been approved – the Inspectors report is due in January 2016

Consultation opened today on SDDC Local Plan Part 2 and runs for 6 weeks

I have complained previously about the timing of consultations and I make no apology for repeating the comments here

Timing the Consultation – a variation on A Good Day to Bury Bad News

Timing the consultation can be critical too!!.

Most consultations need to run for six weeks — or perhaps eight.

Start your consultation period at the beginning of December and you can guarantee a poor response.

No-one is interested in planning or administration in the run-up to Christmas and nobody will respond during the two weeks over the Christmas period

Comment previously published over three years ago!

I have my doubts that there will be anyone to receive the comments between 20th December 2015  and 3 January 2016 !!!!!

The South Derbyshire District Council Local Plan Part 2 can be found on the Council Website  HERE

I commend everyone to read at least the Plan and Appendix B and make up their own minds and if possible respond to the council ( I doubt if anybody will over the holiday period! )

The entire document set  ( the Plan and all Appendices ) runs to over 1000 pages  –   so happy Christmas reading!!

As far as our local area goes we seem to escape quite lightly –

The two Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessments  ( other than Wragley Way )
– Site S0045 at the western end of the village opposite Grange Farm  and  site S0165 at Arleston are both shown as  “Not suitable Part 2 sites “   in the plan at Appendix B

I suspect other areas in the District will be much less happy

For the sake of simplicity  you can download a copy of the Plan and Appendix B ( as published on 15 December 2015 ) by following these links

South Derbyshire District Council Local Plan Part 1

Appendix B      This is a large file and may be slow to download unless you have fast internet access

It’s been an interesting week in the planning world!

The Inspector  appointed by the Planning Inspectorate to examine the South Derbyshire District Council Local Plan as to its soundness according to paragraph 182 of the National Planning Policy Framework has resumed her examination of the South Derbyshire District Council plan.

As yet I can find no information on South Derbyshire District Council website as to the conclusions of those three days of deliberation.

Whilst the deliberation was taking place,  Amber Valley Borough Council withdrew its’ Local Plan,  according to the local press.     Derby Telegraph 12   December 2015

At the same time a South Derbyshire District councillor complained that North West Leicestershire were proposing to build 91 houses contiguous to South Derbyshire and that this would cause unacceptable difficulties to transport. 

Derby Telegraph 10 December 2015

And this from a District Council that proposes to build 3000 new houses contiguous to the City of Derby.

The South Derbyshire District Plan is once again being examined.  The City of Derby have published but not yet submitted their Local Plan for examination and Amber Valley Borough Council have withdrawn their plan.

The three plans taken together are supposed to support the Derby Housing Market Area,  although they are not a combined and comprehensive plan but merely three plans travelling in roughly the same direction.

The South Derbyshire plan is predicated absolutely on the plans for the City of Derby and Amber Valley – neither of which exist

How can the South Derbyshire Plan be considered  “ sound  “

Of the tripod supporting the Derby Housing Management Area, one leg is not yet in place, one leg has just been removed and the remaining single leg is currently being assessed.

I’m not an expert in urban planning but what I do know is that a tripod with one leg will always fall down.

“Atishoo!  Atishoo ! “

” ALL FALL DOWN !! “

It is just possible that common sense is beginning to prevail regarding the combined authority for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire at last.

As reported in my previous blog South Derbyshire District Council have made it clear that they have not yet made a formal decision regarding a combined authority for Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire with an elected mayor and this recent article in the Derby Telegraph or read it HERE reinforces this view.

At least two of the nine authorities in Derbyshire have not yet made up their minds regarding the combined authority and it does now appear that the bandwagon or juggernaut may have shuddered to a ( temporary ) halt.

Having said that I have not seen in any public document any indication that the original application submitted to the Secretary of State for the individual single authorities has been rescinded.

My life, thankfully has become much calmer. 

Good job too,   because for past few days I have been heavily involved with my techie persona.

You will be able to read about it soon at Arteman Tech

An Update to

ANGRY   ANGRY  ANGRY !!!

An article in the Burton Mail or read it HERE

Make up your own mind

Earlier this year Derbyshire County Council carried out a consultation asking if voters approved the concept of a Combined Authority for all of the District Councils in Derbyshire together with the City of Derby

Nobody really objected though it is fair to say that there was not overwhelming support – lets face it it would just be one more layer of administration on top of the existing District and County Council with the City of Derby added back in – just like the old County Council before Derby became a Unitary Authority ( one step forward – two steps back !! )

Anyway 6 months ago

The ten constituent authorities  considered the review, its findings and recommendations and agreed that a submission be made to the Deputy Director for Democracy at the Department for Communities and Local Government, under the LDEDC Act, for the establishment of a Combined Authority for Derby and Derbyshire to be constituted of: Amber Valley Borough Council, Bolsover District Council, Chesterfield Borough Council, Derby City Council, Derbyshire County Council,Derbyshire Dales District Council, Erewash Borough Council, High Peak Borough Council, North East Derbyshire District Council and South Derbyshire District Council.

Signed off “ inter alia “ by the Leader of South Derbyshire District Council

Six months on and Westminster seem to have moved the goal posts – now we are being offered a combined authority with Nottingham and an Elected Mayor – but the original application still seems to be rolling forward 

Nobody asked me – or any other voter in Derbyshire if this is what we want and at present out District Councillors have not even considered the matter

At our recent Parish Council meeting our District Councillor confirmed that South Derbyshire District Council have not yet agreed to the new proposals

BUT

According to the Burton Mail

It is believed that an agreement on devolution between Derbyshire and Nottingham, which  includes 19 local authorities, is now close. !!!!

I think I am still angry

Yet another change in the  “ Planning Rules “

One document states: “The Government proposes to legislate to enable the Secretary of State to grant ‘permission in principle’ via a development order to land that is allocated for development in locally produced plans and registers.”

Read the article in The Telegraph

“ Tens of thousands of new homes in greenfield areas to get automatic planning permission
Ministers quietly expand scope of ‘planning in principle’ power from brownfield sites to areas earmarked for development in local plans “

or go to a copy HERE

Read the information and make up your own mind

As I see it

Any land assessed as suitable under the old Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessments will now automatically be granted “ permission in principle via a development order “ and there is nothing any resident, Parish, District or County Council can do about it

What I wrote  3 years ago  !!!!!!!

“ Localism “ is Dead

Copied over from ” The Ire of Arteman “

I am confused – and I think I am angry!

Information from articles in the Derby Telegraph

“ Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire likely to share a Directly Elected Mayor “

DERBYSHIRE and Nottinghamshire are likely to share an elected Mayor if plans to create a new “combined authority” for the two counties get the go-ahead.

The new organisation could be granted powers traditionally held by Whitehall, over things like major transport infrastructure projects, back-to-work schemes and some health matters.

It could be created as early as 2016 but new powers would not be devolved until 2017 at the earliest.

All the councils in the two counties have submitted a joint bid to the Government for the creation of the combined authority and devolution of powers. It would be a new layer of local Government, with all those existing councils remaining in place.

Back in June, Chancellor George Osborne had made it clear that – if they wanted the authority, and all the extra financial control it means – the councils would have to bring in a “mayor” who would be answerable for its actions.

Now Derby City Council’s leader, councillor Ranjit Banwait, has said the Government does not want more than one combined authority for the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire area.

And he said it had also been made clear that there needed to be “one directly elected representative” accountable for that area and that his authority was in favour of that.

Local councillors and officers say they are eager to ensure that, in return for agreeing to an elected mayor for the new authority, they are given the extra cash.

They hope to conclude a deal before the end of November.

So as far as I can discover all the local authorities in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire including both the City of Nottingham and the City of Derby have joined together to form a combined authority which will be united under a single new elected mayor

The rush to the cliff edge is being driven entirely by Central Government  who have made it clear to the Local Authorities concerned that failure to combine under an elected mayor will result in severe financial and economic sanctions on the two counties

No Mayor  – No Money !!!!

So what consultation has been carried out to bring this in place. Lots of reading to do !!

The only area where the local population of had a referendum to decide if they wished to have a local elected mayor is a city of Nottingham where the proposal was rejected by 57.5% to 42.5%.

Elsewhere where consultation has been carried out the results have been dire.  In both Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire consultation was only to ask if the provision of a combined authority for each county attracted any support

In each case response to the consultation was only some 700 responses in each county.

In Derbyshire  67% saying they supported the idea and 70% saying they agreed the geographical area of the combined authority should be Derby and Derbyshire.
In Nottinghamshire 57.7% in favour of establishing a Combined Authority for Nottinghamshire

Neither proposal made any mention of a directly elected mayor either for Derbyshire or Nottinghamshire or for a combined Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire regional area

Population Nottinghamshire 1,090,600   Population Derbyshire  1,019,500 

Total population  population Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire  2,160.100 

So  out of a population of 2,160.100  about 820 responses favoured single County Authorities with no view on a directly elected Mayor and over half of the responses from the City of Nottingham rejected a Mayor completely !!

Bear in mind  that most of the positive responses will have come from Statutory Bodies who require consultation and other bodies with heavy vested interests

With absolutely no mandate from the local population our Local Authorities are rushing lemming like towards a Joint Authority with an elected mayor which none of the local population really want.

Nobody asked me if I wanted a directly elected mayor for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire   – but  –   when they do   –    if they do,    I shall vote NO – and I hope everyone else in the area does as well

I am not confused

I am just furious

“ Localism “ is a Joke !!!!!

Fabius Maximus is appalled by the current position of the local planning process as part of the South Derbyshire Part 1 Local Plan!

Briefly the Local Plan is currently stalled waiting for the results of South Derbyshire Sustainability Appraisal,  called for by the Planning Inspector.  Consultation on the Sustainability Appraisal ended barely one week ago.

The Sustainability Ability Appraisal was a joint process between the City of Derby, South Derbyshire District Council and Amber Valley Council to determine the allocation of new housing in the Local Plans between the three authorities.  I have already recorded my thoughts on this particular document in an earlier blog.

Nonetheless the consultation is now closed and the revised document will go forward to the Inspector for consideration.

Within a week of this agreement between the three Authorities,  Pauline Latham the MP for Mid Derbyshire has written to the City Council and the Inspector in charge of their Local Plan stating in her view the plan for the City of Derby is unsound.

Link to the article in the Derby Telegraph 20 October 2015

( I happen to agree with Mrs Latham but that’s neither here nor there )

I had previously raised with the City of Derby planners  at one of their open meetings the  problem that the redundant Celanese site was not included in their plan and my view was dismissed out of hand.

I am aware that there is significant contamination of the land but that is no reason for not considering it as part of the Local Plan process.  In fact during the course of the planning the government has changed the emphasis and now recommends that brownfield sites are given a much higher priority – even if it does mean that they have to be thoroughly decontaminated at considerable cost!

In my view the way in which Derby City Council have dealt with the Celanese site renders their local plan unsound .

Derby City Council have not even submitted their plan to the Inspector yet but I suspect there is at least a sporting chance that the Inspector will find it unsound.

The three plans, Derby City Council, South Derbyshire District Council and Amber Valley are not a combined plan – but three independent and separate plans with a common theme!!

This despite the fact that all three plans have been formulated under the aegis of the Derby Housing Market!!

In my view it’s a bit like a line of dominoes – if the City of Derby local plan is found unsound ( and I am sure it should be ) then the plans of South Derbyshire and Amber Valley should also fall!

The Local Plans for South Derbyshire and Amber Valley are predicated absolutely on the Plan for the City of Derby – if one falls   – all fall

So  –  I remain unimpressed by the local planning process.

On top of that all of the Local Authorities in both Derbyshire and Nottingham appear to be rushing lemming-like into a coalition so that we can elect a local mayor for both Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

None of the Local Authorities have an elected mandate to do so!

The rush to the cliff edge is being driven entirely by Central Government  who have made it clear to the Local Authorities concerned that failure to combine under an elected mayor will result in severe financial and economic sanctions on the two counties

No Mayor  – No Money !!!!

Nobody asked me  – but  –   when they do   –    if they do,    I shall vote NO – and I hope everyone else in the area does as well

South Derbyshire District Council have published their  “ Sustainability Appraisal Non Technical Summary and Addendum August 2015 “ and it is open for consultation until 12 October 2015

I doubt if more than a handful of Council Tax Payers in South Derbyshire know about it – or care about it – but I have read it !!

As far as I can tell the only important fact to flow from the document is that this would increase South Derbyshire’s housing target to around 12,600 dwellings

That figure is almost exactly the same as the number originally proposed by the now defunct and discredited East Midlands Regional Plan.

From where I sit it looks very much like  “ back to original plan “ rather than a bold step forward!!

It also appears from the publically published documents that relationships within the partners in the Derby Housing Market and the Inspector are becoming perhaps a little tetchy!!

I do not expect any progress on the Local Plan for at least another 3 months  ( I may be wrong !!! )

Two more Imperial messages !!

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

First message from Derby Telegraph 21 January 2015 or read it HERE

Second message: South Derbyshire District Council have published all the submissions and examination documents relating to the on-going Examination in Public of the Local Plan on their webpage.

You can access the South Derbyshire District Council website by following this LINK

Reading all the documents is very tedious but quite informative – including the exchange of solicitors letters – it does reveal where the threat of legal challenge to the plan originated

The most important document for the residents of Barrow on Trent is document SD/EX/32 Local Plan Policy H15 Wragley Way – Position and delivery statement with Hallam Land Management Ltd – particularly the final two lines on Page 9 which infer agreement between Hallam Land Management and SDDC for an additional 790 homes on the Wragley Way site post 2028 about which there has been no Public consultation

To save time you can read the document HERE

BUT  I have had ENOUGH

Read the documents – make up your own mind

No great rush – The Examination in Public may re-commence in March 2015

Back to the tree, the wine, cheese !

I’ll shoot the next messenger

Fabius Maximus withdrew from any involvement in the South Derbyshire District Council Local Development Plan in March 2014 when it became obvious that nothing anyone locally said would make any difference to the decisions of the Council.

However, an Imperial Messenger came past today and left the attached message.

You can read the original article by following this Link

South Derbyshire District Council have submitted their Local Plan and it is currently undergoing an Inspection in Public by the Planning Inspectorate.

No information has been provided on the progress of this inspection by the Council but the attached message makes it clear that the Inspector is dissatisfied with the plan and has referred it back for further work.

According to the article, the inspector is not satisfied with the local infrastructure proposed in regard to schools and transport.  Both these items have been raised repeatedly with South Derbyshire District Council over the past 10 years and have  never been satisfactorily resolved.

Both education and the road system are not the direct responsibility of South Derbyshire District Council but of other Authorities where no formal plans exist and indeed such suggestions as have been made can best be described as hopeful aspirations.

Derby City Council have not yet submitted their plan and it appears from the article that the  cooperation called for in the original Local Planning Development Scheme, which was downgraded by the Government 10 months ago is beginning to crumble to become “a separate but aligned core strategy rather than a joint plan with Amber Valley, South Derbyshire.”

The whole process is once again in total disarray.

No further comments – unless and until the South Derbyshire Local District Plan is formally approved which now begins to look very delayed and perhaps  extremely doubtful

In the meantime the corporate vultures of the development world have plenty of time to devour land assessed as suitable under the old SHLAA’s but not included in the Local Plan!

You may feel the need to re-read this document

South Derbyshire District Council’s proposed PreferredGrowth Strategy up to 2028

South Derbyshire District Council has published its Pre-Submission Local Plan Part 1

You can read it HERE

As far as the Parish of Barrow upon Trent is concerned nothing has changed –  despite all the consultations, the petitions and discussion the plans of South Derbyshire District Council are exactly the same as the proposals put forward 10 years ago which were rejected by the Examination in Public held in 2006

The plans for this Parish remain exactly as they were ten years ago – a major development of the land south of Wragley Way – not for the benefit of the Council Tax payers of South Derbyshire but to accommodate the residents of the City of Derby

satis est, – satis est

Vale !!!

Legionibus redire Gallia Narbonensis Fabius Maximus

Olea, vina, caseus !!!!!!