Parish Council and Supporters Update 15th June 2020

Covid-19

We trust everyone remains well and coping with the current challenges.

During the continuing limitations as to contact office closures and meetings, it remains important that we keep everyone up to date with developments. Whilst there are certain constraints on authorities progressing the matters with which we are concerned most can be (and are) being dealt with virtually albeit with more constrained opportunities for public participation. We are maintaining a careful watch and are grateful to our County and District Council representatives for help in keeping us informed. We hope that as limitations reduce the situation will improve but it is not clear as to when that might be.

Please do let us know if there is anything you become aware of which would be helpful. Our general e-mail address has developed an access fault so please feel free to contact me direct: iain.muspratt@hemingfordsactiongroup.co.uk

Astro Turf Site – Planning Application Reference FMW/072/19

There has been no response from MGL to the request by CCC for the following further information consequent upon the very large number of objections (none in favour) they received including ours.

The applicant was asked on 17 February 2020 to submit the following information and/or amend the application in response to comments from consultees;

  •         Transport statement
  •         Reduce height of stockpiles to 3 metres
  •         Extend 3 metre high fence
  •         Consider locating the soil screen in an excavated area to lower the discharge height in relation to the acoustic barrier fence
  •         Vibration mitigation measures 
  •         Air quality assessment
  •        Surface water drainage information

We have asked CCC why there has been no response and have been told by the case officer that MGL are unable to obtain the information they need from their consultants due to the Coronovirus situation. In the last week there has been activity on both the Astro-Turf site and the Golf Club Car Park which we are monitoring. 

Any response by MGL will be subject to the same scale of further consultation as applied to the original application and after that a decision will be taken at a meeting of  the CCC Planning Committee and the future dates for these are 30th July,  3rd September and 1st October.

Please also see the reference to the site in relation to the examination of the new Waste and Minerals Plan.

Hemingford Golf Club Car Park

Following complaints from HAPC and ourselves the number of skips in the Car Park has reduced to hardly any.

The Club House still appears to be occupied from time to time.

This is in clear contravention of planning. 

New Draft Waste and Minerals Local Plan

CCC Responsibility for the preparation and progress of the new plan now rests with the newly formed CCC Environment and Sustainability Committee. 

The plan has now been submitted to HM Government; an Inspector (Mr Stephen Normington) has been appointed and the process of examination has started. A programme officer has been appointed – Dr Rebecca Casa-Hatton (mwprogrammeofficer@peterborough.gov.uk) and has advised three upcoming dates:

19th June 2020: Deadline to advise the programme officer that you wish to participate in the hearings. We have done so but if any of you wish to do so please note the deadline date which is this Friday.
10th  July 2020: Deadline for the submission of pre-hearing statements (for both electronic and hard copies).
15th September 2020: Date of first hearing. For subsequent hearing dates, please refer to the Provisional Programme on the examination website.

The Examination Process and detail can be followed at www.peterborough.gov.uk/mwlp-examination

There are three key elements on the examination site:

E002 – Guidance Notes from the Inspector as to the Purpose and Process of the Inspection

E003 –  Matters the Inspector has identified for specific consideration

E004 – The timetable for 15 September onwards hearings

CD01 – The draft plan. Although this is dated May 2018 we believe  it does incorporate changes made at the various stages of consultation.

We will ensure that all these documents are available for reference on our website by the end of this week.

E003 is extremely important to us. Most useful is that the Inspector has questioned if sites that do not have an environmental permit or exemption should be included as existing Waste Management Areas on the Policies Map which forms part of the draft plan (as you will remember this applies to the Astro Turf Site which is currently included but has been refused a permit and has been required to be cleared by Environment Agency).We have consistently argued that the site should be excluded and are pleased that the Inspector has picked this point up.

We will raise this and other matters which we consider to be important at the Enquiry. Many of you also wrote regarding the Astro Turf site and if you wish to do so please register to take part in the proceedings.

The  public enquiry into the Waterbeach incinerator  (Case Number 3225123) has long concluded and the Inspector’s report was called in by the Secretary of State who announced today (15 June 2020) that the Inspector recommended that the Appeal be dismissed and that recommendation is accepted.This upholds the decision made by councillors on the then CCC Committeee against the advice of CCC officers.

Hemingford Golf Club Site, Astro Turf Site Activity, Golf Shop and Driving Range

As referred to earlier we continue to draw attention to the use to which both the bungalow and (although materially reduced) the Car Park are being put and the Environment Agencies failure to have the Astro-Turf site cleared following their refusal to grant an Environmental Permit. 

There is activity on both the Golf Club Car Park and the Astro Turf site which we are monitoring. The Car Park fence has been removed and there is evidence of quantities of surfacing material being stored in the Astro Turf site.

Sub-committee to assist with the process of preparing a detailed proposal for the Hemingford Golf Club to be granted the status of a Community Asset et seq.

Following preliminary meetings (which we joined) Hemingford Abbots PC submitted the draft proposals to Findlay Flett at HDC for comments over two months ago. None have been received but John Blyde and I did have a further meeting with very senior officers who were somewhat non-committal. We have suggested to HAPC a formal application  be submitted.

We are contacting local Hunts FA personnel to present the plans to them.

Stay Safe and Keep Well everyone.

 

Iain Muspratt  – The Hemingfords Action Group

15th June 2020