Parish Council and Supporters Update 7 December 2020

Covid-19 and Tier 2

We trust everyone remains well and coping with the Tier 2 challenges.

We continue to maintain very close contact with all our Parish, District and County Councillors and are grateful to them for their on-going help. We will continue with these monthly newsletters until such time as we can arrange a further public meeting and rely on reactions from everyone to help keep us up to date.

Please do let us know if there is anything you become aware of which would be helpful. Our general e-mail address continues to suffer 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

On 25th November I wrote to CCC to enquire whether CCC had progressed the points which we made at our informal meeting on 28th October and received a very detailed and prompt reply. On 27th November Senior Planning Officers and Highways Officers visited the site to further evaluate our submissions. We noticed that quite sophisticated traffic measurement sensors were set up on Rideaway both before the Bridge (coming from Hemingford) and between the junction of Moats Way and the entrance to the Golf Complex, Old Club, Circuit Solutions and the Astro Turf Site. We have asked if these were placed by Cambridgeshire Highways or Highways England and await a reply.

As I reported previously the traffic consultants we commissioned were quite clear in saying that the junction would not comply with current requirements.

CCC have decided not to carry out vibration tests until the results of their evaluation of the points we raised are thoroughly considered probably in 2021.

We intend to leave the remaining large banners in place until this matter is resolved.

HEMINGFORD ABBOTS GOLF RANGE, SHOP & CONFERENCE CENTRE

American Golf’s new venture was closed during the most recent lockdown but has reopened. We await a response to our request for a meeting, The greatly enhanced facilities have proved very popular and we wish the venture every success.

NEW DRAFT WASTE AND MINERALS PLAN

On Wednesday we received the amendments following the Public Examination. As HM Inspector suggested these are intended to take into account the following points which we made viz:

  • The requirements for extensions to existing sites should be subject to the same criteria as new sites
  • We do not believe that the plan should contemplate ‘local’ sites being permitted as an adjunct to local housing developments
  • We wish to see the ‘Astro Turf Site’ omitted from the list of current sites on the basis that it does not have an environmental permit or exemption nor has it been properly operational for some years and should not therefore be included as existing Waste Management Areas on the Policies Map which forms part of the draft plan

We submitted our acknowledgement of the changes made on 10th November but asked for the following further change to the co-location policy :

‘Proposals for co-location which neither complement nor materially benefit from synergies with an existing waste use will be assessed against the sequential test set out on this Policy 4’.

We appreciate the details are complex but we do believe that the changes will ensure a much more rigorous and constraining approach to applications including those seeking to expand existing facilities.

The deadline for responses is 15th December 2020. 

HEMINGFORD GOLF CLUB CAR PARK

There is evidence that the bungalow is occupied from time to time (including during non working hours). The Car Park remains totally cleared. We have formally advised CCC that the concrete driveway alongside the old Golf Club Car Park has been extended with a rough crushed road stone surface to double its' width and the original fence alongside the Golf Club Car Park moved inwards to accommodate that change. This work was carried out this Summer. CCC have confirmed they raised this matter with MGL but await a response and have therefore ensured their colleagues at HDC are aware.

SUB_COMMITTEE TO ASSIST WITH THE PROCESS OF PREPARING A DETAILED PROPOSAL FOR THE HEMINGFORD GOLF CLUB TO BE GRANTED THE STATUS OF COMMUNITY ASSET et seq

This matter remains outstanding and will not be progressed until we have established a dialogue with American Golf.

COMMUNICATION

We are very grateful to Zoe Ryall for arranging for THAG to be included under Organisations on our Village website with a link to these updates.

E-mailing lists

We are rationalising these to minimise duplications. If you know of anyone who would like to be added please e-mail Audra Green at audra.green@hemingfordsactiongroup.co.uk

Can you help please?

We still wish to strengthen our Board and would be pleased to hear from anyone who has experience in local planning and land development matters. If you are interested please e-mail: iain.muspratt@hemingfordsactiongroup.co.uk

This will be the final update report for 2020. We wish you a Very Enjoyable Christmas despite all the limitations and a Very Happy and Healthy 2021 with as quick a return to normality as possible.

Stay Safe and Keep Well everyone.

 

Iain Muspratt  – The Hemingfords Action Group

7th December 2020