Here is my personal submission re the planning application for 71 new dwellings at Filands.


Re: 16/07288/OUT Land South of Filands (2nd Phase)
 
I am writing to register my OBJECTION to this planning application, which should be rejected. The main reasons for this are:

• Filands is not a site in the Malmesbury Neighbourhood Plan and there is significant opposition to building on this site.
• Extra housing is not required.
• Precedent for future development at Filands, contra to the Neighbourhood Plan.

 
Principle of Neighbourhood Planning
Whilst I am now objecting to this application in a personal capacity, I am a Town Councillor and represented Malmesbury Town Council on the Malmesbury Neighbourhood Steering Group who drew up our Neighbourhood Plan in response to local residents feedback and other expert guidance.
 
The Neighbourhood Plan was voted through in a three parish referendum as per the Government’s Localism Act and was the first Wiltshire. 90% of those who voted in the Referendum said YES to the Neighbourhood Plan. This means that Wiltshire Council and others must use this document when considering planning applications.  To allow planning permission when an application does not conform to our Neighbourhood Plan (i.e. this site is NOT included) will undermine our Plan and set unwanted local and national precedents.  The people of the Malmesbury Area used their democratic right under the Localism Act to define how the place where they live and work should grow. This did not include development on Filands and there was much local opposition at the time. (see Chapter 1 and Policies 1, 2 and 3 therein).  Even the applicants current submitted Statement of Community Engagement July 2016 shows that there is still significant opposition to building on this site. If the views of local residents and the principles and policies in our Neighbourhood Plan are ignored - then this will be a fundamental threat to our democracy, Neighbourhood Plans throughout the country and Government.
 
 
 
Housing Numbers
Our Malmesbury Area housing target for 2026, as laid down by Government and allocated in the Wiltshire Core Strategy , will be met in the next year or so. This will be around 9 years before the target date, so there is no need for extra housing. (See Page 10 of the Neighbourhood Plan for these figures and also Policy 5 Page 24 which states that “Planning applications for new housing, including conversions, should  be  assessed  against the demand net of cumulative consents given in the period, not the gross demand identified at the beginning of the period”.)
 
Neither do I believe that the hypothesis that more housing is needed in the shorter term because of the Dyson expansion. Projected growth of their workforce was taken into account during the preparation of the Neighbourhood Plan. The amount of staff working at Dyson will grow over a number of years and not all at once. A large amount of engineers do not wish to live locally, but in the larger towns nearby. This was evidenced through a travel survey of Dyson staff.  So, given these factors plus the large growth in development of other areas close by, such as Tetbury and the potential huge 2000 dwelling development near Kemble in the longer term - I do not see any evidence of a requirement for extra housing in the Malmesbury Area.
 
Also, I believe that Wiltshire Council has met it’s Five Year Land Supply target, so this should not be a reason to allow this application.
 
 
 
Precedent For Future Development at Filands
I would like to remind you that Gleeson Strategic Land challenged both our Neighbourhood Plan during it’s preparation and also took the Government to court re the 180 dwellings development application which is adjacent to this site.  Outline planning permission was finally granted after the Government lost the second of two judicial reviews. You will see from the attachments to this email that there have been plans to build along the whole of Filands (the masterplan is from their brochure). Also an EIA was made for approx 30 acres on this site around 2011 as was explained to our local Wiltshire Councillor by their Managing Director (as attached letter 23rd September 2011).  Lastly, in a public interview in our local newspaper, the Wilts and Glos Standard on 18th September 2014 http://www.wiltsglosstandard.co.uk/news/northwilts11482796.Developer_blames_legal_battle_
with_Govt_for_decision_to_sell_Malmesbury_housing_site/
?ref=rss   Mr. Scott Chamberlain, their managing director, was quoted as saying “We still have a significant interest in the rest of the land.”
To allow this application would clearly set a precedent for the applicant to expect planning approval to develop further parts of Filands. This again would be in direct contradiction to the Neighbourhood Plan.
 
 

Backbridge Farm Planning Application Re 16/06401/FUL

I have been asked if I have submitted comments about this planning application to Wiltshire Council. The answer is yes - I have emailed in my personal capacity to object to the application to Wiltshire Council.

Click here to read my submission.

Points about design, amenity and connectivity have been raised by others, so I have concentrated on 5 major points where I feel the application deviates from our Neighbourhood Plan.

These concern:

• The Principle of Neighourhood Planning;
  
• Housing Numbers;
• Mixed Housing and Tenure;
• School Extensions;
• AONB;

I support development on this site, but hopefully residents' objections and the robustness of our Neighbourhood Plan will result in positive amendments to the planning application.

Malmesbury Town Council took a decision to dissolve the Malmesbury Neighbourhood Steering Group - those who worked on the Neighbourhood Plan. This was without even referring to the Chair or the majority of the community representatives of the group. This decision was also contrary to the advice of a senior planning expert, who described the ongoing and important role for the MNSG.

I did not agree with this disappointing action, because of the ongoing part the MNSG had to play and also losing the voice of many non-Council reps such as the local schools, who for instance as the experts were able to come together and shape vital decisions about local school provision. I wrote about this previously - click here to read "Gagging Our Community Voice."  

However, it is Wiltshire Council which is the Planning Authority for the Malmesbury Area. So I am very pleased to report that our Wiltshire Councillor Simon Killane is keen to continue supporting community led representation in respect of the Neighbourhood Plan and planning in our area. 

In his own words " it is my responsibility to make sure your collective voice is heard loud and clear when the council (Wiltshire) makes decisions about planning applications in Malmesbury".



Click here for the Malmesbury Neighbourhood Planning Watch website.






Cllr. Killane described the reasons for this as follows: 
"Our Neighbourhood must have a strong collective voice to make sure the policies in the Neighbourhood Plan that we worked tirelessly to build are adhered to and that any attempt to undermine it are robustly challenged. I am your local elected Wiltshire Councillor on the decision making council authority that decide on planning applications and it is my responsibility to make sure your collective voice is heard loud and clear when the council makes decisions about planning applications in Malmesbury. The recent unwise decision of Malmesbury Town Council to disband the MNSG does not stop us from continuing to be the eyes and ears of the community and make sure that Community Led Planning continues to shape a better development future for all of us."

The Riverside Centre is a new community centre which will be in the industrial looking building (old Youth Centre) next to the Co-Op in Gloucester Rd, Malmesbury. This 'Campus' project is a Wiltshire Council initiative.

The idea is that the centre will be run by The Friends of Riverside for community groups and individuals to use  and will also provide a place for services to be delivered by Wiltshire Council and other organisations and somewhere for these organisations to 'hot desk'. Last night an 'update' presentation was given at the Area Board meeting and some of that information is shared here.

I am part of Friends of Riverside and personally believe we are very fortunate that Malmesbury was added into the 'Campus' programme, which has so far concentrated on much larger centres such as Corsham. Also, our circumstances are a little different to the set up of the others, in that our building was originally leased by Wiltshire Council for Youth Services, but it is no longer needed for this purpose due to reorganisation.

So why a Campus on this particular site?

Well, I can see some very positive reasons for this:

• The wonderful skate park at the back of the building, which residents and Wiltshire Council worked together for around 12 years to make happen. (I don't believe anyone would wish to see young people lose this facility. This might be a possibility should the leased building no longer be required for community use).
  

After working on this project for more than 18 months, the Shadow Community Operations Board, the 'working party' for Wiltshire Council, has now become the easier titled Friends of Riverside. We are now at the exciting stage of seeing building plans (subject to consent) for planning approval. Although the refurbishment will be very modest compared to other campuses. I am sure the Centre will be well used and valued.
Re a future timeline, we anticipate an open presentation evening next January for people to see the old building and plans for the changes. We will also be looking then at expressions of interest by community groups and individuals who may wish to use the centre. 

Finally, we are hoping for a midsummer opening date, once all the work to the building has been completed.

I cannot understand the logic behind the decision to dissolve the Malmesbury Neighbourhood Steering Group without even talking to it's members, or the Chair or Wiltshire Council who are responsible for Planning decisions!

At the last Malmesbury Town Council meeting (27th Oct)
I asked that this decision was reviewed and overturned.
Disappointingly, there seemed to be very little support for this from most other Councillors and especially the Mayor, John Gundry. 

In fact it was Cllr. Roger Budgen (Malmesbury Town Councillor and Chair of St. Paul Malmesbury Without Parish Council, also part of the Plan Area) who proposed this in the first place under the premise that the work of the MNSG has been completed - despite a senior planning expert and the Deputy Leader of  Wiltshire Council advising the Town Council of the vital role the MNSG still has to play!

Click here to read my request!

The MNSG comprised of 21 community based members who worked together to produce a truly local plan. (Reps included Governors from our Schools, The Civic Trust, Retail/ High St, Residents Association, Malmesbury Rivers Valley Trust, Doctor's Surgery, Burnham House/ Older People, Younger Peoples Rep etc).

I can only say that personally I am concerned that those involved and also Wiltshire Council Planning were NOT referred to beforehand and I am very disappointed with the action to do away with the MNSG and effectively gag our only real 'across the board' Community voice! 

You too can show your concern on this important issue, by letting your Wiltshire Councillor (local planning authority) know your view, by emailing:

Wiltshire Councillor for Malmesbury - Simon Killane simon@thepeoplesrep.co.uk

and if you wish to, then please feel free to copy me in also - my email is kim@kimpower.co.uk

This time last year the MNSG were gearing up for the home straight on the Malmesbury Neighbourhood Plan referendum.  One great element in the Plan is the development of Burnham House into 49 assisted care living apartments for the elderly.

I am delighted to say that the site is now being cleared and it won't be too long before the new development becomes a welcome reality! 

This is an update from February this year where details of the plans, dates and potential jobs were mentioned as per Abbeyfield, who will be running this. Click here to read this.

This has been a community project with Wiltshire Council and local people had input into the plans and are continuing to work to ensure that this new development is as fantastic as it looks in the plans.

I used to think that The Jackdaw was a fun, satirical publication about Malmesbury life and supported it with a subscription.  Sadly however, a nasty and defamatory article by David Witt appeared in the May edition, which crossed the line into untruthful character assassination.

The article commented on individual Councillors, in particular myself, the Town Council and more specifically Mayor Making, both for this year and 2013.  I have always taken previous mentions in this magazine in good part, but for me this has gone way beyond what is acceptable. To say I am disappointed and disgusted by this article is an understatement!

The Jackdaw has now published a full apology to me in their August edition, along with a 'right of reply' article written by myself, to set the record straight.

Lastly, I think it is important to point out that there are many other contributors who write really good articles for The Jackdaw, especially about local history and happenings. So let's hope that now David Witt has stepped down from being co-editor, the magazine can return to it's previous amusing, informative and interesting self!

To read my 'Right of Reply'  click here