Hereford Local Plan - Inspector's Report

[Colin James]

Dear All

 

The Local Plan Inspector’s report was received this morning. A copy is attached for your information.

 

Its receipt will form the basis of the reports to Cabinet and Council on 15/16 October 2015.

 

The report will be made available on the website as soon as possible. Once it is available the Programme Officer will be sending an e mail to all those parties who have asked to be kept advised of progress on the Plan. That e-mail will direct the persons concerned to the website and will also inform them of other opportunities to view the report.

 

Kind regards

 

Andrew Ashcroft

 

 

Andrew Ashcroft

Assistant Director - Economic, Environment and Cultural Services

Herefordshire Council

PO Box 230

Blueschool House

Blueschool Street

Hereford

HR1 2ZB

 

Local Plan Inspector's_Report_Sept_2015.pdf

 

Local Plan Appendix_to_Inspectors_Report.pdf

[Chris Chappell]

Well that does it!

 

You guys come on here and critise the Council, yet when the most important document for years about the future of Herefordshire that the Council has produced, comes back from HRH Planning Inspector for public consumption,and the opportunity to have your say about it, none of you speak. WHY?

 

Stop worrying about what certain churches are getting up to, or is happening in 'Free' schools, or if council officers are walking off with high redundancy pay outs, and speak up about issues you may have about the LDP. By your silence I assume you accept the Inspector's report. So no need for councillors to discuss at a specially called meeting next Friday, costing the rate payers at least £5k to put on. Voicers, the voice of Herefordshire, do not care, so why should anyone else?

 

I sent the report to Colin on the 2nd October for publication here. I thought there might be little comment but no comment!!! Come on Voicers surely the future of Herefordshire, your children's future and that of your grandchildren is worth a mention.

By your silence you do no favours to HV. Show councillors and the public that Voicers are a serious voice in the future of Herefordshire.

 

Ok, so now I wait for the **** to hit the fan and loads of criticism coming my way for being so blunt and telling it as a true Voicer. But after you given me a beating, your answer to my question is.....? There is an additional council meeting not in the diary. Several of us with prior commitments will be unable to be there. I hope as many Voicers as possible, having been given five days notice of meeting will now attend in order that they can make a valued judgement of the the Inspectors report and make a valued and respected report on here! I will wait, but not hold my breath, for intelligent, thoughtful and constructive pronouncements on report from Voicers.

Whether I take any more notice of Hereford Voice depends on if I am convinced that Voicers take things seriously, there may be other web sites where serious issues are discussed!!

[Cambo]

That's a fair point chris so i will endeavour to have a look through it over the next couple of days & give you some feedback with my thoughts…what time is the meeting also will it be at the shirehall?

 

I will add I'm afraid I can't stop worrying about what certain churches are getting up to because I think someone needs to…although there leadership would more than likely prefer it if nobody did?… so they can carry on with there dodgy operations!!

[Maggie May]

Thank you Mr Chappell about highlighting this meeting but why has this not been publicised by Herefordshire Council? The meeting on the Council website says it is adopting the Herefordshire Local Plan - Core Strategy 2011-2031 http://councillors.herefordshire.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=291&MId=5633&Ver=4

 

I could only see the Inspectors report. Where is the Local Plan - Core Strategy 2011-2031  the councillors are adopting on Friday?  

[Denise Lloyd]

I was lead to believe the Core Strategy would be in operation after the Full Council Meeting on l6th October 2015.  When I said that there were a number of recommendations/amendments these were brushed aside as minor details.

[Denise Lloyd]

By coincidence this appears on Twitter.  Appears to be fait accompli

 

 

 

1.  

   Marc Willimont â€@Marc_Willimont  1h1 hour ago

   #Herefordshire Council will hopefully adopt its new local plan this Friday at a Full Council meeting. http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/oct/12/councils-face-pressure-to-publish-and-adopt-updated-housing-plans?CMP=twt_gu â€¦

[Denise Lloyd]

Here for Hereford â€@HereforHereford  7 mins7 minutes ago

Adoption of the Core Strategy Local Plan is at extraordinary full council mtg this Friday 16th Oct 10am at Shirehall http://councillors.herefordshire.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=291&MId=5633&Ver=4 â€¦

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[Colin James]

Please see attached presentation regarding the Herefordshire Local Plan which was shown at the seminar briefing last week.

 

 

Herefordshire Local Plan Members' Seminar 09-10-15.pptx

 

[Denise Lloyd]

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   Here for Hereford â€@HereforHereford  1 hr1 hour ago

   Local plan 2 b adopted at Council mtg Fri 16th Oct only available yesterday. Rules require 5 days notice. Agenda here http://is.gd/scSxGr 

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[Glenda Powell]

The special full Council meeting tomorrow at the Shire Hall will start at 10am to officially adopt the Core Strategy, according to my council source the meeting will last approximately one hour, because as they said it is a for gone conclusion it will be adopted.

[Denise Lloyd]

Yes indeed this is very important for the county of Herefordshire.  Pity the HT did not grasp the mettle and send in a reporter - blogs seem to have become a thing of the past. Wake up HT and start reporting on things that really matter to the real Herefordians.  Bring back Tanner I say. 

[Denise Lloyd]

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   Paul Broome â€@paulbroome_HT  37 mins37 minutes ago

   Herefordshire Council's Core Strategy - set to bring 16,500 homes to the county by 2031 - has just been passed.

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No surprise there

[Glenda Powell]

I went to the council meeting this morning, total confusion for the first 90 minutes, appendices was not available on the council website, although the administration said they were, a verbal explaination was given by Andrew Ashcroft also councillors did not have any minutes of the cabinet meeting yesterday to discuss the Core Strategy. After the verbal explaination. At that point I asked one of the councillors to propose an ajournment of the meeting for a week, that was refused, but the chairman said Councillors could have a 10 minute break for coffee. An amendment to the Core Strategy was proposed by Cllr Powers, Cllr Price and Edwards( Cllr for Newton Farm) voted against the amendment together with the Tory administration. A name vote was asked for with the result of 14 for the amendment 28 against 3 abstained. Therefore the amendment was lost. At 12.40pm the debate started which lasted 40 minutes a named vote was then taken 29 voted for the Core strategy, none against and 16 abstained. The core Strategy was PASSED.

[Denise Lloyd]

Not just us mere mortals who despair

 

 

User Actions

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BBC H and Wâ€@bbchw

The debate on Hfdsr Cll's local plan is still to start thanks to a mix up over this printout. Couldn't make it up..

[Denise Lloyd]

And

Here for Hereford â€@HereforHereford  26 mins26 minutes ago

@HfdsCouncil meeting today descended into farce as no one actually knew which version of the Local Plan documents were being adopted.

[Glenda Powell]

Yes it was a farce, another example that Herefordshire Council doesn't know what they are doing. It was embarrassing to sit there in the public gallery and watch them dig themselves into a hole when trying to answer some Councillors questions, even when it was proved to them by two councillors the appendices were not on the council website all they said was yes they are. see document (post 14) 8 lines and they couldn't get that right. It didn't make sense!

[Denise Lloyd]

29 voted for that would be all the Cons and 16 abstensions that would be everybody else.  Well the Cons rule by the rod - if that is the correct expression. A pity the Inspector was not in attendance today.  A full house at the Libraries and Museum Meeting with the Jess chairing the meeting. 

[Glenda Powell]

What happened at the Libraries and Museum meeting has a decision been made?

[jeanharris]

I went to the CS meeting today. It was better than any pantomime I have been to. Very embarrassing! As mentioned above Cllr Powers asked questions about the legalities of displaying documents on the website for every one to see. The monitoring officer confirmed they were on the website and produced printed copies.Apparently these should have been on the website 5 days prior to the meeting. How on earth do they get away with all these underhanded dealings. They don't allow anyone to challenge them as the public are just ignored.

 

The whole thing confuses me - how do they address the 70 major modifications?

 

All the conservative councillors were for the CS as presented and they were probably told to tow the party line. This is the problem having a Tory majority council.. What happened to democracy.

 

They did have a reporter at the meeting and also BBC H & W were there as they managed to catch me on the way out.

 

Which councillor said about the SWTP. I don't think he knows what he is on about

[Denise Lloyd]

"Which councillor said about the SWTP. I don't think he knows what he is on about" 

 

Yes Jean Well when you think about it there were a lot of new Con Councillors elected in the May it would be impossible for them to absorb all the knowledge in that shorter time.  Yes I would be interested to know which one it was too.

[Denise Lloyd]

Predictable voting pattern which will probably be replicated at the SLR Planning Meeting.  Are all the Con Councillors representing the views of the electorate or are they so terrified to step out of line.  The newbies especially would feel that they have to go with the flow for a little while at least.

 

It is a truly absurd system when you think about it.  The staff at the Council are paid a fortune and trained for years to do their job - whether we agree with them is another matter.  They make their recommendations based on knowledge and fact.

 

Then you have the Councillors voted in not always for their knowledge but their personalities.  They will never match the qualificationsand working knowledge  of the employed Council staff and yet they are the ones that make the decisions that affect the lives of people forever.  Put to the vote of the people of Herefordshire how many actually want to see 1000 houses a year built for the next 16 years.  I know there is a need for housing but a need for so many I do question.  1000 houses a year that would mean that there are at least 1000 people in Herefordshire presently on the housing list who are equipped to afford a house.

 

Perhaps I am looking at this in the wrong way  does anybody else have thoughts on this? 

[Glenda Powell]

the latest figures I had which was last year while I was a Cllr was 4,700 on the Homepoint waiting list for rented accomodation, then take into the fact in regards to the new housing development of the Oval in Newton Farm, where more properties were pulled down than being replaced to rent (example 24 two bedroom flats being replaced by 14 two bedroom houses) that is 10 families just out of one block having to be found accomodation elsewhere. I know all of these people on the waiting list needs to be rehoused, but with the developers taking 50% in the case of Newton Farm development of new build to sell people are going into debt to afford a morgage to have somewhere to live. Imo if you pull down rented accomodation they need to be replaced with the same number of housing to rent.

[Maggie May]

Glenda - it is true that what is needed is more social housing. Herefordshire Council have lots of sites and I thought they were going to start providing such "affordable" housing through places like the "Urban village" in the centre of Hereford.

 

Nothing is happening on the Racecourse so you could have a really good well laid out development there for plenty more people? There are lots of other sites they could make this happen surely.Cant they do something with local builders to bring this forward?

 

If the Council have all the skills Denise says why dont they start tackling providing homes for local people. Local People are paying their wages. This way homes could be provided for local families not just  retired people moving here from the wealthy South East, pricing everyone else out of a home.  

[Denise Lloyd]

Glenda and Maggie May precisely the point I am making.  There are not the people in this county financially equipped to purchase a home.  There are plenty of people financially equipped to rent.  There is a huge danger now that the Core Strategy has been passed that there will be loads of houses built in the county but not the houses that are needed and probably not in the right places.  So the problem of people waiting on the housing register will remain and probably only get longer. Now that the rule of 33% houses per new development of over 10 houses has been lifted this will only get worse.  There are many many young singles wanting to get on the housing ladder.  The Council and developers need to demonstrate imagination and be innovative and build what is wanted.  Look how the flats at Bobblestock proved so popular all those years ago.  Crest homes first offering very nice 1 or 2 bedroomed flats and then the cheaper but still nice studio homes opposite the supermarket.  I could not get a mortgage for the Crest homes flat that my sister was selling (my mortgage broker told me to go and find a rich man) but bought one opposite the supermarket.  It served the purpose and got me on the housing ladder.  Developers need to look to build blocks of affordable flats and properties on top of shops so the youngsters can be where they want to be in town!  But sadly there is not the income from blocks of flats and individual flats on top of shops that the council is so desperate for and the large developers just aint interested.  So it will need some very strong minded Councillors to stand up  and say how it really is.  

 

There is also a desperate need for sensibly priced one or 2 bedroomed bungalows but once again developers nor the Councill are particulariiy interested in providing these preferring to build life time houses

[Glenda Powell]

When the designs for the Oval development was shown to the Steering Group meeting members, as the then Cllr living in Newton Farm I asked why there were no bungalows in their proposals, I was told there were no bungalows being built because they took up to much ground space I told them I did not agree and asked them to reconsider their proposals. It took 6 weeks to come to the next meeting where they offered 8 one bed bungalows, I refused their offer stating more were needed, a further 6 weeks later they came back with the offer of increasing the number to 14, at this point I agreed to the offer not wishing to push my luck although I was looking for 20. The first 8 are now nearly built and people are asking to be considered for them, the other 6 will be built next year. I feel if I had not stood my ground the bungalows would not of been built.

[Cambo]

This is one of the reason I did not respond back to chris because after reading the inspectors first few pages of his report it became obvious that the Tory held council would push it through regardless & given they have a majority there was no way it was not going to get the vote…because the Tories are like the Borg they think as a collective, with a singular brain cell between them which is currently residing in there leader's Tony johnson head who gets it next is anybody's guess?

 

But we are stuck with them for the next five years so expect more dictatorial decisions to come thick & fast!…I think the best thing to do (I know a lot of you won't agree) is to pick our battles then target those councillors who are responsible for the decision isolated them make sure you get right under there skin because they don't like it,when they are constantly being challenge…play within the rules thou (something they totally disregard) but make there lives hell…it might not seem very nice but it gets results!

[Maggie May]

After seeing Denise' links to Here for Hereford on Twitter I found this report on their website about the Local Plan meeting on Friday http://www.hereforhereford.co.uk/2015/10/extraordinary-meeting-to-adopt-local-plan-2011-2031/ It seems to confirm what Glenda said about the meeting.

 

Cambo it seems they dont know their own rules, let alone how to conduct a formal meeting. No wonder all their meetings are held in the daytime. I am sure they dont want too many people finding out what really goes on!  

[Cambo]

Well maggie if they are in such disarray with there meetings what to be secretive about it even more reason to target them there public servants after all we should not give them a easy ride they don't deserve it there arrogance is astounding they believe they are untouchable but they forget it is us who gave them the vote or in my case I didn't but even if I had I'm still prepared to take them to task enough is enough if they will not listen we will have to make them…so gloves off time but it will not work unless we join together & fight back against there dictirial ways!…bottom line it's up to us!

 

So we either do or put up & shut up?

[Glenda Powell]

Cambo, I have just read HT take on the meeting,after reading it you can see why 16 councillors abstained.yes the majority that voted for it was Tory but new councillors from other party's also voted yes! but I don't think they knew what they were voting for because it was definately not clear. I found it embarrassing to sit there looking into the meeting from the public gallery seeing the Tories spoon feeding the councillors with their take on the Local Core strategy plan, and even more so that they were gulible enough to believe them. One Tory cabinet member asked me did I miss being a councillor and I told her yes, BUT NOT TODAY!

 

Yes it was the people who gave them their vote in May, after all the diasterious decisions they made in the previous four years. They moaned about them on a weekly basis but then voted them all back in so they have only themselves to blame! they are very good at talking the talk but they also have to learn to walk the walk.

[Denise Lloyd]

A lot of the problem is there are a lot of new councillors who have not the working knowledge and confidence of some the more long serving councillors and it is quite natural to follow their lead.  But now the Core Strategy is as predicted a working paper.

 

Having read the follow this morning

 

The House of Commons library has found that some families could lose up to £3,000 a year if the tax credit cuts are not reversed. Expert analysis for the Observer shows that in a two-child family with two parents working full-time, both parents would need to earn £9.55 an hour in 2016 to reach the same standard of living they would have had when earning the minimum wage of £6.50 in April 2015.

 

I would urge any first time buyers receiving Tax Credits contemplating buying their first home to think very carefully before taking the plunge.  I know I've been there it is a dream for a lot of people to buy their own home but before you take the plunge do your maths over and over again. Will your employer up your pay to compensate for the loss of Tax Credits.  With the amount of houses being built if you can possibly wait people who are struggling at the moment as Glenda has said will have to sell and it may well become a buyers market in a couple of years - I may be wrong.  Not many people will remember what happened in Bristol I do not know what exactly caused it but many people were left with negative equity and unable to sell their much loved homes.

 

 Until private landlords are bought to order the housing market will remain skewed.