Save Our Green Belt!
For the latest news on Broxtowe Borough Council's proposed development on Green Belt land read on; for further background information please scroll down to the attachments at the bottom of this page...
LATEST NEWS
12 November 2014
Hope for Toton’s Green Belt?
Hope for Toton’s Green Belt?
On Tuesday evening Broxtowe Councillors debated the Council’s plans to build on Toton’s Green Belt.
Conservative Councillors successfully argued that the Council should not be working towards its previous plans for a “strategic location for growth” following the recent announcement that the HS2 hub may not be built at Toton.
Following a lengthy debate the committee voted to recommend that there should be no building on Toton’s Green Belt if the station is built elsewhere, this was opposed by Labour Councillor’s despite their leader, Cllr Milan Radulovic, previously promising “If HS2 doesn’t come we will be opposing the 500 homes. If it doesn’t go ahead nothing will go ahead.” The only Lib Dem present, David Watts, abstained from voting.
The recommendation will now go to the Council’s Cabinet later this year
Anna Soubry said; “Cllr Radulovic must now show us that he meant what he said when he promised no building at Toton if HS2 does not go ahead there, so far his own councillors have appeared to demonstrate that these were just hollow words”
Notes;
The vote on Tuesday 11th Nov was 4 for (all Conservative) 2 against (both Labour) 1 abstention
Friday, 10 October, 2014
Broxtowe MP Anna Soubry has condemned Broxtowe Borough Council for ignoring advice and sacrificing the Green Belt land at Field Farm, Stapleford to housing development. Anna said:
"Planning Minister, Brandon Lewis has today made it clear that because Broxtowe voted in favour of its Core Strategy last month, he is powerless to stop their plans for Field Farm. We urged Broxtowe to defer their decision because we knew new guidance on protecting Green Belt was coming, but they refused. That guidance came this week. If Broxtowe had waited and if they had chosen not to allow building on Green Belt land then Field Farm could have been saved. To be absolutely clear - the Field Farm buck stops with Broxtowe Borough Council."
Broxtowe Borough Council decided to grant planning permission at Field Farm last year but Anna Soubry persuaded the then Planning Minister, Nick Boles, to "call in" the decision. Since then, Broxtowe has stuck rigidly to its plans for thousands of homes on Green Belt sites.
"To make their decision all the more perverse, and plain wrong, new brown field sites are coming forward but Broxtowe is determined to build on Green Belt first." Anna added, " legal action is planned for a Judicial Review so the fight to save Field Farm continues and I pay tribute to local campaigners like STRAG who I will continue to support".
Meanwhile Anna has today invited Brandon Lewis to visit Broxtowe and discuss the future of the Green Belt land in the constituency. " Brandon has agreed to visit and meet campaigners who continue to defend our Green Belt from Broxtowe's plans."
The story so far....
August 2014
The planning Inspector has approved Broxtowe's Core Strategy (July 24 2014). However the campaign to defend our Green Belt from housing development continues. Legal action is being pursued by a number of parish councils and campaign groups. Anna Soubry has written to Eric Pickles asking him not to give the go ahead to the Field Farm planning permission or any plans for Toton until that legal action has been completed.
In the meantime Anna has brought together all the local campoagn groups in Broxtowe "we now need a united campaign to stop the Council's plans to build thousands of houses on our Green Belt land when there is so much brown field land in the Borough which can provide just as many homes."
Introduction
Broxtowe Borough Council's acceptance of a housing target of 6,150 houses puts Green Belt land across Broxtowe at risk. Anna's campaign began before Anna was elected and continues as Anna works to ensure communities' voices are heard. This has included working with campaign groups such as STRAG, GOGD, TEPS and South Broxtowe 20/20.
In 2013 Anna took Planning Minister Nick Boles on a tour of the constituency where he met constituents figthing to protect Green Belt land. Anna also met with the Secretary of State, Eric Pickles, MP to raise her concerns. The Secretary of State decided to "call-in" the planning application for 450 homes at Field Farm.
Anna has taken part in Broxtowe Borough Council's Aligned Core Strategy consultations, including the Site Allocations consultation. Anna has asked for improvements in the consultation process to ensure people are aware and able to participate easily.Anna also spoke at the Public Examination hearings in October and November 2013. Following which Anna wrote to the Inspector to request the Public Examination be re-opened to discuss Green Belt land at Toton following a number of allegations and Broxtowe Borough Council's vote to allow a minimum of 500 houses on the land. The land was first suggested as a "preferred site" by the Labour/Lib Dem group who control the Borough Council. They changed their minds after a public protest led by Anna Soubry. The public examination was re-opened in February and Anna again participated.
On 17th March 2014 Broxtowe Borough Council opened their consultation on 'Core Strategy Proposed Main Modifications'. The consultation closes at 5:00pm on Wednesday 30th April 2014 and Anna will be posting her submission on this page. You can view the consultation documents and Anna's response by scrolling to the bottom of this page.
Scroll down to read Anna's submissions and correspondence with Councillors, the Planning Inspector and Ministers.
30th April 2014: Anna submitted her response to Broxtowe Borough Council's Core Strategy Modifications consultation. Scroll down to read Anna's response
17th March 2014: Broxtowe Borough Council consultation on Core Strategy Modifications opens. Please scroll down to view the consultation documents. Information available here: http://www.broxtowe.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=12891
12th February 2014: Anna participated in the hearing session to discuss proposed development of a minimum 500 houses on Green Belt land at Toton. Scroll down to read full details in 'Hearing Session Update 20.02.14'. There will be a further public consultation by Broxtowe Borough Council, expected to commence in early March - full details will be provided when available.
28th January 2014: Insp Jill Kingaby has agreed to hold additional hearing sessions regarding Green Belt land at Toton further to the letters Anna wrote on behalf of Toton residents (please scroll down to read). Anna today wrote to Insp Jill Kingaby to request that HS2 are invited to attend the additional hearing sessions of the public examination on 12th February. Scroll down to read Anna's letters to the Insp and Chair of HS2 Ltd.
26th January 2014: Anna attended the public meeting organised by the Toton residents group, South Broxtowe 20/20. The meeting discussed the future of Green Belt land at Toton and the HS2 Route Consultation. For more information about South Broxtowe 20/20 visit: www.southbroxtowe2020.wordpress.com e-mail: [email protected] or call: 07732 402 283.
13th January 2014: Broxtowe Borough Council has voted in favour of a minimum of 500 houses on Green Belt land at Toton. Anna said, "This very bad decision comes on the day the Secretary of State for Transport visited Broxtowe to see the planned HS2 station site at Toton – right by the land now designated for housing development. Labour and Lib Dem Councillors (the Council’s ruling group) ignored considerable local opposition and there are now real concerns that the decision will scupper plans to build the East Midlands hub at Toton Sidings." Visit the HS2 page to read Anna's Route Consultation response.
10th January 2014: Broxtowe Borough Council's Site Allocations Consultation closed.
9th January 2014: Anna has today submitted her response to Broxtowe Borough Council’s Site Allocations plan issues and options consultation. Read Anna’s submission by scrolling to the bottom of the page. Further information is available via: http://www.broxtowe.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=11761
Today also saw the Chief Planning Inspector write to Anna to state that allegations made by senior Broxtowe Borough Councillors, “are not an accurate representation of the exchange that took place between her [Planning Inspector], the officer from Broxtowe Borough Council and the other parties in attendance.”
7th December 2013: Anna, along with local Councillors, held a public meeting to discuss the threat to Toton's Green Belt.
4th December 2013: Anna wrote to the Planning Inspector Jill Kingaby, Anna said, "I called on the Inspector to grant another hearing session so the voices of Totons' residents could be heard. The Inspector has replied saying she is awaiting information from the Borough Council before reaching a decision. The people of Toton have a right to be part of the examination and discuss important changes to the proposals. I am concerned at the apparent lack of consultation."
4th November 2013: Broxtowe Borough Council launches Site Allocations Issues and Options Consultation.
28th November 2013: Greasley Borough Councillors organised a public meeting to discuss Broxtowe's Site Allocations consultation at 7:00pm on Thursday 28th November at Greasley Parish Hall.
7th November 2013: Anna attends the Public Inquiry again, this time to speak about Broxtowe's Green Belt land and requests 'brown field first'.
15th October 2013: Examination of the Greater Nottingham – Broxtowe Borough, Gedling Borough and Nottingham City - Aligned Core Strategies (ACS) commences and Anna attends to raise concerns regarding public consultation.
29th July 2013: Anna welcomed the news that plans to build hundreds of houses on Field Farm will be subject to a public Inquiry. Anna has asked the Secretary of State, Eric Pickles, to "call in" Broxtowe's decision and he did. Inquiry expected in 2014.
18th July 2013: Planning Minister Nick Boles MP met Broxtowe campaigners opposed to development on Green Belt. Anna arranged the meeting at Kimberley Parish Hall after driving the Planning Minister around the constituency.
18th July 2013: Anna spoke at a public meeting in Kimberley organised by local campaigners opposed to plans for an extra 650 houses in the town. Anna said, "Kimberley has lost too much of its' identity due to poor planning leading to development on Green Belt meaning Nuthall,Watnall and Kimberley have merged into one. Enough is enough - we have great brown field sites like the former brewery site that are ripe for housing."
20th May 2013: Broxtowe’s Green Belt give away begins. Broxtowe Borough Council agreed the final stages of its plans for future development in the constituency. The “Core Strategy” document will be examined by the Planning Inspector at a public inquiry. Conservative Councillors were the only ones to vote against the plan as it accepts a housing target of 6,150 houses and with only enough brown field land for 3-3,500 the rest will be built on our Green Belt. The plan also puts forward Green Belt land for development before brown field sites.
Please scroll down for further information....