The legal challenge involves employing the services of a leading environmental Solicitor and an expert Barrister from chambers in London. The total cost of this is about £30,000 which if we lose we will have to pay. Although we have raised some funds there is a long way to go to achieve this amount if we need to. You can donate in the following ways:
Cheque: Cheques made payable to SNUB and sent to our Treasurer at the following address:
Richard Williams
Vine Cottage
Hall Drive
Salhouse NR13 6RS
Bank transfer: Make a donation to SNUB bank account at the Co-op Bank; account number 65400360, Sort Code 08-92-99
Payment pledge: Agree to make a donation in December if we lose the case and have to pay the legal fees. Please let me know by calling me on 01603 722581 or send me a text on 07796050108.
Donations can be made anonymously if you wish and your identity will remain private. Thank you.
WRITE A LETTER
The more local people who write letters or send emails the better. We would suggest sending letters to the Department of Transport about the NDR, the Department for Communities and Local Government about the development plans for Norwich ensuring that you copy Keith Simpson the local MP. In addition letters to Norfolk County Council and Broadland District Council would also demonstrate the strength of feeling. Details of addresses and “lines to take” can be found on our website www.snubcampaign.com or by asking one of the members of the Core team.
SUPPORT OUR CALL FOR A PARISH REFERENDUM
We will be asking local residents to support our call for a Parish referendum in a number of key Parishes over the next few months. These referendums require 6 local parishioners to sign the form calling for a referendum and then for 10 to turn out for an inaugural meeting. Then the Parish Council and the local District Council have to organise it within 14 to 25 days. Keep a look out for our intentions on our website or we will email or write to you to ask you to support us in your Parish.
ot a one off.
CONSULTATIONS
Broadland District Council are undertaking a number of consultations over the next few weeks as follows:
Draft Housing Strategy; this is the new strategy for BDC and the provision of housing 2001 to 2014. Closing date 14th November 2011.
Community Infrastructure Levy; this is about how BDC will spend the anticipated CIL that they will receive from developers of new houses in the future. Closing date 14th November 2011.
Site Allocations; this is about commenting on those sites put forward by local landowners for development. Closing date 19th December 2011.
Development Management Plan; this is about new planning policies and how they will impact on future planning applications. Closing Date 19th December 2011.
Supplementary Planning Document (Landscape Character Assessment); this is about how the existing landscape should be taken into consideration during planning. Closing Date 19th December 2011.
It is vitally important that as many local residents as possible respond to these consultations as BDC need to gauge the impact of these proposals.
SNUB will respond on behalf of its 3,000+ supporters however it is better is this mass response is reinforced by individual comments. We have already responded to the Department for Transport on behalf of SNUB supporters to object to any future funding to the NDR on the basis that this road’s only purpose is to provide access to the thousands of houses planned for the North East growth triangle. Our response can be seen on our website Blog at www.snubcampaign.blogspot.com
EXHIBITIONS
BDC are holding a number of exhibitions across the area to explain these consultations and to persuade residents to accept their proposals. It is vitally important that local residents turn up at these exhibitions and make their objections known verbally. The exhibitions are open between 12.30 to 7.30 pm every day and being held in the following venues:
· Wednesday 2nd Nov Reepham @ Bircham Centre
· Friday 4th Nov Spixworth Village Hall
Whilst a member of the SNUB core will try to be at each of these exhibitions it would be good to put some pressure on representatives of BDC at these events with a high number of peaceful objectors.
COMMUNITY RIGHT TO RECLAIM LAND
The new Community Right to Reclaim Land will help communities to improve their local area by getting disused publicly owned land released for new development. It is designed to revolutionise the way local people working alone or with their communities will be able to come together to build the homes, shops and businesses their area needs.
Under this scheme anyone can send a request to Government using a Public Request to Order Disposal setting out why they think a parcel of land or building owned by the public purse should be used for better purposes. One could for example ask that County Hall site is sold for development and that the County Council, particularly as it has reduced its workforce numbers, be redeployed say onto an industrial site. This is an interesting concept and SNUB would be happy to help any followers and supporters who know of any publicly owned land that is not being utilised fully.
TALK TO NEIGHBOURS
One of the biggest challenges is that fact that most local people believe that all of this development is a done deal and that there is nothing they can do about it. This is wrong and we would urge you to talk to family, friends and neighbours about the very real threat that a NDR and 37,000 houses will change the face of Norwich forever. These things can be stopped or reduced to an acceptable level if enough ordinary members of the public stand up and say they do not want this. BDC are counting on the apathy of local residents by stating that if they do not object then they must be in favour of these plans.
GO TO A PARISH COUNCIL MEETING
Turn up a Parish Council meeting and show support for your PC if they are doing what the local residents wish them to do or voice your opposition if they are not doing what the local residents want them to do!
Thanks for your
continual support.
Stephen Heard,Chair SNUB
October
2011
The draft Housing strategy consultation is now closed. Do not worry too much about it if you did not respond because it was not really a consultation document at all. There were no questions or suggestions about potential alternatives just more Council dogma cloaked in 1984 language.
ReplyDeleteThis was one of the GNDP Flagship areas where Councils working together were going to save money and provide more effective provision. So why are Broadland now preparing their own strategy?
Open on page 1 to learn that the priority in this strategy is to fund support for homeless people. When you look carefully however it is funding more council workers and projects such as the Pet Damage Guarantee Scheme, the Landlord Incentive Scheme, the Tenancy Rescue Toolbox.
They will apply a "Systems thinking methodology to a pilot service review of the Housing Unit". Council speak for another re-organisation.
They also plan to work closely with developers to ensure that they remain operational in the area using planning and creative approaches to achieve viability. This is because the policies they are pursuing are by and large unviable.
Engage with the community on housing issues for the residents to have a voice. You might wonder what happens if that voice dissents from the Councils dictatorial policies.
All in all, thirteen pages, to justify the spending of £1.4 million pounds. There is no way, given the information provided that you could judge if their claim that it is carefully Planned and Well Housed, is in any way justifiable.