PC 'No' to Home farm plan without benefits

Here is the outcome of the Parish Council's discussion about Persimmon's new planning application for Home Farm 






Cranfield Parish Council has rejected arguments from Persimmon that it be allowed to press ahead with the stalled Home Farm development .
Persimmon, the UK’s biggest housing developer is submitting  a new application to  Central Beds Council (CBC)  which would relax requirements that it provides a key footpath  to the centre of the village and  space for school expansion. Persimmon says it cannot deliver these at present because of disputes with landowners on the site.
It proposes that a main Road, Court Road, be a replacement access  and  points out that CBC has identified land elsewhere in the village for school expansion (Flitt leys).
Cranfield Parish Coumcil Planning Committee last night pledged to oppose the proposal which is expected to be considered by CBC in April.
The plan is for 371  new homes. The parish council and local campaigners  have fought  a rearguard action for 20 years since the proposal first emerged. In 2007  CBC granted permission with a so-called S106 agreement which called for contributions towards health, education and transport.  But Persimmon have been unable to deliver the acces and school kland because they have not been able to reach agreement with key landowners. Persimmon started site preparation in 2007 and built two houses but had to pull back because of problems over land.
Delise Ball, chair of CPC said: “the people of Cranfield have been patient and long-suffering as Persimmon have told us stories and messed around for two decades.  But we are resolute that we will not stand for any watering down of the benefits which they are obliged to provide.  WE will continue to oppose this application.”

Tour de Bedfordshire pour les femmes

REIGNING world and Olympic road race cycling champion Marianne Vos (below)  will take part in The Women's Tour this May which passes through Bedfordshire.

Vos is the first high profile rider to announce her participation for the inaugural race, which takes place from May 7 to 11.
The second stage of the five-day race will start in Hinckley in Leicestershire and finish in Bedford.
Vos will be returning to compete on British roads for the first time since winning Olympic Gold in London 2012.
The Dutch rider is widely acknowledged as the greatest ever female cyclist, having won world titles on the road, track and in cyclo-cross.
She said: "It's great that we get a big new stage race on our calendar with The Women's Tour. The times that I've raced in Great Britain – with of course the London Olympic Games fresh in my mind – I have been amazed by the huge crowds and the enthusiastic people. I'm sure it will be a fantastic event and I'm looking forward to competing here with the best riders from all over the world.”
The Women's Tour will take place over five stages going through Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Bedfordshire, Essex and Hertfordshire, before the final stage finish in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. View a promotional video for the tour

The most civilised dog in Cranfield

A recurrent theme of this blog is what are foot paths for? well.. foots, obviously, and paws (belonging to guide dogs)  but you wouldn't believe that from the 4x4s which park on the "foot"path at the coop obstructing buggies, mobility scooters and people with sight impairment. Not all 4x4 drivers are to blame =- some of them are embarrassed and one recently pointed out to me on facebook that I should raise this with any driver I see doing it instead of blaming everyone.

When I saw one yesterday at the COOP I discussed it with a staff member who said they had tried to object but to no avail. She then pointed out that the driver had come back. So I felt a discussion was in order. It was one of the village posties. She said she parked there cos all the bays were full. There is a steely logic to all that which makes us go back to whether there is enough parking at the Coop. If the current shop was a planning application CBC wd defo says "not enough parking space"  and they would be dead right. But of course if they let highways design a great 10-lane footpath that sort of solves the problem.  Sort of. Unless you are my friend Gill and Fran  the most civilised dog in Cranfield. I wouldn't blame Fran is she felt a bit less civilised. And Gill. But it would be better to solve the parking space issue first.

The most civilised dog in Cranfield

From Jonathon Vowles accountant

A friend of mine is trying to publicise a competition to win ‘your wedding photography for free’ and I wondered if you knew anyone who might be interested in entering this…or anyone who might want to post it on their social media to help publicise it?   He will travel anywhere in the UK and he is an award winning wedding photographer so it is a competition that is worth entering!

Jonathan Vowles FCA CTA DChA


114 High Street
Cranfield
MK43 0DG

“Good things might come to those who wait… greater things come to those who take action to make it happen.”
…… Talk to me about tax planning to pay less tax and business planning to earn more in the first place!

T: 01908 616104
T: 01234 752566
F: 01234 752577
E: jonathan@vowles.co.uk
W: www.vowles.co.uk
This email may contain privileged or confidential matter and is intended for the named recipient only. If you are not the named recipient then you are not authorised to read it or disclose it to others. If you have received it in error please contact this office so that this situation can be remedied and then destroy the received copy.  The Jonathan Vowles business includes: J Vowles t/a Jonathan Vowles Chartered Accountants, JVCA LLP (registered number OC368490), Jonathan Vowles Ltd (registered number 4624451), Jonathan Vowles Business Services Ltd (registered number 3659034), Jonathan Vowles Payroll Services Ltd (registered number 5117965).  Jonathan Vowles Bookkeeping Services Ltd (registered number 7012203) Registered Office 114 High Street, Cranfield, Beds, MK43 0DG.


From: Silverton Photography [mailto:info@silvertonphotography.co.uk]
Sent: 17 February 2014 10:26
To: jonathan vowles
Subject: A favour to ask...

Hi All,

If any of you are into your social media at all, then can I please ask you to put a post up for me?  I am trying to publicise our “Win Your Wedding Photography For Free” Competition.

Please use the attached image and the link/copy below:

Silverton Photography are offering you the chance to Win Your Wedding Photography for FREE!  To enter - simply visit the link below: http://www.silvertonphotography.co.uk/competition/?utm_source=BNImembers&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=BNI%20Members

Thanks in advance!



Kind Regards,

Ed

01234 818 760  |  Silverton Photography
 If any of you are into your social media at all, then can I please ask you to put a post up for me?  I am trying to publicise our “Win Your Wedding Photography For Free” Competition.

Please use the attached image and the link/copy below:

Silverton Photography are offering you the chance to Win Your Wedding Photography for FREE!  To enter - simply visit the link below: http://www.silvertonphotography.co.uk/competition/?utm_source=BNImembers&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=BNI%20Members

Thanks in advance!



Kind Regards,

Ed

01234 818 760  |  www.silvertonphotography.co.uk










 

Neighbourhood Watch

Bedford and District Neighbourhood Watch



Meeting Reminder



All Area Coordinators, Street Coordinators and Active Members are invited to our Quarterly Meeting.

Wednesday 19th February at 7:30 p.m.

Police Headquarters, Woburn Road, Kempston.


Refreshments will be available from 7:00 p.m.

The speeker will be Chief Inspector, Julian Frost.



View Agenda [County_nw_meeting_agenda_19_feb_2014.docx]



If you have not yet replied, please let us know if you are attending, or not, and how many colleagues you are coming with.

Contact, Lynne Arch.

Telephone, 01234 275165

Email lynne.arch@bedfordshire.pnn.police.uk

Tonight

SNOW ON THE WAY?

Mebbe snow on the way? If you ask when will the weather change? take care what answer you get.

Check out

BBC weather

A421 flooding

A421 Marston Moretaine, westbound at Beancroft Road

A421 Bedfordshire - The main road is closed, with traffic being routed around the junction and back on again, on A421 westbound in Marston Moretaine at the Beancroft Road junction, because of flooding. Diversion in operation - via the slip roads.

A421 Closed due to flooding - listen for traffic news

rain heading for us

Here's your amber and  yellow warnings for the next few days. Check out the Met Office

Persimmon have another bite at the cherry

Reality has finally caught up with Persimmon and this has brought a  new planning application for Home Farm which seeks to free the company from its current obligation to build a pedestrian access to Court Road. In planspeak that means 'varying the S106 agreement'. Their application states: Persimmon are not able to deliver the Church Walk link due to land ownership constraints.'

The company is now proposing that this obligation  should be met by offering access via Court Road "and to improve the amenity and  suitability  through lighting improvements."


Persimmon also want to be allowed up to 200 homes before the issue of school provision and land come into play. It says: "Since the obligation was agreed in 2007 it is clear that the Education Authority's position has changed  and new proposals are under consideration  for school proivision in the village  (i.e. Flitt Leys Close) Up to now no more than 50 homes could be occupied before this obligation was met but Persimmon want to vary this to 200. A similar variation is sought for the transfer of land for a library and pre-school building. 


This amounts to a significant watering down of the original obligation  and hopefully CBC will say to Persimmon, you  are well out of time.  Get on with it or go away. I'm expecting fuller information at the PC planning committee on  Wednesday evening. All public welcome.


check it out for yourself at Central Beds Planning