Superfast Cranfield?

We are in Phase 2 (see below):  Superfast broadband is due to arrive in Cranfield between October next year and March 2015. CBC in partnership with MK and Beds Borough just announced the roll out of their superfast programme. CBC states:



Around 15,500 homes and business premises in Central Bedfordshire are set to benefit from new superfast broadband infrastructure, it was announced yesterday (Fri, 20 Dec).

The council is on target to deliver high-speed broadband (24Mbps) to approximately 90 per cent of premises in Central Bedfordshire by the end of 2016, with all areas set to receive services of 2 Mbps or more.

The project is a partnership with Bedford Borough and Milton Keynes Councils, BDUK (the Government’s superfast programme) and BT Openreach.

The locations and phases of delivery are now available on the council’s website at www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/broadband

The  programme will build on the existing fibre networks already provided by BT’s commercial investment.

Service margins - OMG

Milton Keynes residents complaining about a pavement blocked by a lamp-post have been told by the council it is not a footpath, but a "service margin".

So says the BBC - see full story below. The poor English language has taken a mangling over the centuries, got up, dusted itself down and moved on. But the things local government can do to it make you want to cry. Like "street scene" for the neighbourhood. Meanwhile the language is the least of their problems for these residents.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-24863368

Wind turbine application

The word is that an FCC wind turbine application is in the offing. 

As far as I am aware they have still not supplied the PC with the raw sound data they promised us a long time ago (as opposed to the interpretation by their consultants). In the meantime to keep us going here is the consultation  that MK Council is carrying out into the impact of wind turbines on local residents. The Parish Council has been invited to respond to this. It may offer some useful information and insights on how to mitigate the impact of turbines on residential areas.




Dear Sir or Madam

MILTON KEYNES DRAFT WIND TURBINES SUPPLEMENTARY PLANNING DOCUMENT AND EMERGING POLICY 2013

I am writing to inform you of a consultation on the Draft Wind Turbines Supplementary Planning Document and Emerging Policy 2013 (Wind Turbines SPD).  The draft Wind Turbines SPD provides guidance for large scale wind turbine planning applications. The principal objective of the SPD is to offer protection of public safety from any unintended impacts of wind turbine developments. The draft SPD covers the whole of Milton Keynes Borough administrative area.

This SPD and Emerging Policy has been produced as a result of the judicial review of the 2012 Wind Turbines Supplementary Planning Document and Emerging Policy, held in February and March 2013.

The consultation period runs an 8 week period until 5pm on Wednesday 11 September 2013. Any person may make representations on the draft SPD within this consultation period. The draft SPD may be amended prior to adoption, to take into account issues raised during this consultation period.

Comments can be made online through our Objective consultation system at http://miltonkeynes-consult.objective.co.uk/portal, where you can also save and print a copy of your comments for your own records.

You are already registered on our consultation portal, and your username is: cranfieldpc@btconnect.com . This account is registered to the email address to which this message has been sent, and you can ask for a password reminder through the system, by using the web address above.  Responding online through the consultation portal helps us to deal with your representation efficiently and is more cost-effective for the Council.

If you are not able to respond using the consultation portal, representations can be made in one of the following ways:

By e-mail to: development.plans@milton-keynes.gov.uk to help us process your comments, we request that any comments sent to us by email attachment are in Word format.


The consultation documents can be viewed at: http://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/planning-policy/displayarticle.asp?ID=84312 .

Paper copies of all documents can also be viewed in the Civic Offices, and in our libraries. Opening times of all the libraries are available at:
http://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/library_services/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=67529.

Please note that any representations may be accompanied by a request to be notified, at a specified address, of the adoption of the SPD.
 

MK wind turbine stance rejected

From the BBC - the courts rule against MK Council on setting a minimum distance for wind turbines - but offer some clues about how to approach this issue

See BBC website

Milton Keynes Council turbine policy quashed at High Court

Wind farm plans are thrown out

A Milton Keynes Council policy to increase the minimum distance from homes that wind turbines can be built has been overturned at the High Court.

The council had a limit of 350m in its local plan, but later adopted a sliding scale of distance requirements according to turbine height.

Judge John Howell QC did not find the policy unlawful, but quashed it because it contradicted the earlier limit.

RWE npower renewables, which brought the challenge, "welcomed" the decision.

In a supplementary planning document (SPD) last July, the council decided if a turbine was over 100m high (328ft), the minimum distance from houses must be 1,000m (3,280ft) and even further if the turbine was higher.

The minimum distance would be 350m (1,148ft) if the turbine was 25m high (82ft).

In February, RWE npower renewables, which is trying to build two wind farms at Nun Wood and Orchard Way, brought a judicial review against the council to try and find the SPD unlawful.

Judge Howell ruled it was lawful for the council to set separation distances but decided, because the council already had a policy for minimum distance in its local plan, the SPD was contradictory and he quashed it.

Council leader Andrew Geary said it was "rather ironic" the planning document had been overturned on this point alone.

"Had we had no policy, we would have won," he said.

"Any authority that doesn't have a separation distance in policy should sit up and take notice of today's judgement."

He added, the council was expected to review its policy further.

RWE npower renewables said it was pleased the "buffer zone policy" had been overturned and it would continue to seek to work in partnership with the council.

Dr Wayne Cranstone said: "We welcome the clarity the court has brought to this matter, and we believe this will help both the wind industry and local authorities in determining appropriate policies for the siting of commercial wind farms."

ANALYSIS

Political Reporter: BBC Three Counties

The renewable energy industry has welcomed this ruling.

Renewables UK, the body representing the industry, says this could have wider significance for wind energy companies because there are at least ten councils around the UK with so-called "buffer zones" in place.

Councils should also take note.

The judge said because Milton Keynes Council's emerging core strategy had already stipulated a distance, a supplementary planning document would not have precedence.

Leader Andrew Geary said the message to other councils is "if you haven't set a distance, then don't bother" - the council would not have lost if its core plan had avoided mentioning any distance.

Trying to get at the facts

Peter Gardner has sent a number of useful links on wind energy and some of the concerns. I haven't had a chance to digest them but here, for a start, is a document we should obviously be looking at: the Milton Keynes Council Wind Turbines Planning Applications January 2012 Draft Wind Turbines Supplementary Planning Document and Emerging Policy

Central Beds is currently developing its own guidance note on wind energy. The biggest problem is lack of consistent, up-to-date benchmarks


The Milton Keynes document states:

This draft Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) and emerging policy has been produced as 
a result of a resolution made at the Development Control Committee meeting on 13 October 
2011. The additional guidance is considered necessary due to an increase in the number of 
submitted and anticipated wind farm applications as well as the increase in the scale of wind 
turbines since policy D5 of the Local Plan (2005) was written.  
 
The issue was first raised by parish councillors, who requested that a review of the Local Plan 
policy D5, Renewable Energy, be undertaken, primarily with the view that the specified 350m 
minimum separation distance for wind turbines be increased. A review was requested because 
the size of wind turbines has increased significantly since publication of local and national 
policy. At the Development Control Committee meeting on 13 October, a range of concerns 
were raised and reasons given for the desire for an increased minimum separation distance. 
The primary planning related concerns raised were residential amenity, noise, health and 
safety.  

Rights of way and wind farms

Rights of Way activist has been checking up on whether the Brogborough wind farm application has any impact on rights of way. RoWA says they have been researching what rules or guidelines there are about siting turbines in relation to public rights of way. This was prompted by visiting the website of a group opposing the smaller Haversham wind farm (now under consideration by MKBC) which has turbines in close proximity to public RoWs.

http://www.stophavershamwindfarm.org.uk/theproposalSHWAG.html

RoWA adds: "Surprisingly, there are, as yet, no national regulations or guidelines regarding such placements (apart from the British Horse Society who are concerned about turbines spooking horses on bridleways and thus causing injuries). Only two councils, including Milton Keynes, have defined any local policy. CBC is working on one of its own and has produced its own working guidelines.

"The proposed Cranfield group of turbines are close to rights of way and may well not comply with the local or BHS guidelines if they are sited too close to bridleways in particular. I suspect that although FCC may own quite a bit of land in that area, much of it is "made ground", which may be unsuitable for installing heavy foundations upon. Thus they may have a relatively small choice of suitable locations to use at the site, governed by this."

University buses

Have you noticed the new Souls Bus services stopping  in the village?These are available for use by the public but commissioned by the University for its students. Click on Route 62 which runs to Milton Keynes and has a late service back from MK at 8.10 pm  plus Saturday and Sunday services. 


You can download the Bedford timetable at Route 61 by going on the google page - I can't get through to Souls website itself. It is more limited - Monday to Friday and no late services. However it is all progress and the University has invited the Parish Council to engage with it about a long term spec. The current contract is short term. We will be talking to the university and we are keen to hear any views about experiences and needs of local bus users. Personally I think we need something on Sundays and another late bus to or from Bedford. But its all in the melting pot.

Godiva in MK

Thanks to Pcllr Peter Meadows who has informed the Blog: " There is a large event, party and concert to celebrate Godiva Awakes at Campbell Park in Milton Keynes in the late afternoon and evening on 1st August- part of the Cultural Olympiad."

Godiva Awakes

1 August 2012
Venue: Campbell Park
Website 

www.imagineerproductions.co.uk

DOWNLOAD A FULL PROGRAMME HERE

Godiva walking through Coventry

bus changes in Cranfield, Milton Keynes and North Crawley

Interesting meeting last night with  NCrawley parish councillors, transport officers from MK and CBC, the  local MK cllr  and Delise Ball, myself and Alan Morris from Cranfield Parish Council

The main headlines are

• Paul Dodge (CBC transport officer) says Grant Palmer announced out of the blue they wd run a commercial service while CBC was in discussion to put out a tender for a supported service to MK. GP originally planned a service that wd only run every 70 to 75 minutes but agreed to an hourly service. Later buses only run with CBC support. 
• Andrew Coleman (MK transport officer) said the borough cannot support services running outside its area and CBC was not willing/able to share costs. So the Arriva MK services stopped and the connection  between NC and Cranfield. 
• The university is still considering replacing its home grown shuttle service with a subsidy to a public service that would meet its students' needs and offer general public use. It is the only player with regards to resources.
• Cranfield Pcllrs asked for assurances that we would be consulted in any spec the university drew up regarding a new service. 
• All public representatives protested at not being alerted to the changes in advance.
• There is discouraging news that many transport operators are not actually interested in running subsidised evening services and quote silly prices. 
• There was also a hint that in some areas (no names mentioned) developers are challenging S106 housing agreements that make provision for public transport. Something we need to keep an eye on.

buses and Milton Keynes

Alan Morris did a good presentation last night on the 158 evening bus route from Milton Keynes via the Yoonee.


Members have provisionally agreed to jointly support the service from November to April next year. This is when MK full support was due to end. 

We are basing our support  on  the calculation that the annual cost is £15,000 (£50 x 6 per week = £300 x 50 weeks) and MKBC are seeking 50% support for six months That will be divided between the Parish Council and Yoonee. This reflects that there is a split between students who use the service to get back and forward to MK where they live and those who shuttle between the village and the campus.

Alan explained that with 12 months breathing space we can then look at what resources are available and what is the optimal way of using them. in the following financial year. 

Milton Keynes buses

Massively constructive meeting yesterday with transport officers from Milton Keynes to talk about bus services to and from the village along with Pcllr Alan Morris, Margaret Norwich from the Uni Roz Hatton from N Crawley PC as well. The willingness to search for solutions and recognise need was extremely welcome. Quite a contrast with Central Beds.

Buses

Meeting at Milton Keynes Borough council tomorrow  about proposed changes to MK support for buses to and from Cranfield. Delegation includes Alan 'bus shelter' Morris and Margaret Norwich from the University. Reports immediately after

Bus services to Milton Keynes

See the letter below from Milton Keynes council. It means that unless something happens there will be not evening services to Milton Keynes. After the loss of evening services to Bedford two years ago Cranfield faces the prospect of a being a young person, non-car user unfriendly place after 6 pm. 

Dear Ms Davey - Hunt

BUS SERVICES BETWEEN CRANFIELD AND CENTRAL MILTON KEYNES   

I am writing to you regarding changes to bus services between Central Milton Keynes and Cranfield with effect from 22^nd May 2011.

Currently routes 1, 17/17A, and 158 operate between Cranfield, and Central Milton Keynes. All three services receive financial support from Milton Keynes Council. In addition to providing through journeys between Cranfield and Milton Keynes the three services provide local journeys between Cranfield University and Cranfield.

Details of the changes to services are as follows;

• Service 1 provides an hourly Monday to Saturday daytime service via Newport Pagnell. A revised timetable will be introduced, but there will be no change to the frequency.  

• Service 17/17A provides an approximately two hourly Monday to Saturday daytime via Moulsoe, Coachway and Kingston. The route of the service between Kingston and Central Milton Keynes will be revised to include Woburn Sands and Bletchley. Passengers using the service wishing to travel to Central Milton Keynes can either stay on the vehicle or reduce their journey time by changing at Coachway to a more direct service.

• Service 158 provides two return evening journeys Mondays to Saturdays between Milton Keynes and Cranfield. Subject to final approval this service will be withdrawn.

The changes to services 1 and 17 are such that local journeys will continue to be provided, but the withdrawal of service 158 will mean that there will be no local journeys in Cranfield Monday to Saturday evening.

The withdrawal of service 158 has been discussed with Central Bedfordshire Council and a request has been made by Milton Keynes Council for a financial contribution towards the service. Unfortunately Central Bedfordshire Council has declined to make any contribution.

In addition to writing to you to notify you of the changes I therefore also wish to investigate whether Cranfield Parish Council or Cranfield University, to whom I am also writing, would be willing to make a financial contribution towards retaining the evening service.

If you wish to consider the matter I am happy to provide details of the current contract cost and surveys of passenger use that have been undertaken of evening journeys.

I look forward to your response.

Stuart Simmonds

Passenger Transport Officer (Operations)