19 June 2018 Newsbrief 30 The Planning Inspector Calls

Recent weeks have seen a flurry of events affecting Bailrigg garden village and the CLOUD campaign against unnecessary development in Lancaster.  Here’s a summary of what’s going on - including encouraging news from another garden village campaign.

Bailrigg Garden Village Area Action Plan.  CLOUD Newsbrief 28 gave details of the drop-in sessions being organised by Lancaster City Council to help shape proposals for the garden village. If you haven’t already been to one of these, there are now just 2 sessions remaining :

Thursday 21 June, 2pm – 5pm, Ellel Village Hall

Wednesday 27 June, 9.30am – 2.30pm, Lancaster House Hotel

The information on display at the drop-in sessions is also available on the Council website :

www.lancaster.gov.uk/bgv.  The deadline for comments is Wednesday 11th July 2018.

CLOUD members who have already attended drop-in sessions report that there is still not much specific information available (this has been one of our complaints all the way through).  Nevertheless, the more CLOUD members who attend, ask questions and submit comments, the stronger our case will become. If you haven’t already done so DO read the 103 page document see http://www.lancaster.gov.uk/planning/planning-policy/bailrigg-garden-village?chapter=2 if you can, as within it are a set of maps that are revealing and disturbing.

Important for all, but especially for Scotforth residents: The Council are strongly in favour of Option 3 - Concentrated Garden Village SO3 see page 84 of above document and comparison of their three options on page 85. This option sees 1,393 houses built on the 7 numbered parcels of land - these include the parcels of land recently denied planning either side of Pinewood Close. The young urban designer seemed to know nothing about the issues at the Piccadilly "narrows" where Ashford Road joins Scotforth Road. An additional 1,211 houses (built on the 5 parcels of land to the west of Scotforth Road) would undoubtedly increase congestion dramatically.

Galgate Flooding - Lancaster Guardian article.  We’re sure most CLOUD supporters will now have seen the excellent article in the Lancaster Guardian (Thursday 14th June) on Galgate 7 months after the 22 November 2017 floods.  If you haven’t, here’s the link to it : https://www.lancasterguardian.co.uk/news/galgate-residents-reveal-frustration-desperation-and-depression-after-2017-floods-1-9208157

Mary Breakell from CLOUD was quoted as saying “There’s a real sense that Galgate just doesn’t count.  We now have the Wardfield farm development, the Health Innovation Campus, Bailrigg garden village, run-off from the motorway and there are new plans for 32 bungalows in Chapel Lane and all this will run off into the river Conder.

Marvellous News from Essex.  The campaign group CAUSE have been fighting garden village proposals by the North Essex Authorities.  Their campaign is well ahead of ours in timescale and their planning inquiry took place some time ago.  They have just heard from the Planning Inspector that they have won!  The Inspector has reported that the local plan is not sound.  His grounds for saying so include deficiencies and unrealistic evidence in areas such as:

Transport infrastructure

Rapid Transit System

Delivery of market and affordable housing

Employment provision

Viability and contingency

Sustainability appraisal

Assessment of alternatives

As you can see, some of these issues are very similar to the objections we have already raised on the Lancaster local plan and Bailrigg garden village.  This news from Essex should encourage us to continue our campaign.

Appointment of Planning Inspector for the Lancaster Local Plan.  We have been informed by the city council that the Planning Inspector has now been appointed by central government to conduct the planning inquiry into the Lancaster local plan.  He is Inspector Richard McCoy, BSc MSc Dip TP MRTPI IHBC .  We have contacted him to ask about the issues he will considering in the inquiry and are awaiting his response. This inquiry is crucial to our campaign against Bailrigg garden village.  The Inspector is independent of Lancaster city council and an expert in planning matters. His decision on the soundness - or otherwise - of the Lancaster local plan is the vital one. As soon as we have information on the arrangements for the inquiry we will arrange a CLOUD general meeting to determine our approach and start the fund-raising  - we believe we will need at least one planning expert to speak on behalf of CLOUD.

In preparation for the Planning Inquiry we are continuing to seek further details on the jobs growth forecasts in the Local Plan and especially for Bailrigg garden village.

Chapel Lane Planning Application.  This was the subject of CLOUD Newsbrief 29.  If you haven’t already done so, there is still (just!) time to respond to the planning application for 32 dwellings on Chapel Lane - deadline 22 June 2018.

Full details :

18/00335/FUL  Erection of 32 dwellings (C3) with associated access and landscaping.  Land At Chapel Lane Galgate Lancashire. Affects Listed building.

Full details : https://planning.lancaster.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=P5OM1KIZK4F00

You may be interested in the CLOUD response, submitted by CLOUD Chair Steve Constantine last week to Lancaster City Council Planners. By all means pick up issues we have raised but for obvious reasons use your own words. Please do not quote directly. https://www.cloudbgv2017.co.uk/2018-chapel-lane-planning