UPDATE 23 Nov 2018 - BAT has obtained Rule 6 status (ExMins 23 Nov 18)
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Bleadon Parish Council (BPC) has called an extra-ordinary meeting Friday 23 Nov 18 at 7pm to consider using the Parish Reserves for the Appeal for 200 houses on Bridge Road:
- (Min 316.5) To Consider how to respond to the Planning Appeal regarding the proposed development of 200 homes on land between Bleadon Road and the A370. Comments to date will be taken into account by the Inquiry Inspector, who will also ask those present if they wish to speak. However, the Parish Council could request Rule 6 Status, putting it on the same footing as the Appellant and the Planning Authority. For Rule 6 it is recommended that a planning expert be briefed as cross-examination by the Appellant will take place.
- (Min 316.6) To Consider using Parish Council reserves to appoint a planning expert for Rule 6 Status. General Reserve £25,000.00, Special Reserve* £16,585.00 *this is a restricted reserve specifically for improvements in the parish.
The first reason North Somerset Council (NSC) gave for the refusal of the 200 houses in its Decision Notice was:
- This unallocated rural site is in an unsustainable location outside the settlement boundaries of Bleadon and fails to have regard to the requirement that residential development needs, at least, to be within the boundary of the village …
On 03 Sept 18 NSC opened a 3 month consultation, Local Plan 2036 Issues and Options, which is due to close at noon on 10 Dec 18. It is considering:
- "Which settlements will have their boundaries reviewed? A review of the settlement boundaries will assess all settlements which have an existing boundary identified through the Core Strategy and Site Allocations Plan … Table 1 shows which settlements will be part of the settlement boundary review and their current status in the existing settlement hierarchy. Table 1: Settlements to be assessed through a settlement boundary review … Infill village Bleadon … Q9. What are your views on the options for revised settlement boundaries?" (Section 3.2 Settlement Boundaries)
By the end last week, 18 Nov 18, BPC had still not raised or discussed this consultation in an open forum, in any of their three BPC meetings (10 Sept, 08 Oct, 12 Nov), so:
- BOB asked BPC to "... add the North Somerset 'Local Plan 2036 Issues and Options' consultation to the next BPC agenda".
- Today, after the ExM had been called on 20 Nov 18, BPC responded stating, "The agenda for the ordinary Parish Council meeting of 10th December is in preparation and NSC’s Local Plan 2036 consultation is already an item. They will accept the Parish Council’s comments on 11th December.", but will residents be allowed to submit their comments late too?
- What is the role of our Statutory Consultee if not to make residents of aware of issues or requests for public comments on highly influential consultations such as this, and give residents time to review the information and respond to BPC and/or NSC, before the deadline? Is it fair that BPC has been given 3 months and an extension to read and discuss a 96 page document, whereas some residents may only be aware of the consultation after the deadline?
On Tuesday, 20 Nov 18, BPC posted notice of this extra-ordinary meeting for Friday 23 Nov 18. Bleadon's Infill status and Settlement Boundary could potentially be removed in the future, with Bleadon reclassified as a Service Village the same as Backwell, Banwell, Churchill, Congresbury, Easton-in-Gordano/Pill, Long Ashton, Winscombe, Wrington and Yatton. This will potentially affect the three fields at Bridge Road, whether the appeal is won or lost. Looking to the future of these fields we felt that the NSC consultation was relevant to this extra-ordinary meeting, i.e. to confirm that BPC would respond to it, and to give residents the opportunity to hear councillors views before responding too. BOB has therefore asked BPC to give a full response to the following at tomorrow's public meeting:
- "Please can you tell me/residents why BPC has chosen to call an emergency meeting to protect three fields in Bleadon but have chosen for the fourth time not to publicly discuss the current NSC Local Plan 2036 consultation, which may potentially be used to protect all fields in Bleadon, not just these three, against large scale development and fracking; and
- why BPC has chosen not to make residents aware of the importance of this consultation, through its agenda, minutes and recent newsletter, e.g. informing them of the potential review of Bleadon's Settlement Boundary and their right to respond before the deadline on midday on the 10 Dec 2018, regardless of BPC's decision to discuss or respond, [itself]?"
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