 |
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
The Pucklechurch community website |
|||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
|
If you have signed up for emails and are not getting them please check the following: |
|||||||||||||||
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Development Proposals for Oaktree Avenue - In early October, officers from South Gloucestershire Council's Housing Enabling Team arranged a drop-in meeting at Pucklechurch Village Hall, to which residents living close to Oaktree Avenue were invited. Read more... |
|
|
|
Development Proposals for Oaktree Avenue In early October, officers from South Gloucestershire Council's Housing Enabling Team arranged a drop-in meeting at Pucklechurch Village Hall, to which residents living close to Oaktree Avenue were invited. The purpose of the meeting was to consult residents on the Council's proposals for residential development of the land to the south of Oaktree Avenue. We wanted to bring the proposals to people's attention and get some feedback from local residents. We had not fully appreciated the strength of local feeling. We were criticised for not making the whole village aware of the meeting, as a development of this scale would have an impact on the whole village. We accept that this is a valid criticism, and this article is intended to go towards redressing that. The proposals are at an early stage and by no means set in stone. Residents raised many concerns (see below), which will be taken into account as we take the proposals forward. Unfortunately ward councillor Sandra Grant had not been informed of the meeting, but we have since met with Cllr Grant to discuss the best way of consulting the people of Pucklechurch from now on. We have also attended a meeting of the Parish Council to explain the proposals and ask for comments. Before discussing the current proposals and what happens next, some background information may be useful. For many years this site has been earmarked for housing development. There is existing planning permission dating from 1976 to develop the eastern half of the site, which was partly implemented by the building of the houses in Dyrham View. The rest of the scheme, planned by Northavon Council, was never completed, perhaps due to lack of funds at the time. Since then the land has remained as informal open space maintained by the Council. There is also outline consent for residential development on the land between nos 53 and 55 Oaktree Avenue. Proposals to develop the site were revived a few years ago, and in 2001 a Council resolution was made to dispose of the site to Sovereign Housing Association to build a mixture of affordable rented housing and housing for sale, the profits from which would subsidise the replacement of the defective pre-cast reinforced concrete (PRC) houses in Poplar Drive. Due to the urgency of the regeneration of Poplar Drive, however, the Housing Corporation funded the work, and the proposals for Oaktree Avenue were considered separately. Meanwhile, a policy was emerging in the Local Plan to prevent development on greenfield (undeveloped) land, so the proposals were put on ice. Following the recent Local Plan Public Inquiry, the Planning Inspector recommended that this policy be revoked as it was not in line with national planning guidance. The current policy (H2 in the Local Plan), which has been accepted by the Council, allows residential development on greenfield sites within existing settlement boundaries, subject to certain conditions. The Council has a duty to assess and provide for the housing needs in its district and to make the best use of its assets. The district-wide Housing Needs Survey carried out in 2003 found that even if all new housing was available as affordable housing for rent, it would not meet the need. However, this must be weighed against the need to develop mixed and balanced communities and consider the economic viability of a site. To this end, the Planning Inspector recommended that a third of new private housing developments should be for affordable housing. The Oaktree site is large enough to provide a proportion of intermediate housing for shared ownership, as well as affordable housing for rent. Shared ownership is a part-buy, part rent arrangement, typically 50/50 in the first instance but allowing occupiers to 'staircase' to full ownership, which helps people who could not otherwise afford to buy their own home. Now that development is possible in planning policy terms, the Council asked Sovereign Housing Association, as one of its partners in the South Gloucestershire Housing Partnership, to draw up some sketch proposals on which to consult with local residents, the Parish Council, ward councillors and the Planning Department. The proposals produced by Sovereign's architect and presented at the public consultation meeting were for 90 dwellings on 2.01 hectares, giving a density of 44.78 dwellings per hectare, which is in line with national planning guidance on the higher densities expected these days. The mix of house types provided for 1- and 2- bedroom flats, 2-, 3- and 4-bedroom houses and two wheelchair-accessible bungalows, divided roughly into one third for outright sale, one third for shared ownership and one third for affordable rent. The proposed plan showed two access points onto Oaktree Avenue and provided an average of one parking space per dwelling. The comments received on this plan include:
These and other comments will be carefully considered in discussions with planning, highway engineers, community services, education and other Council departments. We will also contact the Primary Care Trust to discuss the issue of the doctor's surgery. The proposals will then be revised and amended accordingly and presented for further consultation with Parish and ward councillors and the population of Pucklechurch. How this will be done has not been decided, but from previous experience tells us that drop-in sessions are generally more effective than more formal meetings, which may not be convenient for everyone to attend and where some people feel inhibited about expressing their views in public. A drop-in session with officers in attendance could last for half a day or more and plans could be left up for comment. Any such meeting would be well advertised throughout the village. There will be an update in the next issue of Pucklechurch News. For further information or to express your views, call Tim Borthwick on 01454 865558, e-mail tim.borthwick@southglos.gov.uk or write to him at: Riverside Court, Bowling Hill, Chipping Sodbury, South Gloucestershire BS36 6JX |
|
|
|
|
|
Parish Council Chairman’s Notes Council Minutes Since last January, the minutes of our monthly Parish Council meetings have been placed on the Pucklechurch website (click here). More than 70 people a month have logged onto the Parish Council minutes, and I hope that more of you will do so in the future. Minutes appear only after they have been read and approved at the meeting following their writing. Any confidential matters relating to named people will not be published. Council Grants Although we have a very limited budget, the Council always make provision for grants paid on a regular basis or for those felt to have a justification. Since last January, we have made grants within Pucklechurch to the following groups:
Each of these groups has a direct link with some of our parishioners. We receive many requests for grants from a wide variety of charities and good causes, most of which we reluctantly have to refuse. Speaking at Council Meetings As you may know, anyone living in Pucklechurch or Shortwood may address the Parish Council for up to five minutes near the beginning of each meeting provided they have given our Clerk 24 hours' notice. We are pleased to offer this opportunity, and it has proved a useful means of giving us information and views on a wide range of topics. However, once this slot has been used, the rest of the meeting is for Councillors to discuss issues and express their views. We welcome anyone to attend the meeting, but just as those visiting South Glos Council or Parliament are unable to join in discussion, the same rule applies at Parish Council meetings -- however frustrating this may be to those in the visitors' gallery. We warmly invite you to attend our meetings but would ask that you follow the usual conventions! Omar Beg, Chairman |
|
|
|
|
|
Parish plans are seen by the Government as a way for rural communities to run their own affairs and influence their future development. They allow everyone who lives or works in the community to determine the future of their parish by saying which social, economic and environmental issues affect them. Parish plans are a worthwhile way of involving the community in identifying and prioritising the key issues and features requiring improvement or preservation. A wide range of issues can be covered:
Although you will need the support of the Parish Council (as they will act as a banker for any grants or funds), the project should be overseen by a separate steering group of up to eight people, who will investigate funding (grants or fundraising events), develop the work programme and budget, and decide on consultation methods. If you are interested in forming a steering group, please contact Diane Bailey, Clerk to the Parish Council (tel. 937-2398) or email: parish.council@pucklechurch.org |
|
|
|
|
||
|
The Bob Stone Memorial Photography Competition was an astounding success in its first year. Over 100 photographs were entered by 49 different people! It was not only the quantity that impressed, it was the quality. The judges, who came from Thornbury Photography Club and had considerable experience judging photography competitions in the local area and beyond, were delighted with the quality and variety of the images. All entries were displayed at the Revel Photography Exhibition and Coffee Morning on 17th September, and a goodly number of people came to have a look at the outstanding array of photographs. This year's first place winners were awarded £20 from Revel funds, and second place prizes were photo albums or frames donated by Ace Camera in Yate. All winners received certificates. David Hills, who won the top prize for adults in both categories, kindly donated his prize money back to Revel. The Revel Committee hope to make the Bob Stone Memorial Photography Competition an annual event. Next year's categories and rules will be published in the Pucklechurch News and we hope build momentum for an annual event. Jacki Berry & Greg Bate, Organisers
Winning Entries If you did not have a chance to come by, you can still view all winning entries and the highly commended images by visiting the Pucklechurch website at www.pucklechurch.org/html/photocomp.html Open, 11 and under category Open, 12-17 category Open, 18 and over category Village Life, 11 and under category Village Life, 12-17 category Village Life, 18 and over category
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Download and pring this crossword with a local flavour by clicking here. Adobe Reader is required - if you don’t have it then it is free and available here. If you would like to see the solution to the crossword, click here. |