Conserving Grantham opposes the loss of St Catherines

Conserving Grantham members are campaigning to save St Catherines House, St Catherines Road which now faces the same fate as the Shirley Croft Hotel. McCarthy and Stone are planning a 44 apartment block on the site of St Catherines should their proposed demolition go ahead.

We are concerned not only at the loss of yet another landmark building in the area, but also the loss of significant hedgerow which borders the house and is over 150 years old. The new proposals will transform the streetscene. St Catherines Road will be in the heart of the new Conservation Area should plans go ahead.

The application is due to be heard at February 2012 Development Control Committee Meeting. I will be stepping down from my usual role on the committee in order to join Dudley Road residents as they campaign for St Catherines.

Concerns extend beyond the loss of the Victorian building. The new proposals are considered too intensive for the area and are likely to cause further parking issues with only 19 spaces being provided for visitors and residents. The hedgerow will be lost, some trees cut down and the character of St Catherines Road will be changed.

Croft Drive and St Vincents residents oppose plans for Shirley Croft site

I have been working with Croft Drive residents to oppose development plans for the former Shirley Croft Hotel site which are considered too intensive.

The plans (S11/2065) were originally rejected in full by the Development Control Committee in October 2011 who proposed the provision of single storey houses to the rear of the development to address overlooking and loss of light issues from nearby residents.

However, the developer has resubmitted the plans with only minor changes to the original two and a half storey houses planned.

St Annes Conservation Area Application

Conserving Grantham has submitted proposals to South Kesteven District Council for a new St Annes Conservation Area in a bid to protect local heritage and natural environment. The application was the end result after alot of hard work with fellow campaigners Anne Gayfer, Alice Brown and Marilyn Campbell.

The Journal covered our story.

 

For full details of the Conserving Grantham application please see the Conserving Grantham website (soon to be up and running). You are welcome to contact me for details in the meanwhile.

Lincolnshire County Council Cut Services to Children

According to their own Newsletter Lincolnshire County Council are cutting budgets of 20 local projects to aid children in Lincolnshire. They have asked South Kesteven District Councillors our views on their strategy.

In a bid to tackle Child Poverty, they plan to funnel resources into only a few households which are deemed to have "complex" needs. These households will have children with no working parents and it is planned to provide a co-ordinated, targeted approach to care.

The proposals can be viewed on South Kesteven District Council's Community Policy Development Group website:

http://moderngov.southkesteven.gov.uk/ieAgenda.aspx?A=2701

It seems to me that the only way to tackle Poverty is to increase income. This will be through employment or supporting benefits.

The Government cutting the benefits and an economic policy which is reducing available jobs for local families will undermine any plans of Lincolnshire County Council.

My view that it is also wrong to only  target households with "complex" needs and no workers, when so many children live in poverty within homes with one or more working parents who are struggling to get by on a minimum wage, was shared with others at our Grantham Labour Branch AGM last week.

District Councillors have been asked their views on proposals by 31 January and I have asked some key local organisations for their views before submitting a response. Your views are also welcome.

Please contact me on 01476 574748 if you would like to know more about the Consultation.

St Annes Ward Conservation Area Application Submitted

After the loss of Shirley Croft Hotel a number of us got together and agreed that a more proactive position is needed to save our local heritage. As a result of further discussions with English Heritage and the Victorian Society, and, supported by local historian Malcolm Knapp  - Grantham Conservation Society and Courtnay Finn - Grantham Civic Trust a new active Conservation Group has been set up.

Any local residents interested in actively protecting our natural and built heritage are welcome to join us. Conserving Grantham members have drafted the St Annes Ward Conservation Area Application which has been submitted to South Kesteven District Council, in our first bid to protect local landmarks and streetscenes. The bid includes the hill from the Hills and Hollow across to Somerby Hill, the Victorian housing of the industrial era in St Catherines Road, Harrowby Road, Dudley Road, Bridge End Road, London Road (parade of shops), the Universities Square block including College St and Oxford St.
The Earl of Dysart houses in Houghton Rd, Albert St and Edward St are also included.
We have included Wyndham Park and Dysart Parks and the walkway along the River Witham.

For full details of our application please feel free to contact me.
A six week public consultation period will take place once the council have reviewed the application.

Planning Applications - How to object/comment

As a member of the Development Control Committee I receive a number of requests regarding what can be done in the event that a planning application affects someone and they want to make a comment or object.

Here are some general guidelines. I will be happy to assist you should you require it. Please contact me for advice and support.

The following are considered valid material planning considerations:-

 

• design/visual impact
• privacy/loss of daylight
• noise;smell pollution
• access/traffic
• health
• ecology & landscape
• crime
• economic impact
• cumulative impact i.e. where one or more impacts create an overall impact which is not acceptable
• personal factors (rarely used)
• sustainable materials
• internal standards
• overlooking private space
• need - in some cases
• 
  

The following are  not considered material considerations

 

• the applicant - whoever they are e.g should not matter if it is the queen or dustman making the application
• land ownership - you do not need to own land to apply for planning permission
• private right e.g. access
• restrictive covenants
• property value - loss of property value is not a consideration
• competition
• loss of view
• moral issues - usually applies to licensing
• numbers of people objecting - the number is not material but what people are saying could be
• change from previous scheme

It is possible to submit your views by 

a. email directly to the planning officer in charge of the case, 

b  via the SKDC website link where you may "Search for a case"

 

http://www.southkesteven.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1640

 On this website you can view the plans for the application.

Tthere is a statement in blue

Comment on this application

This is where you may submit your comments/objections

You will receive a confirming email if a submission is made.

 

IMPORTANT: Not all Planning Applications automatically go to Development Control Committee.

Many smaller applications are decided by Planning Officers, unless any objections are received

If you raise an objection to a plan, at the Senior Planning Officers discretion, you may request that an application goes before the Development Control Committee. It is important to ensure your request is supported with relevent material planning concerns, as listed above.

 

If you do not have internet access you may write to the Planning Officer with any objections.

You may arrange a meeting to view the plans at The Guildhall, St Peters Hill, Grantham by calling the Planning Team on 01476 406080.

 

Speaking at the Meeting

If you wish to speak on the day you need to contact Development Control Committee Officer Malcolm Hall ideally at least 2 days before the meeting and preferably beforehand via email on m.hall@southkesteven.gov.uk

or call 01476 406080.

Malcolm will arrange for your speaker to be added to the agenda and the Chair notified. 

Each speaker has 3 minutes.

Once you have spoken you may be asked to leave the Council Chamber.

Supporting evidence e.g. photos of the site/powerpoint presentations may be used.

 

IMPORTANT: If the outcome of the meeting at which you speak is that the case is Deferred for further action you will NOT be able to speak again at any future meeting.

Contacting Committee Members

You may also chose to submit concerns directly to the committee members prior to the meeting as some campaigners do.

They should read/listen to your point of view but will not confirm their position unless they have chosen not to vote.

All committee members, including myself, must keep an open mind on the day looking at all evidence to avoid predetermining the case.

 

If you do want to contact committee members you can view the current members via the SKDC website.

Doing so has the advantage that your own words will be visible to them, otherwise they are summarised by the planning officer at/before the meeting in a report. 

 

I do hope this helps give you all your options. 

  

Further Help

If you need any further assistance with the planning application process please do not hesitate to contact me on 01476 574748 or email charmaine725@btinternet.com

or the Planning Team on 01476 406080.

 

Housing Benefit changes to hit single adults from January 2012

There will be significant reductions in the housing benefit available to single people aged between 18-35 years from January 2012.

The Government will only pay Shared Accommodation rate in future for people falling into this age range unless there are exceptional circumstances.

There is a real concern that many claimants are unaware of the changes and many landlords are unaware as well. The changes will force single people into shared accommodation. This is not as straightforward as it may seem. Many single people are divorced or seperated and have children. How will they manage to keep up contact with their children once forced to share their home with strangers?

This policy is ill considered and will force thousands of people to leave their home. 

The proposals are anticipated to go through the House of Commons in December 2011 and South Kesteven District Council will start implementing the changes from January 2012.

Full details of the changes can be viewed through the Department of Work and Pensions link

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/sar1.pdf