DISTRICT COUNCILLORS REPORT TO BASSINGBOURN PC 19TH APRIL 2022
- LOCAL PLAN
The Council is still on track to publish its recommendations on the public consultation probably in the summer . The Council will then need to agree those recommendations and if there are major changes proposed, there may be a further round of consultations on those recommendations, though past experience indicates there are rarely any major changes to the draft local plan though there are usually a few changes if nothing else to give weight to the consultation process and to indicate that the public representations on the local plan have been considered carefully. The Inspector will then need to consider the plan to determine whether it is sound and this process can take a year or more ( it did last time) and an EIP ( examination in [public) will be held probably in Spring/Summer 2023 with a view to adopting the plan later in that year. Any changes which the Inspector deems necessary to make the plan sound are usually binding on the authority and the Council has very little scope for resisting them.
as most of you are aware, the whole local plan process was compromised last time because we did not have a 5 year land supply which resulted in numerous sites in the District ( including 2 in Bassingbourn) being given planning permission which would not normally have been granted. We are assured that we continue to have an excess of a 5 year land supply ( the current one I understand is 6.2years) which should mean that the District is protected against speculative planning applications but if our land supply sinks below 5 years at any stage before the local plan is adopted then this issue may surface again.
- NEIGHBERHOOD PLANS
The latest plan to be formally adopted was for Waterbeach and this was adopted at the Council meeting on 23rd March and it is well worth looking at to see the amount of detailed work involved and the benefits to the local community of these plans. I am aware that most neighberhood plans which have been finalised are for villages which are threatened with major development and although this may not apply to Bassingbourn I would have thought that now is the time to revitalise this process in Bassingbourn as it can incorporate many of the features which have been discussed in Bassingbourn over the years ( affordable housing, environmental improvements etc)
- PAPWORTH TRUST DEVELOPMENT IN KNUTSFORD ROAD
I have been in touch with the housing dept to get this moving. The only hold up preventing work from starting on the scheme was the need to alter the covenant slightly to allow slightly more flexibility in the nature of the occupants and the funding arrangements but the scheme would still be for those with a degree of physical or mental incapacity and I could see nothing wrong with the minor alteration proposed.
- RELATIONS WITH ROYSTON
The former mayor of Royston, Robert Inwood has been in touch with me as he is keen to forge a closer relationship with the adjacent villages like Bassingbourn to work on matters of common interest. The use of the old school by Royston societies and organisations was one topic mentioned as well as developing the cycleway between Royston and Bassingbourn. He has formed a new non political party in Royston ( the Royston Town Party) and I suggested that he came to the Parish Council after May to discuss his thoughts and proposals.
Nigel Cathcart