NEWS

Further to our previous news items about Stansted airport’s expansion plans, the airport has now submitted a further 900 page document.

Uttlesford District Council has given us until the end of August to respond to this document. We have today submitted a response to this, detailed text reprinted below, asking for more time, and calling for Uttlesford to appoint its own experts to analyse the data.

It is not too late for you to read the documents and submit your own comments using UDC’s plannning website.

Letter text:

Dear Sirs

Re: PLANNING APPLICATION UTT/18/0460/FUL – STANSTED AIRPORT EXPANSION

Felsted Parish Council are writing in response to the latest submission by Stansted Airport regarding planning application ref UTT/18/0460/FUL.

We are surprised and dismayed at the end of August deadline set to review and comment on this new 900 page document.

Having gone through the first stage of the application, where a 6 week timescale was set and then extended hours before the deadline, we would have expected officers to realise that setting a 4 week period to review a further 900 page document would be insufficient.

August is a peak holiday period, and harvest time in this rural area. Availability of Councillors throughout August is thus severely limited. We have also had the Uttlesford Local Plan regulation 19 documents to review. We will not therefore be able to give the Stansted application documents the time they need for due consideration before the deadline.

We also call on UDC to appoint its own experts to analyse the noise pollution impact data for this planning application.

The admission that the statement regarding ‘quiet aircraft’ replacing over 80% of the current fleet was wrong, and should actually be 50%, leads to the important question as to what other assumptions are wrong and what the implications might be on the subsequent noise and pollution analysis. The conflict of interest, real or perceived, in allowing experts paid, and regularly retained, by the airport to effectively offer expert opinion to UDC is clear and must be removed from the process. UDC must appoint its own independent experts to review the data and the, frankly ludicrous, conclusion that, in the words of the airport, there will be “no significant adverse environmental effects” from an increase to 43 million passengers.

An independent review also needs to be held into the airports attempts to subvert and drown out any genuine public debate. In providing a one click email link to all employees, whereby they could send an automatically generated response in support of the application, the airport has clearly attempted to unduly influence the planning consultation process.

The fact that fewer than 5% of employees actually clicked on the link demonstrates a lack of support for expansion from within the airport. Despite this, the airport has issued press releases claiming that this 5% employee support amounts to overwhelming public approval for their expansion plans. This is wrong and sinister in its attempts to manipulate public perception and force UDC’s decision making.

UDC must stand up for the communities it represents and recognise the cynical approach being made by the airport and Manchester Airport Group in their approach to this expansion and their total lack of genuine interest in the impact the airport has on local communities.

This is illustrated perfectly by the airport’s lack of any engagement with local communities impacted by the flightpath changes made in 2016, which doubled the flights on Clacton routes. They have not made a single suggestion or proposal for noise mitigation for the communities suffering from increased noise levels. They should not be allowed to further expand with such issues still unresolved.

Please therefore confirm that UDC will be appointing independent experts to assess the raw noise data and the resulting assumptions and conclusions made in the application, and that UDC will undertake a review of the attempt by the airport to manipulate the public consultation process.

When this is complete a more reasonable timescale needs to be set for public consultation of the full application and associated independent analysis.

Yours faithfully

Diane Smith

Clerk to Felsted Parish Council

The Uttlesford Local Plan has now reached the final consultation stage before it is reviewed by the Government Inspector.

The full plan can be read here.

You can submit your comments here. The consultation closes at 5pm tomorrow, 13th August 2018.

The points which Felsted Parish Council believe are important are:

West of Braintree development

The proposal for a 13,000 house new town, straddling Uttlesford and Braintree districts, has been found unsound by the Government Inspector in his review of the Braintree District Local Plan (as part of the North Essex Garden Partnership). See our earlier news item here.

Despite this, Uttlesford (UDC) has decided to keep the smaller part of the proposed development in its plan. This would result in up to 3,500 houses being built in Uttlesford, to the north of Felsted, approximately 1000 of which would be in the current plan period.

Felsted Parish Council remains against this development, primarily due to the impact of traffic through Felsted, the lack of infrastructure and the lack of natural resources. We believe that it is unsustainable. 

House building in Felsted Parish

Felsted is identified as a type A village and is expected to accept  a share of the 14,000 planned houses for the coming 15 years. There are 2 sites identified by Uttlesford in our Parish for development in the plan period, totalling up to 70 houses. Full details can be read in the regulation 19 document on page 203 onwards.

Felsted is in the final stages of completing its Neighbourhood Plan which has been submitted to UDC for Pre-submission (Reg. 14) Consultation. This plan identifies 2 locations for the delivery of housing, which between them not only allocate 63 dwellings during the UDC Plan period, but also deliver important community facilities. Subject to the final version of the Neighbourhood Plan and the referendum decision, Felsted Parish Council would support the inclusion of these (and only these) sites in the Local Plan.

Stansted airport

Following our concerns that UDC’s position regarding Stansted airport was lacking in support for the communities impacted by the airport, your Parish Council has worked with our District Councillors to ensure that the Plan wording was more appropriate.

The Plan wording was rewritten and Felsted Parish Council s now calling for UDC to take an even stronger position to support the interests of communities overflown by planes, and in taking a clear position against any increase in night flights.

Remember, you have until 5pm tomorrow to submit your comments.

The Neighbourhood Plan team has advised that the Neighbourhood Plan – Pre-Submission Draft is now published and available for you to examine in detail on the Felsted Neighbourhood Plan website.

The Plan has taken an incredible amount of work by the Steering Group and has been a long time in the making, but it’s here now! Non computer users can also borrow paper copies of the NP, and response forms, from the PC Office, Linsells, The Swan, The Chequers and Andersons Estate Agency.

The Plan, supported by your Parish Council at a formal vote this week,  sets out how we believe you want to see development in Felsted over the coming 15 years, the Plan Period. The Plan is a substantial document comprising 70 pages with 36 draft policies covering our schools, our heritage, the rural economy, how we value the environment and, of course, housing development.

The NP Steering Committee are holding a number of ‘drop-in’ sessions:

• Memorial Hall on Friday 10 August 5-8pm;
• Primary School Hall on Saturday 8 September 10- 1pm;
• and finally in the URC Hall Committee Room in Stebbing Road from Monday 17 September to Friday 21 September (inclusive) from 4-8pm each day.

At all these sessions residents can discuss the policies and clarify any queries with Steering Group members.

Please take the time to look at the NP document and let us have your feedback either via the Survey Monkey on the NP website or using the paper response form available with the paper copies of the document.

The deadline for receiving your responses is 21st September 2018.

The  value of a fully adopted Neighbourhood Plan was made clear at this month’s Uttlesford (UDC) Planning Meeting, where 2 proposed developments in Watchhouse Green, totalling  some 60+ houses, were rejected by UDC, despite one being identified as a site for potential development in UDC’s draft Local Plan.

A significant factor in this decision was the existence of the draft Neighbourhood Plan, which rejected these sites.

There is huge pressure from developers seeking to be allowed build wherever they can make money, with no genuine community interest. They use the lack of a finalised UDC Local Plan, and UDC not currently being able to demonstrate the required pipeline of house building (5 years), in their arguments, and often win.

If we are to maintain some level of self determination in the house building and planning processes for Felsted for the coming years, It is essential that we all read, comment on as appropriate, and ultimately vote to adopt our Neighbourhood Plan.

Do you really need to see a doctor?

It would be difficult not to be aware of the pressures currently faced by the NHS – as many of us who have struggled get an appointment to see our GP know only too well. You don’t need a doctor to refer you to all health and wellbeing services however.  In Uttlesford we have a single website where you can search and identify local services for yourself and then make a self-referral – this means you get the support you need more quickly, without waiting to see your doctor – and medical staff have more time to spend with patients who have urgent needs.

Local services that accept self-referrals include:

• Essex child and family wellbeing services; including health visiting, parenting support, school nursing and support for children aged 5 – 19 (or 25 for children with special educational needs and disabilities) which includes help with dental care, immunisations, physical, emotional or developmental problems
• Mental health services; adult mental health wellbeing services and talking therapies for depression and anxiety
• Counselling services, including for children
• Mentoring services for children and young people and support for children who have been bullied
• Free weight management services, help to stop smoking or to make other lifestyle changes
• Support services for parents of young children and children with learning or developmental disabilities, such as autism
• NHS heart health checks
• Cancer information and support services
• Drugs and alcohol support, recovery programmes and family support
• Support for anyone dealing with domestic violence
• Support for long term health conditions such as COPD, Parkinson’s, MS or dementia
• Support services for carers, including young carers

Simply go to www.uttlesfordfrontline.org.uk and look for services by entering key words into the search area.  For example typing in ‘children’ will bring up all the local services that can help with many of the challenges being a parent can, and does, provide!  If you use a mobile device, you may prefer to download the ‘Frontline Public’ app from the App Store or google play.

If you don’t have access to the internet at home, you can get online for free at your local library, (ask staff to help you), or alternatively call Healthwatch on 0300 500 1895 for details of services in your local area. Uttlesford Citizens Advice can also make referrals on your behalf; call for an appointment on 01799 618840.

Barnards Yard, CB11 4EB

T: 01799 618840 

W: uttlesfordcab.org.uk

E: Please use the link from our website to contact us by email

Saffron Walden 9.30 to 3.30 M.T.Th.F. (appointments available Weds)

Great Dunmow 9.30 to 3.30 T. Th.

Thaxted 2pm and 3pm Tuesday (Fortnightly, appointment only)

Stansted Mountfitchet 9.30 to 12.30 Thursday – appointments only

Uttlesford District Council Offices Tuesdays (fortnightly, drop in)

The Felsted Neighbourhood Plan – Pre-Submission Draft is now available via the Neighbourhood Plan Website.

The Neighbourhood Plan Steering group has invested a huge amount of their own time to help the Parish establish a Plan and we all owe them a debt of gratitude for the work they have undertaken.

The Plan will set out how the community wish to see Felsted develop over the coming 15 years, including for important local facilities like the doctors’ surgery, taking important aspects of local control, rather than leaving the process in the hands of developers and the Uttlesford Local Plan.

Every household will receive a summary document through the post. In addition, the full document can be read online or in selected locations around the Parish. Details are on the Neighbourhood Plan site.

Please read the full news item on the Neighbourhood Plan site, where you can submit comments via the “Survey Monkey” link.

The Uttlesford Local Plan has now reached the final consultation stage before it is reviewed by the Government Inspector.

The full plan can be read here.

You can submit your comments here. The consultation closes at 5pm on 13 August 2018.

The points which Felsted Parish Council believe are important are:

West of Braintree development

The proposal for a 13,000 house new town, straddling Uttlesford and Braintree districts, has been found unsound by the Government Inspector in his review of the Braintree District Local Plan (as part of the North Essex Garden Partnership). See our earlier new item here.

Despite this, Uttlesford (UDC) has decided to keep the smaller part of the proposed development in its plan. This would result in up to 3,500 houses being built in Uttlesford, to the north of Felsted, approximately 1000 of which would be in the current plan period.

Felsted Parish Council remains against this development and believes that it is unsustainable. 

House building in Felsted Parish

Felsted is identified as a type A village and is expected to accept  a share of the 14,000 planned houses for the coming 15 years. There are 2 sites identified by Uttlesford in our Parish for development in the plan period, totalling up to 70 houses. Full details can be read in the regulation 19 document on page 203 onwards.

Land north of Station Road for 40 houses.

Land east of Braintree Road for 30 houses.

It should be noted that the Felsted Neighbourhood Plan, which will conditionally support some housing in Felsted during the 15 year Plan period, where community benefit can be realised, is in the final stages of completion prior to public consultation in the coming weeks.  This will be delivered to every house in summary form, and be available to view in detail online and at a number of locations, before the closing date of the Local Plan consultation. This will enable parishoners to view and consider the 2 plans alongside each other.

Stansted airport

Following our concerns that UDC’s position regarding Stansted airport was lacking in support for the communities impacted by the airport, your Parish Council has worked with our District Councillors to ensure that the Plan wording was more appropriate.

The Plan wording was rewritten and Felsted Parish Council now supports UDC in the Plan statements, taking a firm position in relation to representing the concerns of communities overflown by planes, and in taking a clear position against any increase in night flights.

Current plans for 10,000 new homes under the Garden Community (GC) principle, located to the north of Felsted, have been declared ‘unsound’ by the Government’s Inspector of Local Plans.

Felsted Parish Council has argued against the plans, primarily on the grounds of lack of facilities and infrastructure, and the impact on Felsted from traffic heading south from the new town and into the wider local road network.

In his letter, link here, the inspector lays out his reasons for the rejection:

‘It will be evident from the foregoing discussion that I consider that the Garden Community proposals contained in the Plan are not adequately justified and have not been shown to have a reasonable prospect of being viably developed.  As submitted, they are therefore unsound…’

‘… on the basis of the evidence I have considered so far I would advise that simultaneously bringing forward three GCs on the scale proposed in the submitted Plan is likely to be difficult to justify.’

‘Option 1 would be for the NEAs to agree to remove the GC proposals from the Section 1 Plan at this stage, and commit to submitting a partial revision of Section 1 for examination by a defined time, for example within two or three years.’

‘I expect that this letter will come as a disappointment to the NEAs after all the hard work and resources they have committed to bringing the Section 1 Plan forward for examination.  Nonetheless, I hope it will be appreciated that my findings do not necessarily represent a rejection of their commendable ambitions for high-quality, strategic-scale development in North Essex.  Equally, however, the scale of those ambitions, and the long timescale over which any GC proposals would come forward, require that adequate time and care are taken now to ensure that any proposals are realistic and robust.’

This rejection of the Plan submitted by the North Essex Garden Community (NEGC) group, on behalf of the District Councils,  will also impact the  ‘West of Braintree’ new town element of Uttlesford’s Local Plan, currently in the final stages of development.

It is unclear at this stage how the District Councils will respond to the Inspector’s report and whether or not they intend to follow his guidance to remove the new town proposals from their Plans.

We will continue to follow progress, as the plans could still come forward, and will object where we believe there are inappropriate and poorly planned new town developments.

The Parish Council is holding an OPEN MORNING this  Saturday, 2nd June, from 9 – 1pm in the Felsted Memorial Hall.

Please take this opportunity to drop in and have an informal chat with your Parish Councillors over a cup of tea and a biscuit.

We would love to hear your thoughts about how the Parish Council is doing.

This is also your opportunity to tell us your worries and concerns about the Parish, and to talk to us about any ideas you have about future projects you would like the Council to consider.

Parish Council elections are due to take place in June 2019, and if you’re interested in joining the Council it’s also an ideal time to find out exactly what is involved in the role.

We hope that you can join us.

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Felsted Church Tower Open Day

Saturday 5^th May 2018

10am – 1pm

Climb to the top of the tower and see the bells

Watch the bells being rung

Have a go at ringing a bell

A lot of ringers were killed in The Great War.  One hundred years later it seems entirely appropriate to recruit some more.

You could be one of them!

The date of the Annual Parish Assembly has been changed to Thursday 26 April. The venue is unchanged, in the URC Hall at 7.00pm.

Come along and hear what has been happening in the Parish over the last year and tell the Council what you think we should be focussing on in the coming months and year.