November 2021

18 Buckden Roundabout November 2021 The Parish Council The Parish Council - Part 10 The beginning of the 21 st century saw the council take the deci- sion to support the erection of Christmas lights in the High Street. At the beginning of December 2001 the lights were lit in the High Street with a Father Christmas grotto in The George Hotel. The event has grown over the years to a full Xmas Fayre with the organisation taken over by a separate working group. (Perhaps it should be recorded that one councillor voted against the allocation of funds for this event until his retire- ment from the Council!). Whilst on the subject of lights the council also paid for new lights and improvements to the paths in the church yard. It also took over the administration of the cemetery. It agreed to ensure the continued publication of The Roundabout by accepting a greater responsibility for the monthly Village Newsletter which had been originally set up by Buckden Churches Together. The responsibility for the con- tents continued to rest with the independent editor. The subject of planning and housing development in the village has been, as I explained in an early article, a more common concern for the Council. It is important to remind readers that the Council can make no final decision of a planning applica- tion, it can only make recommendation to the HDC. This has become increasingly so over the last thirteen years. In Part 8 I wrote about the houses in Beaufort Drive; it was hoped that this would be the last development in the village. In 2008 the Huntingdonshire Core Strategy identified Buckden as a Key Services Centre (KSC), thus suitable for future development. The Council strongly opposed this asking to be a ‘ smaller settle- ment ’. It argued that the village lacked areas suitable for devel- opment and lack of public services. In April 2009 an Independ- ent Examiner of the HDC Core Strategy stated that there should be little development outside identified ‘ Strategic Towns and Villages ’. Buckden was not identified as one of these and was assured that development could only happen on ‘ Brown Field Sites ’ and promised that no development could occur outside the then built - up area, thus effectively ‘ ring fencing ’ the village. Support for this policy as it applied to Buckden was again given by the HDC in 2013. Unfortunately government policy changed and pressure was put on all District Councils to allow planning permission for more houses. An outline planning application for houses at the Stirtloe end of Lucks Lane was fiercely opposed at a public meeting. The Council supported by a well organized group of local residents wrote strong cases of opposition and were sup- ported by the District Council. Unfortunately our objections were overthrown by the inspector at a Public Inquiry. The battle did not end with the Inquiry because the council still sought and obtained modifications to the application ’ s ‘ Design Brief ’ and ‘ Reserved ’ matters. Unfortunately not all of the questions were successfully answered. Access to and from the A1 into Stirtloe Lane is still dangerous and the fears about pos- sible flooding have been proved correct. It was hoped that Lucks Lane would satisfy possible developers but unfortunately this proved to be a forlorn expectation. The revised HDC Neighbourhood Plan published in 2018 identified an area off Silver Street, behind the Council allotments as a site for new houses. The original plan to allow 10 houses was changed to 270 (the Church Commissioners later applied for 330). Once again there was a public meeting and the Council opposed the new houses. Unfortunately outline planning per- mission has been given by HDC with many conditions/provisos to be met. The battle continues some of which will focus on traffic in the village and problems relating to the A1 rounda- bout. (The council provides regular updates in The Rounda- bout). Although not included in the HDC Neighbourhood Plan an area behind Green Way alongside Mill Road has been iden- tified as a possible area for new houses. Once again the Coun- cil, supported by a well - attended public meeting and The Offords Parish Council has opposed the plans. In addition to these ‘ fights ’ in 2009 the Council successfully opposed a proposal to build a new estate on land behind Westfield Farm and Perry Road. The land was subsequently sold off in small plots to investors hoping for a future benefit. There was one glimmer of light when in 2006 permission was given for ten ‘ affordable houses ’ to be built at the end of Cran- field Way. In 2010 the Council successfully expressed concerns about the payment of Council Tax by residents at Buckden Marina. HDC agreed to enforce ‘ holiday home ’ status and if this was broken to charge full council tax. Other little snippets may interest readers. In 2012 the Council supported by HDC and Southoe Parish Council unsuccessfully opposed the erection of the Wind Turbines behind Southoe. It has also over a number of years complained about the adequa- cy of the HDC planning enforcement department. Every year it considers numerous planning applications, usually for altera- tions and additions to existing properties but as I have already explained it can only make recommendations. Although it may appear that the Council is often at loggerheads with HDC it is important to remember the District Council has a legal respon- sibility to carry out national government policies. In March 2014 the Council adopted a Village Plan as part of its efforts to become a Quality Council. This provided an excellent summary of what the village residents wanted and a blueprint for future Council plans. Unfortunately it had no legal powers and did not affect any planning applications. In 2018 it was decided to prepare a Neighbourhood Plan. This was a far - reaching document and was adopted by the District Council in 2021. Unlike the earlier Village Plan this has legal force and its requirements and constraints will have implications for the Silver Street development and any future plans. This month I have concentrated on planning matters next month I shall resume my story about other work completed by the Council. Terry Hayward