Burntwood Action Group

Our fourth newsletter has just been distributed to homes around Burntwood. If you haven’t received yours, or would like a copy for a friend or colleague, please download here. It is available as a PDF or as a Word Document.

If you have read our November Newsletter you will be aware that the finalisation of this plan has been deferred pending the agreement between Lichfield District Council and the Regional Assembly on the number of new homes to be allocated to the District. You may have gleaned from the press that Lichfield District Council is resisting the increase of the allocation from the 8000, stated in the original plan, to 10,000. This number is important for Burntwood & Hammerwich, because it could increase the number of new homes allocated to our area beyond the 750 suggested in the draft plans. If the number remains at 750 we are fairly confidant that they can be accommodated on brownfield sites without further erosion of our much loved greenbelt.

Lichfield District Council has informed us that, since 2006, the recorded number of new homes built in Burntwood & Hammerwich is 107. At April 2009 66 Homes were under construction and 56 homes had received planning permission. This gives a total of 229 new houses in our area over the past 3 years.

Lichfield District Council has also identified locations for approximately 300 new dwellings on brownfield sites in Burntwood and Hammerwich. However, this figure is subject to further investigation and will be confirmed in the updated Strategic Housing Land Assessment which is due to be published in mid December 2009.

All of these figures exclude London & Cambridge Properties site on the Chasewater Industrial Estate opposite and beyond Morrisons Supermarket. We understand that negotiations between London & Cambridge Properties and Lichfield District Council could result in excess of 300 homes being built on this site. It is most important for the preservation of our greenbelt that these negotiations result in the land being allocated for housing and included in the final LDF Core Strategy.

We will endeavour to monitor all developments and continue a dialogue with the Lichfield District Council, at all levels, to ensure that Burntwood and Hammerwich are allocated sensible, realistic new housing targets to 2026 without the use of any of our greenbelt.

Burntwood Action Group was pleased to assist with ensuring that the local community was aware of the Heath Centre Consultation and was given the opportunity to express its views. We will endeavour to keep residents informed of any further developments of the consultation that might affect them.

Our third newsletter is now available to read online, or download and print. Just click here to read or right click and choose “Save Target As” to put it on your computer.

The latest press release and Michael’s report to Burtwood Town Council are both now available. Download the press release here and the presentation here.

It was with very great regret that our Committee unanimously voted to withdraw from the Alliance of Lichfield District’s Action and Resident’s Groups.

In proposing the setting up of an alliance and hosting the inaugural meeting our aims were to provide a forum for:

• Sharing ideas and developing strategies to present a coherent and unified case to Lichfield District Council for the preservation of Lichfield District’s green land.

• Ensuring that actions taken by member Groups were mutually supportive and never contradictory.

These aims are unchanged and our decision to withdraw from the Alliance is based solely on the manner in which the new Alliance was set up and is now run.

The attached document sets out our views which were to be presented to the Alliance Meeting on 5th August, hosted by South Lichfield Residents Group. We were not allowed to present our case and, to avoid an even more uncomfortable situation, withdrew from the meeting.

Having decided that we are unable to work with individuals who believe they have a right to dictate policy and have little regard for democratic procedures we are pleased to see that the press release, informing the public of the new Alliance, has been written largely according to our advice.

The letter addressed to individual Councillors, which we counselled against, is toned down from the original draft but its hostile, dictatorial tone still makes it unlikely to generate a positive response. Also the integrity of the Council Leader is still questioned. We completely disassociate ourselves from this letter.

Burntwood and Hammerwich Action Group has stayed within the Alliance but will maintain its individuality and will continue to work with us to present a unified front against development on our surrounding green land.

We are saddened to have left the Alliance in the hands of those who adopt a bludgeoning approach to negotiation. but give Burntwood people the assurance that we will continue to fight, on their behalf, to keep as much as possible of our surrounding green land. We will always try to lobby for support using well researched and reasoned arguments and welcome any constructive ideas from residents.

Burntwood Action Group organised a poster competition for schoolchildren within the Burntwood area to promote the preservation of their surrounding green space and wildlife. On Tuesday, during the closing assemblies of the two Schools, £10 gift vouchers were presented to the two winners and certificates were awarded to five other children for producing posters judged to be “highly commended”. All of those who took part were congratulated on producing excellent, thought provoking posters.

The winners were Frayer Webster-Mayhew from Highfields and Emily Poxon from Fulfen. Highly Commended were Will Gould, Naomi Wragg, Harry Barker, Madie Fox and Georgia Bailey from Fulfen. Unfortunately Emily Poxon, Will Gould and Georgia Bailey were not present to receive their prizes.

In the first photo below Frayer Webster-Mayhew receives her award. In the second Madie Fox (left), Harry Barker (centre) and Naomi Wragg (right) receive their certificates at Fulfen. Click each image to see them individually, then once again for the full size.

Well done to everyone and thanks for taking part!

Emily Poxon , Will Gould and Georgia Bailey were not present to receive their prizes.

Attached are photographs of Frayer Webster-Mayhew at Highfields and Madie Fox (left), Harry Barker (centre) and Naomi Wragg (right) at Fulfen.

Your Burntwood Action Group representatives continue to attend Burntwood and Lichfield meetings to monitor all issues relating to the Green Belt and any development that may be planned in our area.

The Alliance are to meet our local MP Michael Fabricant on Saturday 11th of July to ensure that we can rely on his help and support in our Campaign to “Save our Green Belt”. Your local BAG representatives will ensure that Burntwood’s particular needs are made known at that meeting.

This letter has been sent to Lichfield District Council in response to the new Lichfield District Core Strategy Policy Directions April 2009 document. We believe that this letter can represent all of our Local Residents and in doing so confirms and preserves the acceptable position we have achieved from the previous consultation process. It is the committees belief that there is no merit in residents answering the LDC yes/no questionnaire as that exercise does not cover the core issues relating to future building in Burntwood & Hammerwich.

We would encourage any individual residents who may wish to write directly to the LDC to do so.  BAG continues to represent the Burntwood Area in opposing Green Belt Development and any resident is welcome to comment or contribute to our cause via this webpage.