Burntwood Action Group

Apologies to visitors to our website. Due to technical problems the February update on this topic appears to have been lost.

It is now reinstated below. If you missed it when it was first posted the current update will make more sense if you read that first.

The technical problem has also resulted in many of the links being lost. Our technical wizard is working on the problem and will, hopefully, get our website back to full working order in the near future.

The final number of responses to the Consultation forwarded to Lichfield District Council (LDC) by our Chairman was 2750. THANK YOU again to all those residents who have supported our campaign to confine housing development in Burntwood and Hammerwich to previously developed land and preserve our surrounding green belt. We are confident that this tremendous response will result in LDC adopting a Local Development Framework which is in line with our objective.

Lichfield District Council has been overwhelmed by the number of responses to its consultation and they have informed us that the revised timetable for implementation of the Core Strategy of the Local Development Framework will now be along the lines of:

Mid April 2011
Council officials complete the analysis of the responses to the Consultation documents.

After Local Elections on 5th May 2011
Report on the responses to the Consultation will be presented to the Council.
Councillors’ response to the report may be influenced by two other reports which will be presented at the same meeting:
• Report on The Fradley and Rural Master Planning Projec.
• Report on The Analysis of Household Projections with the County Council.

Autumn 2011 (originally scheduled for July 2011)
Adoption of Draft Core Strategy by Lichfield District Council (after any changes agreed by Councillors and taking account of any additional evidence and changes to national guidance/regulations).

After adoption and publication of Draft Core Strategy
Formal Consultation Period: 6 weeks for submission of responses from interested parties followed by a Public Enquiry.

Sometime in first half of 2012
Adoption of Core Strategy of Local Development Framework.

Update February 2010

LDF Core Strategy: Shaping Our District
This is the title of Lichfield District Council’s (LDC’s) revised Local Development Framework (LDF) which is now out for consultation.
We delighted that LDC’s revised plans for our area specify development on brownfield sites and exclude housing on greenbelt, other than a possibility of development at Highfields Farm south of Chasewater.
However, statements in LDC’s leaflet ‘The big planning debate – get involved now’ and its printing in the ‘In Touch’ magazine have made us firm up our reservations on two points:
• Number of new homes planned for the Burntwood area.

• Possible development at Highfields Farm.

Our letter to residents and suggested letter of response (below) to LDC’s revised LDF make clear our general support for the revised LDF and the reasons for our reservations on the above two points.

Many of these letters have been distributed to residents of Hammerwich and East Burntwood and the response has been overwhelming. Over 2000 individual letters endorsing our view of the latest LDF have already been forwarded from residents to LDC and we look to be on target to reach a total in excess of 2500. A great big THANK YOU to all those residents who have responded and to our dedicated workers who have braved the elements, vicious letter boxes, dark nights and suspicious policemen to deliver letters and collect responses.

If you agree with our views and live outside our distribution area please download a copy of the letter to LDC and either return it to LDC yourself or place it in one of our letter boxes in Burntwood Health Centre, Hudson Drive; the Post Office, Swan Island; “Wild Orchid” flower shop, Rugeley Road or the letterbox of 35 Farewell Lane or 8 Church Road.

Letter to residents

Burntwood & Hammerwich Burntwood
Action Group Action Group

Dear Resident
Save our green belt update

Over the past year our two Groups have joined forces to protect the green belt in and around Burntwood and Hammerwich.

You should have received a letter, dated 19th November, from Lichfield District Council (LDC) about the revised Core Strategy of the Local Development Framework (LDF). The letter informs resident how they can view the revised documents and how they can comment on them.

Having studied the proposals in detail and discussed them with the Leader and Chief Planning Officer of LDC we are delighted that our campaign to protect Hammerwich and Burntwood’s green belt has been taken very seriously. The new proposals for our area specify development on brownfield sites and exclude housing on green belt, other than a vague possibility of development at Highfields Farm, south (on the Brownhills side) of Chasewater.

However, the recent leaflet ‘The big planning debate’ available from LDC’s offices and exhibitions and its printing in the ‘In touch’ magazine confused our understanding of the number of new homes being proposed for our area. We had been led to believe that, in the revised LDF, the number of new homes would be as in the original document: 1000 new homes in the 20 years from 2006 to 2026. Council officers have assured us that this is correct and that the number of homes (120) built since 2006 should have been subtracted from the 1,000. We need to see this clearly in print.

In the consultation period, from 19th November 2010 to 28th February 2011, LDC is seeking comments from residents. With the exception of possible development at Highfields Farm and the resolution of the doubt over the number of new homes planned for our area we believe that the revised LDF will give Burntwood and Hammerwich protection against speculative land developers until 2026 and ask you to support it.

Even though it would have little impact on our area we oppose development at Highfields Farm because any green belt development written into the LDF’s plans for Burntwood and Hammerwich undermines the stated aim of trying to confine new housing to previously developed land and it could add another 400 new homes to those mentioned in the proposals.

Attached is a suggested letter supporting the revised LDF. We would be grateful if you could add your address, sign it and return it to one of our collectors or put it through the letter box of 35 Farewell Lane or 8 Church Road. Returning it to LDC through us will allow us to monitor the level of support. There is a space provided to add your own comments if you wish. Please note that all members of the household over 18 years can respond.

Thank you for your continued help and support.

Paul Chapman (Chairman BHAG)

Vic Chamberlain (Chairman BAG)

Draft letter from residents to LDC in support of the revised LDF

Mr Neil Cox
Planning Policy Manager
Development Services
Free Post WV370
Lichfield District Council
Lichfield
Staffs WS13 6BR

Date:

Dear Sir

LDF Core Strategy: Shaping our District

I am aware of the contents of the above document and would like to make the following points:

1. I am pleased to note that LDC is proposing housing development on brownfield site(s) in Burntwood rather than on the original green belt sites.

2. I am also pleased that improvement in Burntwood’s amenities and infrastructure has been given due consideration.

3. I object to the mention of the possibility of housing development on the green belt land at Highfields Farm. This contradicts the stated aim of minimising encroachment onto green belt and could provide a lever for developers to make a case for development on other green belt in or around Burntwood. Also, housing development on this site would push the number of new homes planned for the area way beyond the number that your evidence suggests is necessary.

4. The number of new homes planned for Burntwood is unclear from your publications. The leaflet ‘The big planning debate’ and item in the ‘In Touch’ magazine states: “Around 1,000 new homes could be built in and around Burntwood between now and 2026.” I had been led to believe by your officers that 1,000 was the number of new homes planned for Burntwood between 2006 and 2026 and that 120 of those homes have already been built. I will only support your plans if they make it clear that those homes built over the past four years are to be subtracted from the 1,000.

With the exception of any development on the Highfields Farm site and with the proviso mentioned in item 4 I am now pleased to support those aspects of your revised Local Development Framework which affect the Burntwood area.

Thank you for listening to the concerns of Burntwood residents.

Yours faithfully

Signed:

Address:

Additional Comments: