The quiet period
There is a six week period following the Planning Appeal
decision where no work on the site can commence even the program of works
cannot be agreed. This time period allows NCC or other parties to challenge the planning decision if they
wish to. Currently the Association are not
able to provide any definitive information as to the program of works
for the site redevelopment until this period is over.
Once this period has ended we will be meeting with the
developers, C.E.G.to discuss the site redevelopment timetable.
The Association appreciate the uncertainty for a gardener is
demoralising but we are bound by the legal requirements of the planning
regulations.
Once the Association
have concrete information all active
gardeners; both renters and shareholders will be invited to a meeting to advise
what is happening. It would not be prudent to hold a meeting before this
information is available as we could not fully answer any questions.
The overgrown avenues.
The Association have an ongoing
program of maintaining the avenues and access paths on the site. If there are
areas of the site where gardeners feel
there is a health and safety issue please email the Secretary with the
plot numbers to allow this to be looked into. Additionally if there are areas
of the site where vehicles could be damaged by the vegetation do not drive cars
down there, please park in the main parking areas.
During a recent visit the avenues were checked and found to be satisfactory but at this time of year this
position can change within a couple of weeks.
The six-week period following the Appeal Decision Report was for anyone to submit objections, not just the NCC, and it ended on 19th June. Some of us have tried to understand the planning process, not just employ someone to do this for us, but as only Outline Planning Permission has been granted then the Reserved Matters have yet to be submitted to and approved by the NCC before Full Planning Permission is given. Also the Inspector’s decision report lists Conditions which have to be met before any groundwork can start. At this point all most gardeners expect to know in plain English is (1) will any work start this year, and (2) is it worth doing winter digging: surely not too much to expect. As you say, a detailed timescale will evolve in due course obviously, but at the moment please accept some responsibility and issue basic guidance. It is alright giving lip-service to your understanding of the concerns of gardeners, but you could try to alleviate these immediate concerns right now with not too much effort – probably one phone call to the developers followed by one notice on the gates. Gardeners tend to be quite a resilient bunch, but this is becoming unacceptable. You will need to communicate effectively with gardeners when development work is imminent – why not make a good start now? SUE
ReplyDeleteThanks for the announcement at last but
ReplyDeleteBy telling us not to take our cars up the path so as not to damage them, are you saying the avenues are unsafe? Would an emergency vehicle be able to get up the paths? Wouldn’t this be breaking health and safety rules of allotment sites?
Perhaps when planning you should consider the following rules :----According to rules and regulations of allotment terminations:- the Statutory termination, section 1 subsection (1) paragraph (a) Allotments Act 1922 as amended section 1 Allotments Act 1950. This gives the plot holder 12 months notice of termination. It follows that the maximum security any allotment gardener can enjoy is 12 months. However, this Statutory notice cannot be served so as to terminate later than 6th April in any given year; nor earlier than 29th September in any given year. NSALG uses the rough guide ‘’Lady Day to Michaelmas’
We all look forward to the consultations.
Talking about CONCRETE evidence, are you aware that the builders who use Plot 145 have spread a large part of the content of a concrete mixer on the footpath by the old site shed, presumably as it would be expensive to dispose of responsibly. This must be to augment the tarmac rubble, broken bricks and tiles etc. which they have kindly dumped there previously. Up to about three years ago the whole Pondside avenue was a pleasant safe walk and was accessible by vehicles from either end; in fact a group of us spent many ‘happy’ hours clearing a skip-worth of broken glass off the avenue. Little surprise that most of these Pondside plots appear to now be ungardened. If unauthorised dumping is allowed to happen then the site will become a magnet for an increase in antisocial behaviour especially once the general public realise that development is awaited. Some of us are still trying to garden and harvest, despite the uncertainty; we do not want an increase in break-ins and theft.
ReplyDelete