EXCLUSIVE: New Development Considered for Nettleham

A consortia of three landowners have started preliminary discussions with Nettleham Parish Council which will ultimately lead to them seeking to develop a 30 acre (14 hectare) site off Larch Avenue, Nettleham.

It is understood that the range of housing developed could include starter homes for first-time buyers, accommodation for the elderly and even provision of a care/nursing home.

However, owing to changes currently happening in the planning system it is likely that planning permission will not be applied for for at least 18 months, if not 24 months. It is to the credit of the developer that they have approached Nettleham Parish Council to begin consultation with both the council and the wider community.

It is understood that technical assessments have previously been undertaken including ecological, highways and flood risk but that owing to the proximity of the Sewage Treatment Works there may well be some constraints to the extent of the development.

The possibility of what sort of 'planning gain' - benefits for a local community from development - the developer might offer are now being considered. Part of the development of the site might include landscaped areas, woodland planting, walks or an open space amenity which could include sports provision. Local community organisations such as the Nettleham Woodland Trust and the various sports organisations in the village will doubtlessly be approached for comments and ideas.

If and when planning permission is sought by the developer, from West Lindsey District Council, who are the local planning authority, Nettleham Parish Council becomes involved as a statutory consultee. Local people are free to express their view to both the Parish and District Councils. The most persuasive arguments that hold sway, when the Planning and Development Committee at West Lindsey District Council are determining a planning application, are those based on planning policy guidance.

Local MEP Takes Wind Farm Protest to Party Conference

Roger Helmer, who is one of the two Conservative MEPs in the East Midlands region of the UK, will be speaking out against excessive wind power development at a fringe meeting in the Freedom Zone at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester next week.

On Monday 3rd October at 10.15am a panel of three speakers, including Matthew Sinclair of the Taxpayers' Alliance, Struan Stevenson MEP (Scotland) and Roger Helmer MEP, will discuss the coalition government's very dangerous policies on renewable energy, and especially their commitment to wind power.

All three speakers have campaigned against current energy policies. Matthew Sinclair's new book 'Let Them Eat Carbon', is a very effective and damning critique of renewables policy. MEPs Helmer & Stevenson have joined local campaign groups in opposing wind farm projects near residential areas, and making information public to constituents who need to be informed of the real costs of Chris Huhne's decisions on energy matters.

Ahead of the event, Mr Helmer commented about the current Energy Minister's work:

"Mr Huhne's renewables policy is futile, ineffectual and vastly expensive. It is time for a re-think".

Members of the public and press are invited to attend the discussion panel next week in Manchester. The Freedom Association (of which Roger Helmer is a past Chairman), holds the annual Freedom Zone event on the fringe of the Conservative Party Conference. It is hosting the controversial debate, and a conference pass is NOT needed to access the Freedom Zone at the Bridgewater Hall on Lower Mosley Street, Manchester.

Energy from Waste facility Puts Down Rroots

A special tree-planting ceremony is taking place this week to officially celebrate the start of the construction phase of the county’s new Energy from Waste (EfW) facility.

Above: An artistic impression of the Energy for Waste faclity

Lincolnshire County Council Chairman, Cllr. Peter Bedford, Conservative (Boston Costal Division), will lead the ceremony on Thursday, 12th May 2011. The planting of the tree represents the first of more than eighty new trees that will be planted as part of the landscaping scheme for the site.

Confirmed dignitaries attending include Leader of Lincolnshire County Council, Cllr Martin Hill, Conservative (Folkingham Rural South Division); Chairman of the Lincolnshire Waste Partnership, Cllr Lewis Strange, Conservative (Ancholme Cliff Division and & Keley Ward); Chair and Vice Chair of the local EfW Community Liaison Group, Cllr. Matthew Fields and Mr. Ron Blow; Mayor of North Hykeham, Cllr. Mrs. Suzanne Sampson and Director of FCC Projects at Waste Recycling Group, Mr. John Plant.


Executive Member for Waste Services and Chairman of the Lincolnshire Waste Partnership, Cllr.Lewis Strange, said:

"This is a truly momentous occasion, symbolising the county’s move away from costly landfill sites as a way of getting rid of the waste that residents produce.

"We already have one of the top recycling levels in the county, well exceeding government targets, and I’d urge people to carry on recycling all they can. The EfW facility works hand in hand with our marvellous recycling efforts, as the electricity it produces means we recover something useful from the waste that can’t be recycled. We’re confident that Waste Recycling Group will construct a spectacular facility that residents will be proud of."

Mr. Paul Taylor, Chief Executive at Waste Recycling Group, commented:

"We are very proud to be playing our part in helping the people of Lincolnshire deal sustainably and effectively with the waste left over after recycling. Lincolnshire County Council have certainly put themselves at the forefront of good resource management in the UK and we are fully committed to delivering this ground-breaking facility for them."

Scunthorpe based Clugston Construction, who along with technology partner CNIM, have been chosen by WRG to build the new facility and are currently involved in site preparation works prior to the main construction commencing in early June. Clugston’s Managing Director, Steve Radcliffe, said: “We are delighted to be involved in this project which will enable us to draw on our local resources and knowledge”.

The contract between Lincolnshire County Council and Waste Recycling Group who are designing, building and operating the facility was signed on Friday, 4th March 2011. The construction phase started at the end of April.

The 150,000 tonne EfW facility will supply eleven megawatts of electricity to the National Grid. It also has the potential to supply heat to the local community - as existing EfW facilities do in Sheffield and Nottingham - and work is ongoing to explore similar opportunities here. The facility is expected to be up and running by the end of 2013.

Opening of 'Bishops' Fold' is Full of Local Flavour

Above: (From Left to Right) Cllr. Malcolm Leaning,
Cllr. Giles McNeill, Gerard Baker, Cllr. Mrs. Stephanie Rouse,
Cllr. Mrs. Susan Harland & Mr. Richard Beal.

Nettleham Parish Councillors were pleased to meet the chef, food writer and food historian to the Hairy Bikers for their recent BBC television series, whe he was invited by developer Beal Homes to prepare a Lincolnshire sampling menu for guests at the launch of Bishop’s Fold on North Street in Nettleham.

The developement of consists of fifteen three, four and five bedroom family homes in the historic village on the site of the old Poplar Farm. Each home is unique and compliments the style of existing properties in the surrounding area.

Bishop’s fold draws inspiration from the historic Old Bishop's Palace landmark and Nettleham’s unique history with each home being named after a Bishop of Lincoln spanning the past 400 years.

Lindum Rugby CLub 'Reasonably Confident' of Move to Village

Rugby Club remain 'reasonably confident' of moving to their new ground in Nettleham on time despite so far raising just a 10th of the cash required, report the Lincolnshire Echo today.


The Red & Greens are pressing ahead with plans to move from their existing base at The Lindum to the £1.4m facility, although the date has now been pushed back from January 2012 to the start of the 2012/13 season, which is likely to be September.

Funding for the switch comes from a variety of sources, including £100,000 from West Lindsey District Council's Leisure Capital Investment Fund.

But that funding is dependent on the club raising a significant amount of the overall total – around £500,000 – themselves.

Exclusive: Local Couple In Favour of the Rugby Club's Development

Local Couple speaks out in favour of Rugby Club Development
A Nettleham couple,has sent http://gilesmcneill.blogspot.com their views regarding the Lincoln Rugby Football Club's proposed development.

They say:

"As Secondary School PE teachers, we believe that any development that encourages children to get involved in physical activity and gives them another focus is to be welcomed. In this instance children from four years old to eighteen years old will be actively involved, and the nature of rugby itself promotes self discipline and respect which are admirable qualities."

In their communication they point out their veiw that the 'green belt' will in effect be kept green, with only one building and a relatively, proportionally small tarmaced area for parking. Secondly that there is already an established sports ground abutting the proposed development - namely Mulsanne Park. Thirdly they believe the Rugby Club will make the effort to engage the community and become part of it, whilst not imposing themselves.

The couple attended the residents meeting organised by Mr. Steven Perkins and the following were raised at the recent meeting, they respond that: Regarding increased traffic. Whilst the Rugby Club claim they will direct the traffic on to the A146 (and we do believe they will, as it is in their best interests), the fact is some traffic will go through Nettleham. In their opinion this will not impact greatly on the village. The two busiest times for the Rugby Club are Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, and should people decide to drive through Nettleham when there is a Church wedding or Service on then they will quickly realise there is already a bottleneck and the A158 would in fact be the easier option. Mention was also made of buses coming through the village – there already are school buses and others on a daily basis rather than once a week.

Secondly, regarding the potential for increased light and noise pollution. They believe that when put into context there seems little impact on the surrounds when taking into consideration the light and noise pollution that already exists from the traffic on the A158, the football pitches on Mulsanne Park and street lamps. Taking into account that the light pollution would only be there two nights a week.

Thirdly they mention that there were other complaints at the meeting which seemed rather frivolous, although we are sure no less important to the people involved, for example the impact on horseriding on the bridlepath and the effect the new development will have on those that overlook it; assuming they can see over the existing football pitches!.

"We do know that some residents of the village are concerned about the village ‘growing in size’ or becoming a ‘town’. Once the University decided to expand in Lincoln then expansion has become inevitable. The owner of the land in question is presumably willing/wanting to sell, therefore one must assume there will be a development of some sort in the future. Whether residents are willing or not, change may be on its way in the near future.

"...[W]e are wholeheartedly in support of the proposed development of Lincoln Rugby Club."

Exclusive: One Resident Against the Rugby Club's Development

Local Resident with Experience of Rugby Club Development Voices Her Concerns
A Nettleham resident, with experience of living near a szable rugby development, has sent http://gilesmcneill.blogspot.com her views regarding the Lincoln Rugby Football Club's proposed development.

She says:

"My views on the proposal reflect our years of experience of the Rugby Union development at Twickenham! Thank Goodness we have left all that behind and the chaos which ensued on match and pop concert days/evenings."

The points made can be summerized as an assumption that if development at Lodge Lane goes ahead, it will open the floodgates for evening events, helping to pay for the redevelopment (Subject to a licence being issued by the council for each performance - residents will not be consulted at all and many people will just have to put up with loud music whether they like it or not). Residents should not have to endure this inconvienience. The village that local residents are familiar with will change almost overnight.

Further she expresses concern over unsubstantiated rumours that the Rugby Club will not use all the land owned by the University; that a housing development is likely alongside the A158 following the Rugby Club development.

On match days when, visiting teams arrive, in coaches, with their supporters, it should not be forgotten that the fast food outlets will also pitch up in their vans. They will provide plenty of unwelcome aromas for hours from fish & chips, burgers, onions, hot dogs and so on and so forth. From her experience she states:

"I know that rugby players and supporters do not care for club housecatering and require a regular intake of fried food from mobile vans!"

A further disadvantage of mobile caterers is that they will produce, all be it indirectly, a serious litter problem; particularly in Lodge Lane and potentially beyond - no matter how many refuse bins are provided.

Noise and light pollution will carry for some distance.

Her final point is that traffic will increase drastically, she believes, throughout the village as not all cars will arrive from Lincoln via the A158. Some drivers from further afield will want to save petrol by using their Satnavs to access Lodge Lane via Scothern Road and Vicarage Lane, and also via Brookfield Avenue. They will return the same way as, even now, no-one now wants to queue to turn right for Lincoln from Lodge Lane. Lodge Lane she believes is an extremely dangerous T-junction and will require traffic lights, thus rendering delays to passengers driving towards the City from Sudbrooke, Wragby, Market Rasen and Skegness as well as villages east of Nettleham.

One suggestion that is made is:

"Why can't the Rugby pitches be built at the Showground? There's plenty of land there with few neighbours around to be disturbed!"

Video Blog 8 - Waterloo Housing Development

Video Blog 7 - February 2008

New blow to Lincolnshire’s housing market from new HIP fines and red tape

New Home Information Pack rules will hurt housing market

Giles McNeill, Prospective County Council Candidate for the Nettleham & Saxilby Division, expressed concern today at the announcement by the Government that Home Information Pack regulations will be tightened, pushing up the costs for Lincolnshire’s residents trying to sell their home. This will include forcing town halls to become more aggressive in issuing fines for breaching the burdensome rules. Home Information Packs became compulsory for all homes one year ago on 14 December.

Government research into Home Information Packs has recently found that there is minimal public knowledge and interest in HIPs; that the industry thinks they are a waste of time; that they duplicate costs and that buyers are not bothering to consult HIPs. Yet the Government has announced the following changes:

• Heavy-handed fines: Town halls will be instructed to “identify specific cases of non-compliance and enforce the requirements”. This raises the prospect that Lincolnshire County Council will be forced to start fining home owners £200 a time who do not follow the rules.

• Making it more difficult to advertise your home: From April 2009, the Government is cancelling the “first day marketing” provisions. These allow sellers to place their home on the market if a HIP has been ordered, but has not yet been completed. The cancellation will be mean that sellers will have to wait longer before they can put their home on the market. They will be fined if they advertise their property without a HIP.

• Gold-plating the Packs: The time to complete a Pack will increase, as sellers must personally fill out a detailed new ‘Property Information Questionnaire’ as part of the Home Information Pack. Yet this will be of little interest to buyers, who will instinctively treat information provided by the seller with a touch of scepticism.

Giles said:

“Home Information Packs have already harmed the market and discouraged sellers. The last thing Lincolnshire needs is the prospect of heavy-handed fines being levied by town hall officials.

“The housing market is on its knees and Labour’s response is to make it more difficult and expensive to sell your home.

“Conservatives will scrap Home Information Packs. If anything, Ministers should be using their emergency powers to suspend HIPs and provide a shot in the arm to Lincolnshire’s ailing market.”

‘March of the quangos’ will silence voice of local people warns Giles McNeill

Yet more planning powers taken from councils and given to unelected bodies

Giles McNeill, Nettleham Parish Councillor, today expressed his concern about a raft of new laws before Parliament which will take away power from local people across West Lindsey on planning issues, and impose a host of unelected planning quangos on them. The upshot could be unsustainable development, overriding local opinion and harming the local environment.

Gordon Brown’s new quangos include:

· The new unelected Homes & Communities Agency, with powers to seize land, enter private property and act as its own planning authority.
· The new Infrastructure Planning Commission, which will take complete control of planning permissions for large developments like airports, power stations, motorways, sewage plants and hazardous landfill sites: the types of development which rightly concern local people so much.
· And unelected Regional Development Agencies which (outside London) will adopt all the powers of the unelected Regional Assemblies, but with no local councillor involvement.

Ministers have confirmed in recent answers to Parliamentary Questions that local councils and elected MPs will have absolutely no say on the appointments of any of these quangocrats. This is despite Gordon Brown’s pledge last May to stop politics becoming a ‘spectator sport’ and build trust in democracy.

Giles McNeill said:

“After ten years of Labour, the number of people who own their home is now falling for the first time. Labour’s planning laws and Whitehall targets have clogged up the planning system, and weakened the say of local residents. Ever higher stamp duty and soaring council tax bills have made it so difficult for people in West Lindsey to get a foot on the first rung of the housing ladder.

“Gordon Brown is now showing his true control freak instincts with an army of new quangos on the march. The planning system needs reform, but the voice of local communities must be loud and clear. Conservatives will stand up for residents in West Lindsey and protect local democracy.”

Truelove Construction's vision of the villages' future

Nettleham Parish Council convened at the Sports Pavillion to discuss proposals for the removal of debris in the beck near the Watermill Ford and to recieve a presentation from Truelove Construction.

The plans envisage sustainable development for the village until the middle of the 2040s. The proposals included an extensive network of path and woodland development around the village, a new medical practice, a new community centre, a purpose build development close to the new medical practice for the elderly and gradual development of between 300-450 including affordable housing for the young.

Plans are currently in a particularly early stage, but the Parish Council agreed to consult further with Truelove Construction and then more widely with residents.

The East Midlands Regional Assembly will soon make their recommendations regarding housing need in our area and the regional planning policy suggests that West Lindsey will be expected to find land for 552 dwellings per year.

Further information is needed, further consultation is needed, Further consideration of the impact is needed and we will need to be clear about the terms of such delevopment if the council preceeds further.

Giles McNeill said:
"We have been presented a rare opportunity here to direct the course of development in our village to the middle of the century, but we must be clear about what we are entering into should we ultimately decide to give backing to these proposals. I am concerned that such a development may increase flood risk and so appropriate measures would need to be in place. I welcome these proposals and look forward to recieving a more complete and detailed proposal in the future."

Click on the image left to enlarge. The picture shows the Truelove proposal.

KEY

Blue: Housing
Green: Elderly Residents Village
Light Gray: Community Centre
Dark Gray: Medical Centre