Air Quality Action Plan for Botley

At the full council meeting on Feb 2014, I tabled this motion, (seconded by Cllr Catherine Webber of Marcham):

Council resolves to fulfil its legal responsibility to create Air Quality Action Plans for Botley and for Marcham.

We ran out of time at that meeting, so the motion was carried forward to the next one, on 14 May 14, where I had this to say:

Botley AQMA was created in 2008.

In 2009, the official report said nitrogen oxide levels needed to be reduced by 40%. The plan was to hope that improved emissions control in new vehicles would bring air pollution to acceptable levels by 2014.

In April 2012, the Air Quality Updating & Assessment report concluded an AQMA plan was required. (It was clear at that point that hope as a strategy wasn’t enough.)

In May 2012, I asked, ‘With planned growth comes increased cars, street deterioration and air pollution. Botley is an AQMA. How will the Vale manage the impact of more development on air quality?’ I had no reply.

In July 2013, I asked the Cabinet member for Environmental Health to report on the efficacy of the Action Plan and where the public could see it. There was no plan, but the Cabinet member said he had asked officers to create one for the Oct 2013 Cabinet briefing.

In Sep 2013, I was sent a DEFRA report that said the AQAP for Botley was in draft form and would shortly go for consultation.

In late October 2013, I again asked in full council meeting how the Vale would mitigate against the anticipated air pollution brought about by the major new shopping centre where Elms Parade and West Way now stand. The Cabinet member said he would reply in writing, but I never got anything.

Here it is February May 2014, and I don’t see an Action Plan – nothing on the Vale website, nothing in my inbox.

We’re legally required to create this Air Quality Action Plan. We also have a moral responsibility to the people who live and work in Botley. Please support the motion.

This motion passed, and the Cabinet member for Environmental Health has said he’s trying his best to get it done.

Since then, officers have published an AQAP for South Oxfordshire, and I hear one for the Vale is due soon. It covers all the bad air areas in the Vale, and will be open for consultation as soon as it’s published. Any day now, I’m sure. Really.

Planning Update meeting 6 Jun 14

On Friday 6 June I had my periodic update from the planning officer who manages the West Way application, Stuart Walker. Here are the main points:

  • Last week had the Design Review Panel, a West Way Community Concern update meeting with Planning officers, and the Environmental Statement consultation began.
  • Planning team apologises for the computer glitch that sent out some letters with a two week consultation deadline, instead of the agreed three weeks.
  • The online versions of the Environmental Statement is about to be resized to allow all appendices to be read. (It’s all just too big!)
  • Over the next month Stuart and his team will be reviewing all the letters of objection to begin the investigation into points raised.
  • If Doric submit any amendments, there will be another consultation period.
  • Planning Officers are actively seeking a venue to be used for the Planning Committee meeting that considers this application.
  • At that planning committee meeting, there will be 20 minute slots: 1 for objectors, 1 for supporters, 1 for the parish council.
  • I’ll ask the Chairman of the planning committee, Cllr Robert Sharp, about allowing local members to speak outside those slots, so that our time doesn’t use up others’ time. For example, if I object, I don’t want to eat away at the 20 minutes WWCC has!

That’s what I learned.

West Way Design Review Panel meeting

A panel of consultant architects met on 3 June at Botley Baptist Church to review the West Way designs.

There were 5 on the panel: four architects and one who was taking copious notes from which the report will be generated in a couple of weeks. This wasn’t a public meeting, but rather a part of the professional consultations the Vale Planning Department holds for major applications. The Vale invited me to attend as an observer. (It was SUCH a challenge at times for me to be silent.)

All in all, I counted 28 people in attendance. I had thought no one from Doric was there (it was all Mace, plus consultants who had worked on the designs for Doric). But I’m informed Mr Fasier of Doric arrived late and was somewhere behind me, so I didn’t see him. Actually, I may have seen him, but I wouldn’t know him; I’ve never met him that I know of, and he’s not exactly been visible in the neighbourhood.

Anyway.

In the morning they took a tour of the site. In the afternoon, we saw Mace’s presentation, and the panel asked questions.

Here’s a sample:

– Why student housing?

– What does the community feel about this proposal?

– Isn’t this more of an urban design planned for this suburban area?

– What about the experience of residents of Arthray Road? How can you help to make this less of a bad experience for them?

– It’s hard to understand what’s the front and what’s the back.

– panel members thought the parts that show on the street front (I can’t recall the jargon, but it was pervasive) were too varied, too messy and not showing enough distinctive character. They thought this plan could be plunked down anywhere, and they asked made it distinct to Botley.

– Concern about the big tower at the corner of Westminster Way and West Way, which implies an entrance, but there isn’t one.

– Concern about the one community building with three uses: church, community hall and residences.

– Isn’t ‘the box’ too big for the site (referring to the size of the food store building)?

– I assume you have a food operator in place? (Answer from Mace: Yes. I was surprised, since we’d heard from a senior Vale officer that there was as yet no commitment but late stage talks ongoing.)

I spoke with Stuart Walker at the coffee break, and he asked me what I thought of the process so far. I said I was very impressed with how the panel members seemed to understand the key issues; they were very sharp. They are experienced enough to know when they are getting hype instead of facts too.

You can see the artists’ sketches on Dorics website: http://www.doricproperties.com/botley/. On the day they had a fly-through presentation I hadn’t seen before. I’d like them to put it up on their website.

I’m watching out for the report — I think it will be interesting. Doric/Mace took much of the panel’s comments on board, and I bet we will see some changes.

 

Doric File Environmental Statement for West Way Plans

On Tuesday, 3 June 2014, Doric filed their long-awaited Environmental Statement with the Vale Planning Department.

The statutory consultation runs for three weeks, or until the 24th of June. Any comments received by that date are sure to be considered. You can still comment after that date, but as time goes on and the planning officers reports get more complete, the weight of comments’ influence diminishes.

So, get them in by the 24th of June. If you can’t make that deadline, get them in as soon after the 24th as possible.

You can see the HUGE Environmental Statement (including a Non-Technical Summary) and register your Comments on the Vale website here: http://www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/java/support/Main.jsp?MODULE=ApplicationDetails&REF=P13/V2733/FUL

The docs are in the folder called 2014-06-03 Environmental Impact Assessment.

To file your comment, click on the Orange button Comment Now.

Or, you can see a printed copy at the Botley Library or the West Way Community Concern Shop in Elms Parade.

 

Compulsory Purchase Orders – West Way

At the public session of the Vale Scrutiny Committee meeting of 21 Nov 2013, we were told:

The vicarage and Field House are not proposed as part of the development by the council, they were put forward by Doric, the developer. They are not subject to compulsory purchase and it will be up to each land owner if they wish to sell.

On 2 May 2014, I had a meeting with the Vale CEO David Buckle about the West Way land sale and how it was progressing. We spoke of this Scrutiny minute, which I had previously brought to his attention. He told me that he conferred with other officers and they determined the Scrutiny minutes were wrong. I remonstrated for a bit and he essentially shrugged and apologised and reiterated that the minutes were wrong. I said clearly the minutes were unchallenged so everyone remembered this was said. He said that it wasn’t known who said that, but whoever did say it was mistaken.

This contradiction between the Scrutiny and reality was what prompted the formal CPO statement to be drafted and publicly published. (You can see what they Vale says about it on Dropbox, here.) Several of you have seen it on the Vale website and written to me about it.

I learned a few things.

  • The Vale officers believe it’s all about money and that if enough money is offered all landowners will sell. Apparently if it goes to CPO, the price offered is “fair value” and not as much as if one were to sell earlier.
  • Here was the message from the top man: this is a Cabinet decision, made by those elected and appointed to Cabinet. He, and his staff, are employed to carry out Cabinet decisions. It is a political issue. The way to correct this is at the polls in May next year.

What burns me up is that these people in Cabinet making decisions that affect us in Botley, weren’t voted into office by us. None of them live here. None of them have a stake of any kind in this community.

Let me repeat: this is a political issue. It’s not me that’s making it a political issue. The decision was taken by the political party with a majority, without consideration at all for those of us who live here. Since more Tories were elected in the Vale than Lib Dems, Tories decide what happens. They’ve sold off Tilsley Park in Sunningwell. They’ve rented out the Vale offices in Abbey House to tenants, forcing Vale officers to now be located in Crowmarsh. They’re about to sell off Old Abbey House in Abingdon. All of these things were done without consultation or community assent. But the first thing they did when they took power was to decide to go along with Doric and their plans to flatten all of the Botley shops and more.

We really need the planning officers to refuse this or demand radical changes.

I am maximally frustrated.

 

Three important things

I’ve been ill, and I’m sorry for radio silence recently.

Two important things for people who check out my blog. OK, three important things.

First, the deadline for submitting your objections or reasons for support to the Vale about Doric’s plans is the 27th of March. You can see what others have said on the Vale planning website here.

Second, there are two recent planning applications to demolish single family homes in order to erect a block of flats. Little Dene in Yarnells Hill, and 2 Lime Road + 50 Laburnum Road.

We are vulnerable here in North Hinksey because of the lack of a Local Plan (due to Vale delays) and also a lack of a Neighbourhood Plan (due to Parish Council delays).

Want things to change? There is to be a by-election for three vacant seats on the North Hinksey Parish Council. Deadline to get your name on the ballot is 26 Mar. Contact me for more info. Or contact the parish clerk.

NPPF and Saved Policies inform planning decisions

When the planning officer considers the Doric planning application for West Way, he will use two policy documents in his considerations.

The National Planning Policy Framework (commonly called ‘NPPF‘) is considered in its entirety. (It’s only 47 pages long, so not too onerous.)

The policies that have been saved from the old Local Plan 2011 (commonly called ‘Saved Policies‘) carry weight too.

And that’s all. We currently have no Local Plan in the Vale. And we have no Neighbourhood Plan in North Hinksey Parish either. Only the two documents above  inform planning decision-making in Botley.

You can read or download the NPPF from the Communities and Local Government site here.

You can read or download the old Local Plan 2011 from the Vale website here.

You can read or download a list of Saved Policies from the Vale website here. (See the list of policies that begins on page 4.) You’ll have to cross reference them yourself to the Local Plan 2011.)

 

Planning Committee meeting in Botley?

A question was put to the Vale planners: “Can we hold the eventual meeting of the planning committee that will decide about this apllication in Botley so local people can more easily attend?”

Stuart Walker said that the request is noted, but it’s too soon now to determine that. That committee meeting is months away. Once the date is clearer, planning officers will seek to find a venue large enough to hold the expected number of attendees.