Minister's Decision
|
1 Jul
2010 | Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has overridden the advice of his Planning Inspector Phil Grainger and REFUSED the appeal by Kensington for permission to build the 1,150 properties
on Queensway. You can see the full story in the documents released today, we've provided them in downloadable pdf format
1. Planning Inspector's report
2. Ministerial decision |
|
Minister's Decision Delayed
|
| 25 Mar 2010 | The Secretary of State has delayed his decision until 30th June. It was due to have been 9th April. The reason given is that he wants to undertake an 'Appropriate Assessment' of
his own in conjunction with English Nature. Those who asked to be notified of the decision will have been told of the timetable variation. If you need more information please email us. (address at foot of page) |
|
INQUIRY CONCLUDES
|
| 4 Dec 2009 | The Inquiry closed today. The broad feeling amongst many after the two weeks of debate was that Kensington's scheme as proposed is too big, and a smaller scheme might have
been more acceptable. There was also thought to be significant concern about the 'bird control plan' agreed between RSPB, Natural England, and Blackpool Airport. The Inspector described it as 'very complicated" adding that when things were that
complicated they usually didn't work. We found an independent website that gave a day-by-day account of the Inquiry here. The inspector's report is due in the third week in
January, and the Minister's decision due on 9th April. |
|
INQUIRY NEXT TUESDAY
|
|
19 Nov 2009 |
The 50 plus documents for the Inquiry are now available online. Please follow this link to see a list. They are all described as Appeal Documents. Those prefixed QED are ones we have prepared, Those
prefixed KPT are from Kensington's witnesses. It does not appear that the evidence from the Council has been made available electronically. The inquiry starts with opening statements followed by a public platform session where anyone can have
their say at: 10:00am 24 November
The Bedford Hotel
Clifton Drive South
St Annes
|
|
INQUIRY DRAWS NEAR
|
|
12 Nov 2009 |
Proofs of evidence have been submitted and exchanged and we are now studying the case made by Kensington and the witnesses they will call at the Inquiry, in order to prepare our case. Following the closure of Pleasure Island, the Venue for the Inquiry has changed. It will
now be held at:
10:00am 24 November
The Bedford Hotel
Clifton Drive South
St Annes
See our Press Statement about the meeting. (pdf) |
|
KENSINGTON ISSUE YET MORE NEW DATA
|
|
12 Oct 2009 |
With only two weeks to go to the deadline when proofs of evidence have to be submitted, Kensington have today published yet another supplementary report to their transport assessment and an appendix to it which, together, add a
further two and a half inches of documentation to be studied. QED believes this information is unacceptably late in the process, and we have made representations to the planning inspectorate on this matter. We believe the inquiry should be
delayed to allow all parties and consultees time to digest the changes that this new documentation has made. We also believe that because it changes the Environmental Statement, A further notice and 21 day consultation period ought to apply. |
|
PRE-INQUIRY MEETING NOTES PUBLISHED
|
|
30 Sep 2009 |
The Planning Inspector's notes form the pre-inquiry meeting of 15th September were published today. They introduce the parties and set out the administrative procedures that will run the inquiry. Follow this link for
a copy in PDF format. Between now and the inquiry starting on 24th November QED will be preparing the highly technical proofs of the evidence we will give to the Inspector to show why
Kensington's appeal should not be allowed.
We are also collecting names of people that might want to speak up on day 1 of the inquiry. If you would like to speak, please email us and we will explain how it all works. |
|
KENSINGTON ISSUE NEW DATA
|
|
17 Sep 2009 |
In response to our call at the Pre Inquiry Meeting yesterday, Kensington have published a notice in the Lytham St Anne's Express to say they have updated the Environmental (Section 9) and Transport (Section 7) parts
of the Environmental Statement they are legally required to produce. The revisions fill the equivalent of three lever-arch files
We have some reservations about whether they are allowed to change the environmental statement after submitting the appeal, but having highlighted this matter at the pre inquiry meeting, we must leave that decision to the inspector to
determine.
Any interested party has 21 days to view and comment on the revised Environmental Statement. The printed form can be seen at FBC offices (or we can make copies available for viewing) and we believe they will shortly be online from the Council's
website (although they are not published there at the present moment). If anyone wished to comment, they should do so to the Planning Inspectorate in Bristol who are conducting the inquiry. |
|
Pre Inquiry Meeting Report
|
|
16 Sep 2009 |
The Pre-Inquiry Meeting to prepare for the Inquiry was held yesterday (15th). The inspector is Mr P Grainger, and the meeting's purpose was not to discuss the merits of the application, but to set the administrative arrangements
for its examination. Appearing for Kensington was Roger Lancaster who said he would be calling 5 or 6 witnesses to give evidence on planning matters, the link road, nature conservation, landscape, and affordable housing.
Appearing for the Council was Ian Ponter whose witnesses would be Mark Evans (FBC Planning) Neil Stevens (LCC Highways) and Dr Sarah Manchester (LCC Ecologist)
QED has been granted Rule 6 Status and will appear as of right alongside the main parties. It will be calling witnesses to address: planning (2 witnesses), biodiversity and ecology, agricultural land and soil, character and appearance,
commercial impacts and airport issues.
Dr Tim Melling of the RSPB also attended the meeting and asked for Rule 6 Status for the RSPB
The inspector noted a large number of objections from the public and that much of this involved concern about flooding and he asked that a further report on flooding be provided because he would have questions about it. He also expressed
concern that someone from the airport should attend the inquiry to give evidence. The inquiry proper will begin on Tues 24 November and last for 8 or 9 days until early December. (10 am to around 5pm). He plans to open the meeting on 24th and hear the opening statements, and then to allow any member of the public time to make comments and observations on the plan.
(This is a change from normal - public comments are usually on the last day) QED asked the Inspector to formally note their concern that the Environmental Impact Assessment was defective. The also asked for the inspector's guidance about
voluminous revisions to Kensington's Environmental Statement delivered the day before the inquiry started, especially about whether the ES could lawfully be amended once an appeal had been made, and whether the new and revised data should be
advertised and consulted on. QED argued more time was needed to properly study the documents and that the timetable for the hearing should be revised. The Inspector declined to comment at that time but noted the matter. Kensington accepted the
need to advertise and consult on the revisions but did not want the timetable altering. It is likely there will be further news on this matter. QED also raised a question about Kensington's legal status to make the appeal. The documentation had
all emanated from "The Kensington PT Partnership" but no such company was registered at Companies House. A company called "The Kensington Property Trading Partnership" had been registered in the Isle of Man, but this appeared to have
ceased to exist before the appeal was made. There was therefore some doubt as to whether the appellant had any legal status to bring the appeal and whether for example, if costs were to be awarded against them, they could be required to pay them
if they did not exist. Mr Lancaster (for Kensington) undertook to look into the matter and advise further. |
|
Pre Inquiry Meeting Fixed
|
|
27 Aug 2009 |
The Pre-Inquiry Meeting to prepare for the Inquiry will be held on 15 September at the United Reformed Church Hall on St George's Road. The purpose of this meeting is mostly administrative and usually includes: Introductions,
Who’s who, The Inspector's team, the Inquiry manager, the main participants.
Scope of the Inquiry Applications and draft orders to be considered and procedural rules
Inquiry Programme Inquiry start date and basic format, Inquiry days and times, duration
Documents and Evidence Arrangements for Statements of Common Ground, Core Documents, Proofs of Evidence, Conditions, S106 Agreements and Unilateral Undertakings
Pre-Inquiry Programme Establishing the programme and any visits that may be needed by the Inspector
Administrative Matters: Inquiry venue and facilities, Inquiry web site(s), Document numbering and indexing
We understand this meeting is open to the public, so if you want to attend and listen to the proceedings you are welcome to do so. |
|
FYLDE Refuse Planning Permission
|
|
17 Aug 2009 |
Fylde Council's Development Control Committee today decided that, based on the application and the information available to them, they would have refused planning permission for the application.
This means they will now contest the appeal brought by Kensington to be heard at the public inquiry in November.
If you haven't already written, and want to make your views know to the inspector PLEASE DO SO NOW. Follow this link for more details of how to object |
|
FYLDE COUNCIL to DEBATE QUEENSWAY
|
|
4 Aug 2009 |
Fylde Council's Development Control Committee will debate the plans at 10 am on Monday 17th August at Lowther Pavilion. Broadly they will discuss and decide whether to contest Kensington's appeal, and if so, on what topics, and to what
extent. QED will have people speaking there too. The good news is that Fylde's planning officers have said that if they were asked to make a decision at this time, based on the application and the information available to them, they would
recommend refusal of the application. We hope the Committee will agree and contest the appeal with vigour.
You can go along and hear what your councillors have to say. The more people that turn up to listen the better, so please go if you can. It will take about an hour or two of your time.
You can also go along to the meeting and have three minutes to speak to the committee and tell them what you think of Kensington's plans. The more people that do this the more chance there is of them deciding to contest the appeal. To speak at the
meeting you MUST register with Fylde Council in advance. It's not complicated, they just need your contact details and a brief outline of the issues you want to speak on. To
register to speak to the Committee please follow this link. If you can't get to the meeting, you could ring or email your Councillor and ask them to make the points on your behalf. Please click here for the Councillors
Contact Details |
|
SUBMISSION OF FURTHER OBJECTIONS
|
|
29 Jul 2009 |
The case is now open to receive new or further objections. Although any original correspondence with Fylde will be passed to the Planning Inspector, QED expect that extra comments supplied during this 'further comments' stage will be highly
valuable. We would encourage everyone to send further objections into the Planning Inspector as soon as possible and certainly before the end of August. Even if you didn't send a letter of objection to Fylde, you can now do so to the Planning
Inspector. How to send an objection |
|
Case Reference Allocated
|
|
21 Jul 2009 |
A case reference and the inquiry timetable allocated by the Planning Inspectorate. the Case reference for written correspondence is APP/M2325/A/09/2103453/NWF or you can follow this link to
view and comment on the case on the internet
| ACTION |
TIMETABLE |
| Start date |
21 July 2009 |
| Submission of questionnaire |
4 August 2009 |
| Deadline for comments from interested parties |
1 September 2009 |
Submission of statements of case and
statement of common ground |
1 September 2009 |
| Pre-inquiry meeting |
15 September 2009 10:00am United Reformed Church Hall St George's Road. |
| Submission of proofs of evidence |
27 October 2009 |
| Inquiry |
24 November 2009 |
| Report submitted to Secretary of State (provisional) |
29 January 2010 |
| Decision issued |
TBA |
|
|
qed Accorded 'RULE 6' STATUS
|
|
28 May 2009 |
QED granted 'Rule 6' Status. This means we will be a formal party to the inquiry, alongside Kensington and Fylde Council, able to submit evidence and cross examine witnesses. |
|
KENSINGTON APPEAL
|
|
6 May 2009 |
After weeks of painstaking work in the background by
QED, Kensington have finally lost patience with Fylde and have launched an appeal to Government to appoint an Inspector to decide their application because Fylde Council didn't make a decision within the time allowed. Up to now Kensington has
been happy to take longer and work with Fylde to jointly find work-arounds for the objections that we and other people have raised.
This final straw seems to have been when English Nature expressed concern and asked for more information about the species and the links that they have to the Ribble and Alt Estuary - an internationally protected bird habitat
This means an inquiry will be held. At present we don't know when, or the format (eg written representations or in public) or the scope, we only know it is happening after Kensington let slip they had appealed in evidence they gave to the
Hollywood Nurseries Inquiry. More information when we have it |
|
talk: The History of Lytham Moss - 25 Feb
|
|
25 Feb 2009 |
QED get-together evening and talk by independent local historian and author Peter Shakeshaft "The History of Lytham Moss." A report of this talk and the QED update news is now available (click here) |
|
CONSULTATION RESPONSES STILL ARRIVING
|
|
26 Jan 2009 |
New consultation responses added. 4NW, LCC (x2), LSA Civic Society (more) |
|
Councillors details added to website.
|
22 Jan
2009 |
You can follow this link to contact your Councillor or the Development Control Committee |
|
Formal OBJECTIONS period closed.
|
7 Jan
2008 |
Although the formal consultation period has closed, you can still send in a letter of objection (more). |
|
PERIOD FOR OBJECTIONS IS EXTENDED AGAIN.
|
18 Dec
2008 |
FBC has again extended the deadline for objections to 7th January 2009. Please object if you can. |
|
QED's Objection is published
|
15 Dec
2008 |
QED submits its own comprehensive, 35 page objection to the plan. Phase 1 of the our campaign is now successfully completed. Phase 2 will begin shortly. Don't forget to
register for news. |
|
St Anne's Town Council object to plan
|
14 Dec
2008 |
The Saint Anne's on the Sea Town Council planning group has decided to object to the Queensway applications. Follow this link for a full report of the meeting. (pdf file) |
|
St Anne's Town Council To consider plan
|
Dec
2008 |
The Saint Anne's on the Sea Town Council is a statutory consultee for all planning applications in St Anne's. They make a formal recommendation to Fylde Borough Council and will consider the Kensington planning application for 1,150 houses: Wednesday 10th December at 2:30pm
St Margaret's Church Community Centre
St Leonard's Road West
St Anne's
We urge all our supporters to attend the meeting and hear the Town Council debate what is probably the most important planning application in St Anne's for a long time.. |
|
FLOOD RISK IS REAL
|
1 Dec
2008 |
The Environment Agency's second letter of objection says the reason for the need to attenuate surface water run off to the rate at which it would occur naturally is... "To reduce the increased risk of flooding"
It therefore appears that the EA understand there is an increased risk of flooding as a result of this development, and that the run-off strategy will only reduce, not ELIMINATE the increased flood risk. |
|
MISSING LETTER FROM FBC?
|
25 Nov
2008 |
We're getting reports of letters that FBC should have sent to houses along Heyhouses Lane not arriving. When one householder checked with the Council she was told "the Post Office had returned a lot of letters to the Council" When
pressed further the best explanation seemed to be that the council "didn't know everyone's postcode" If you live at any of the following and have not had a letter about the application from the Council, we'd like to hear from you.... |
|
|
Wildings Lane 1 & 2 |
|
|
Tudor Gate 1-4 |
|
|
The Croft 1-10 |
|
|
Heyhouses Lane 1-12, 14, 15, 17, 19, 20, 21, 23 -38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 53, 54, 56, 59, 62-65, 67, 69, 70, 71, 73, 75, 81, 83, 85, 87, 89, 91, 93, 95, 97, 99, 101,103, 105, 111, 113, 115, 91a |
|
|
Mellings Wood 1-24 |
|
|
Queensway Court 1-25 |
|
|
Heyhouses Court 1-31 |
|
|
Kilnhouse Lane 191, 193, 195, 197, 199 |
|
|
St Anne's Road East 208 |
|
|
Governor Court 1-12 |
|
|
Portland Court 1-12 |
|
|
Queensway Hotel |
|
|
Mellings Lane 7, 9 |
|
|
Fylde Scouts Association, |
|
|
Whiteside Buildings |
|
|
Queensway Park Farm, |
|
|
Wildings Lane 3-17, |
|
|
Thornton Avenue 1-8 |
|
OBJECTIONS START TO ARRIVE
|
12 Nov
2008 |
The objections are now starting to arrive. Letters are arriving from individuals - all the ones we have seen so far oppose the scheme and ask for it to be refused. We understand some have been sent in support of the moss road (which is not part of
this planning application).
Replies are also starting to arrive from organisations that FBC consulted about the plan. So far none has recommended approval, and some heavyweights are recommending refusal. Follow this link for more details of the
objections. |
|
CONSULTATION PERIOD EXTENDED
|
16 Nov
2008 |
For those making detailed technical objections there is a huge amount of data to consider we thought the original closure date of 24th November was too short a timescale, so QED and others asked that the time for consultation be extended. FBC has
agreed to extend the consultation period to 19th December |
|
Latest masterplans
|
29 Oct
2008 |
Two versions: Master plan and Structure plan. See "Amended Plans
29/10/2008" but remember - these pictures are only illustrations. The submission is actually an outline application - which means a decision in principle whether some sort of development should be allowed and the change of use from
farmland to residential. It also covers the means of access to the site, BUT NO OTHER DETAILS. The plans submitted are continually changing and none of the pictures of what it COULD look like need be what it WILL look like. |
|
Air Quality report
|
26 Oct
2008 |
This is being studied at present and further information will follow. |
|
The Road
|
10 Oct
2008 |
A very short section of new road at the extreme southern end of the road (to cut out the dog-leg) near Moss Hall Lane is going ahead via compulsory purchase. (See Southern Section CPO).This short
piece will be built by the County Council, but Kensington are in a bit of trouble with the rest of the roads planned for this site. For more details see Planning App. Docs for Kensington's letter and map of 30th September.
Briefly, the planning permission to build the new road across
the moss has expired, and before the County Council can compulsorily purchase land for a road, a planning permission to build it has to be in place.
The County Council won't pay the cost of renewing this permission - and the associated environmental impact
assessment which is also required - so they have said Kensington must pay.
Kensington are now saying they would pay, but not until Fylde Council have granted them planning permission for the houses they want to build!
Parts of the land are still owned by the Oyston family (and others), and Kensington have not been able to agree terms to acquire this land, so everything is now log-jammed.
We think it could be up to 8 years before the road across the moss is built - if it is built at all.
Kensington say the moss road isn't going to be built until the 700th house they provide is occupied. If FBC grant planning permission - which we think is doubtful anyway - at Kensington's stated aim of 175 houses a year, that will be four years before anything happens.
And that was before the credit crunch. |
|
Sustainability
|
Oct
2008 |
A sustainability appraisal has been lodged. This is currently in review with QED's experts and more information will follow. First glance suggests it looks to have been written as advertising copy for building houses. |
|
Deer park
|
Oct
2008 |
The Deer park is no more. It will become a 'country park'
More detail will be published on this as we get it |
|
Housing
|
Oct
2008 |
The latest plans for the housing layout seem to show the area with a much more dense housing layout than was given at Kensington's exhibition.
 |
 |
| Exhibition layout (2007) |
Latest layout plan (Oct 2008) |
Gone are the spacious green areas within the houses. The inter-estate road layout has changed, and Kensington want to open discussions with FBC about the number of "affordable houses" they have to provide.
In essence, all developers are now required to build what most of us would know as Council Houses. Properties usually rented to people who have difficulty raising the capital for buying outright.
These days such houses are provider by "Registered Social Landlords" (RSL's) like New Fylde Housing Association.
Developers are required to sell a proportion of the property they build to RSL's at a discount from the market rate, so the RSL's can rent them to appropriate tenants.
Fylde used to require developers to provide 60% of all houses as "Affordable." This year they reduced that to 30%, and Kensington first said they could only provide 23% (because of the cost of the road and other 'community benefits'). They have
now whittled that down to 22.5% and are about to enter into discussions with FBC - presumably to reduce this further in view of what they call "catastrophic trading conditions" |
| |
|
