26/04/2008

We will be putting for forward a candidate to represent Hopwood in the forthcoming election. A resident from Hopwood to actually represent Hopwood...!!! We are also building a website hopwood online see http://www.hopwoodonline.co.uk/ 

There are lots of rumours runnings around about the site such as no build for 2 years...... who will be getting the houses...... how much of it is marshland..... But unfortunately our Councillor, Mr. Hollingsworth refuses to actually tell us the truth and Mike Brown refuses to meet us still... If the aim is to build a relationship with th residents of hopwood this must be some new method I've never heard of... Ignore and avoid..!!

In Brosmgrove Mike Brown asked what the need was for and found that most people wanted part ownership. He didn't bother asking Hopwood. There is a need for affordable part ownership housing in the area but there is NO need for social housing as we have no ammenities to support people who may find it difficult to access the nearest shops in Alvechurch (2 miles away) or the schools or the doctors.

We have heard that land next to the school has been purchased for housing development. This is excellent news as that is where it is needed, but we can not find out officially what is happening as we have now even been excluded from the parish meetings we were originally invited to.

30/03/08

Well it seems that although Mike Brown was quoted in te newspaper and on the BDHT website as saying he would meet with local residents soon it appears that soon is only 'as soon' as he feels like it...! We have asked and he has refused; the newspaper asked and he refused... The article in the paper about the development in Bromsgrove stated that the interest had been for part ownership; why didn't he do te same in Hopwood if the 'affordable houses' are intended to help families got on the ladder..? Why do BDHT and BDC want to dump 20 social houses (council houses) in an unsustainable area with little or no ammenities? Why not 10 part ownership? why will they not discuss it? Is it because to keep getting grants for millions of pounds they need to keep aquiring land and applying for planning permission? what is the need, houses or grants?

KEEP ASKING - DON'T LET UP - OR THEY'LL BE BUILT BEFORE YOU KNOW IT

9/02/2008

Well I guess you have all seen this weeks paper... We attempted to get a feature to highlight what was happening and the reporter misquoted.! He asured me he would correct that.... There is anticle about Redditch joining up with Bromsgrove as one large conurbation (housing estate) and an idiot who thinks its sensible to say he gloats in the fact that he got a FREE house on an exclusive estate.

There have also been articles in the Village magazine and the Daily Mail talking about Quango's forcing through planning etc and one on the BBC. if you want a link to the websites let me know mark.peters@balancedapproach.co.uk

KEEP FIGHTING -- KEEP WRITING

23/11/07

We have sent an offical complaint to Bromsgrove District Council's Chief executive KEVIN DICKS plus Julie Kirkbride in the hope that something can still be done to reduce this to an acceptable development at the bottom of Smedley Crooke Place.  Please all keep writing to the papres, the Council, your MP, 1st Secretary of State, CPRE, National Trust and anyone else you can think of.

21/11/07

It seems nobody in power cares that a pack of lies have been told and true facts and figures ignored. It seems the feelings of the community do not matter. Not even our secretary of state is interested enough to get involved. Brsomgrove District Council and Bromsgrove District Housing Trust have managed to force through this 20 house over-development even against the STRONGEST recommendations of Dale Birth, their planning officer. Do Cls Hollingsworth and Mike Brown not care they will cause a rift in the community, setting the existing residents against any new ones? They will not even tell us the allocation which will clearly not ever been Hopwood residents or family. This is surely an infringement of YOUR HUMAN RIGHTS to the life and community we have all worked so hard for.....

18/10/7

Did you see the lies pretending to be an article in the Bromsgrove advertiser? It looked like a feature article published by the Newspaper and supported by Bromsgrove Council. In fact tis was a PAID FOR ADVERT full of lies and distortions and was definately NOT supported or endorsed by the Council. Everyone should contact the Council planning and chief executive, the newspaper and Julie Kirkbride to complain. Maybe even complain to the Chairman of BDHT. If you cna't find their contact details just CONTACT US. or look on the WHO TO CONTACT page

13/9/7

We have just had a meeting to discuss further actions we can take:

Judith Rees is trying to arrange for a hearing of a transcript of the Planning Committee Meeting, so that we can complain about the correctness of it and any Councillors if necessary and also so that we can get our facts right in complaining to the Government Ombudsman, as soon as we here anything on this we will let every one know., and we intend to send in an objection as a committee, which Jane Matthews is sorting out and I can then let you know the facts so you can send your own objections to this ombudsman.

Debbie Brown is organising a flier to take around Waterside Orchard ,as a letter sent from The Housing Association stated in the Committee report that there are 22 people from Hopwood on the housing list and that constitutes a need for affordable housing and were in need and had a right to live in decent homes. The Strategic Housing Manager of the Council refuted this and said that the majority of these people were from Waterside Orchard (who we were told are automatically put on a housing list when they moved onto this caravan site; they are all probably dead now, so we are going round to see if we can dig them up!) and the Strategic Housing Manager said in the report that the Bromsgrove Housing Trust had not proven that this was correct., but still The Planning Committee said there was a proven need as the names were on the list and stuck their grubby hands up!

As many people as possible, including our good selves, need to get writing again, expressing your views and opinions on the behaviour of this Planning Committee, in that it has totally ignored; all planning guidelines , letters from the residents and Hopwood area , the Planning Officer’s extensive report recommending refusal , and the advise of the local MP (Julie Kirkbride) .

We suggest sending letters if you can to ;
Julie Kirkbride MP - The Chairman of the Planning Committee - and your local Councillors;
Roger Hollingworth - Jean Luck (She voted to approve the houses) - Mrs J Griffiths
Please get back to us if you need addresses or any other info

12/9/7

We are sure by now you must have heard that the proposed plan for 20 affordable (council houses more like) that was recommended for refusal by Dale Birch the planning officer on ; inappropriate development in the Green Belt, detrimental impact and loss of character for the surrounding area, does not relate to small scale development in this location, is not sustainable, and no specific proven local need for affordable housing in relation to the settlement of Hopwood has bee provided.
WAS OVERTURNED AND APPROVED BY A SHOW OF HANDS 5 TO 2 BY THE COUNCILLORS OF THE PLANNING COMMITTEE.
We attended the meeting and the Councillors seemed to take no notice of Dale Birch’s report or our objections or our speech that was well presented by Judith Rees. The Councillors on the Committee kept harping on about not being able to pass one of these planning applications and it was about time that one was accepted as there is a dire need for low cost housing in the Parish. They also said it was with the support of the Parish Council and that the proposal should be passed.

As a group we got the opinion that this was a preconceived arrangement and were totally gob smacked at the decision, especially by Jean Luck who a few weeks ago sat in Adrian’s back garden and told him that she agreed with affordable housing but thought the scale of this plan was too large and a more suitable number would be 5 or 6 houses. Well as a member of the Committee on Monday she said that the site was most appropriate for a development of this size and fully supported it, a two faced turn around if ever we heard one!
We as the residents group are getting together on Thursday for a meeting, to decide what our next options are and Judith has been in touch about the tree preservation orders and I have been in touch with the West Midland Government Planning Inspectorate getting further Advice.

Adrian asked for Dale’s thoughts on the outcome of the Committee meeting and he was shocked and seemed upset that all of our hard work and objections and a very good presentation at the meeting, and the months of work he had put into his report were not upheld and has told him that his office will be reporting this action, and sending this report and recommendation for refusal to the Government Offices for their attention and it would then be up to the Government whether this plan is "Called In" to The Secretary of State for determination.
He also said that if we were not happy with the way the Committee Meeting was conducted that we could complain to the Local Governments Ombudsman for Planning, which we propose to do anyway. See www.lgo.ork.uk for info
He has been very helpful to us and I am sure he has done his job correctly and with integrity which I don't think we can say the same for the Members of the Planning Committee, who together with the Parish Council have proved that our country and its fate is in the hands of some those less interested.

13/8/7

Motorcross

We have been informed by Richard Sumner that an enforcement notice was served on the landowner and he has stated that no further races will be run on his property. He also stated that the land will be levelled back to how it was. Why not biuld a marina as previously suggested, I'm sure all local residents would be happy with that.

Housing development in Ash Lane/Smedley Crook

Well..... We've seen the plans and read the attached letter from the developers... Extensive research and work was carried out by local residents which was evident when objections were put forward at the meeting in July, substanciated by their own design rules and guidelines. What I'm not quite sure about is how tunring a few houses around and increase the open area has (1)proved a need for 20 low cost houses (2)dealt with the lack of local facilities and transport issues (3) reduced the impact on wildlife and the greenbelt (4) reduced the increase in traffic or safety issues for Ash Lane (5)dealt with the obections from Alvechurch residents to place the houses in Alvechurch were they are need rather than Hopwood which is remote. Again it has been quoted to us that 22 hopwood residents require low cost housing in Hopwood. We live here and can not find anything like this number..... We would lie to see a copy of the current housing requirement data that is being bandied about...

a 6 month presevation order has been applied to the land and trees so lets hope the projet will eventually be stopped. See useful links page for new info from CPRE

12/8/7

Those of you who objected to the housing development will have received a letter letting you know about ammended plans. BUT suprisingly enough no real detail not time to reply as objects have to be in by 22nd August. We will get copies of the new plans on Monday and let everybody know. The main objection is to biuld 20 houses in Hopwood is just unsustainable so swapping a few around is no solution. Plans can be viewed at the council offices.

8/8/7

Motorcross MADNESS hits Hopwood....!! Wild Style events held the first motocross event at what they want to call "Hopwood Moto Park" on Wednesday evening. The land is owned by among others a local counsellor who seems to little regard for his own constituents.

Please contact Richard Sumner, enforcement officer for Bromsgrove District Council, to file your objections. His contact details are:

r.sumner@bromsgrove.gov.uk

Planning Enforcement

The Council House
Burcot Lane
Bromsgrove
Worcestershire
B60 1AA

You can also write to Mr. G Goundry, environmental health office for Bromsgrove District Council, with regards to light and noise pollution. Floodlights are planned for future events to allow them to run past 10pm.

When did Hopwood become the target for major thoughtless developments...? We may be a small hamlet but we will BITE BACK

1/8/7

Just to fill you in and any one else who has not had any feed back about the meeting on Mon 23rd July with councillors and other authorities.
The meeting was transferred at the last minute to the Community Hall at the playing fields, due to the flooding of the Caravan Site, Club House.
However there was still a very good turn out, with the hall completely filled and people being very attentive to the issue at hand. Because of the interest in the proposed planning application for affordable homes, it was thought that a later meeting would be arranged for other issues to be discussed.
Well, our committee each gave a speech on different aspects of our objections to the proposed plan; i.e. Sustainability; The Green Belt; Road Safety; Altering the character of the hamlet; Points about Smedley Crooke Place plus brownfield sites; and the effect on the Environment and Wild life.
We seemed to take control of the meeting and by the response of those present, and the congratulations from the District Councillors, on our presentation. We think it was a resounding success and just now have to make sure we keep up our pressure on the planning committee.
We even had the full support of the Alvechurch village committee as they want the houses to be built in Alvechurch itself...

15/7/7

Ms Kirkbride came to see us at Ash Lane on Saturday 14th July, and we showed her around the proposed development, so that she is now fully conversant with this large scale housing site that BDHT and Alvechurch Parish Council want to develop in Hopwood.      

This would solve Alvechurch`s total allocation of affordable housing which is 20, (a coincidence, perhaps), this being a 1/4 of  Bromsgrove District Council`s allocation for the whole district, which is a total of 80 for the year.     

Obviously affordable housing is necessary to a limited degree within rural settlements, but not when it is going to infringe upon the sensitive nature of the Green Belt buffer zone of Hopwood and cause an inappropriate character change of the country side and its Lanes.      Affordable homes should, we think, be spread throughout the District in a fair and sustainable manner that shows some common sense, and not just allocated to a brownfield site that BDHT own, and intend to increase by the acquisition of a green field site, that adjoins it, in Ash Lane. This green field site has always been turned down for planning, but now that affordable housing is the flavour of the month, BDHT are taking the opportunity to use socially minded issues to set a precedance and overcome objections to build on Green Belt land.     

Obviously by their letter, they do not feel that this is dubious!  Far more sustainable sites are available in and around the Parish, but we have the opinion that BDHT do not want to pay the going rate to purchase such a site, surely affordable planning should come down to appropriateness and sustainability which is just not the case in small hamlet of  Hopwood.

14/7/7

Hi Everyone,                 

Just to let you know that Julie Kirkbride MP, came round on Saturday 14th July  morning, and I showed her the proposed plans and then walked her round to Smedley Crooke Place and also along Ash Lane and along the footpath leading to the cricket and rugby ground, so that now she has a good idea of the surrounding area of the building site and all accesses.                  

She gave us a positive thought that Bromsgrove District Council should  probably refuse the application due to the size of the development, and the sensitive nature of this buffer area between Birmingham and Redditch.                 

 However she said that if this eventually went to appeal to the Secretary of State in Westminster that would be a different matter all together as the new Prime Minister`s latest campaign is to get as much lo cost housing built as possible.                  

So we still need to keep plugging away with our objections, but at least we now have a supporter on the oppositions front bench in Westminster, and I gave her a copy of the plan;a picture of the houses to be built, and also a photo of an overhead view of Hopwood so now she has a reference. .. regards Adrian

10/7/7

Village Envelope Settlements
DS5 Within the following villages the limited housing infill policy (H17[d]) of the County Structure Plan will apply:
Adams Hill, Belbroughton, Beoley, Bournheath, Burcot, Clent, Fairfield, Finstall, Holy Cross, Hopwood, Lower Clent, Romsley and Rowney Green.
For the purposes of this policy 'limited infill' is defined as the development of sites, located between existing development, which are capable of accommodating no more than two dwellings, in a form which maintains the line and form of the existing buildings. Backland development including tandem development, or proposals for the development of a field or other significant parcel of land will not come within the scope of this policy. Development extending the settlement into the countryside or accentuating ribbon development will not be acceptable. Where 'gaps' in frontages do occur there will be no automatic presumption in favour of development.
click here to see HOP1 Hopwood village envelope

6/7/7

Two very interesting sections of this policy are;

DS2(c) it is limited affordable housing, for Local communities, in accordance with PolicyS16.

S16(b)any application on unallocated land must be accompanied by a local needs survey which shows conclusively that there is a genuine local need for the type, mix and scale of the proposed dwellings.

There is later reference, in the policy document to justifying the build by “a rigorous local housing needs survey.”

We need to obtain a copy of whatever survey has been done and discover when, where and how it was carried out Then evaluate its findings.

But the real frightening detail follows in 9.31 onwards referring to cascading down of occupancy, to safeguard an adequate stream of revenue for those managing the development.

6/7/7

It does seem late nights pay off. We have just found the Bromsgrove District Council "Planning Policy Guidelines". to read them DS2, DS5 etc etc please click here

2/7/7

The interesting sections as far as building within ‘Village envelope settlements’ are section DS2d, DS5 and S9d. DS5 refers you to infill policy (H17d) of the County Structure Plan, and quotes from this that the infill should be of “no more than two dwellings, in a form which maintains the line and form of the existing buildings.” Back land developments including tandem developments, or proposals for the development of a field or other parcel of land will not come within the scope of this policy.

Therefore the Village envelope status does not seem to apply in this case, so we are back to is there a need for affordable housing in this area and is the land earmarked suitable for such a development, given the environmental issues. And the fact they the Council designated it category D in their 2004 study and stated that it was unsuitable for housing development. The old School site was designated category A and deemed ideal.

Incidentally, according to the Parish council records, on line, Roger Hollingsworth is listed as the Hopwood Parish Councillor not William Peyton, who’s address is shown as Rubery.

1/7/7
Reading the planning application sheets posted by the Rugby club, it seems the proposed development of offices at Lea End Farm is also affected by its affect on the view for the public footpath and the view from the adjacent listed building. Affecting these needs additional approval so don’t forget to mention it

30/6/7
Did you know that Lea Bungalow, at the end of Ash Lane, has a covenant restricting its use as a dwelling to agricultural workers only? They are applying to get this lifted so it can be sold to developers (most likely). From there it will be a short step to buy up land each side and build 4+ new properties.

30/6/7
Has anyone tracked down the Bromsgrove District Council "Planning Policy Guidelines" as opposed to government planning policy? We need section DS2 which will lead us to fulfil reasons in section S9 and S16, it's on the net somewhere, but I cannot find it.
There is also policy C17 which is about protecting trees.
We are known as a “Village Envelope". Does anyone know what this is.?
John Puckering, although chairman, covers Rowney Green ward; we want to hear more from William Peyton, who is responsible for Hopwood Ward, he should be speaking up for us.
I have been told that Persimmom Homes have bought the school grounds for building, so much for Puckering's 20 year wait.
This week, Puckering paid a visit Smedley Crook basically to warn us off, words to the effect that we could not change his decision.
There is nothing about this development in the agenda of the Planning Committee meeting held on the 25th June at the Community Centre. At which planning meeting was it discussed?
To speak at the meeting in July, we have to register with Andy Stephens at Committee Services, tel: 01527 881410 and I believe we only have three minutes to speak. We need a meeting before then to arrange it all.
When are we all available and where shall we meet?
How about Monday 15th July at the Caravan Park again. Can somebody please arrange

29/6/7

A PLANNING CONSULTATION MEETING HAS BEEN PLANNED FOR MONDAY 23RD JULY 2007 COMMENCING AT 7.00 P.M. AT WATERSIDE ORCHARD HALL (WE SHOULD BE RECEIVING NOTIFICATION OF THIS MEETING)

Richard, from the Village Magazine said there is a meeting at the Community Centre on 23rd and thats all he knows of

SUPPOSED TO BE ATTENDING ARE:
TIM HARPER REPRESENTING THE POLICE
JOHN FRAZER REPRESENTING HIGHWAYS DEPARTMENT
6 COUNCILLORS
EDITOR OF VILLAGE MAGAZINE – RICHARD PEACH
CHAIR OF CPRE – BOB DALE
BD HOUSING TRUST – MIKE BROWN
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF B.D. COUNCIL – KEVIN DIX
HEAD OF PLANNING – DAVID HAMMOND OR DALE BIRCH

Click here to see an aerial map of Hopwood