The District Council’s outrageous decision to remove Greenbelt land to the North East of Chesham from a list of Assets of Community Value, whilst allocating it for development of over 500 homes in its draft Local Plan appears self-serving and hypocritical.
It follows a growing list of questionable decisions and shortcomings relating to the Council’s preparation of its draft Local Plan where many Councillors have raised serious concerns or chosen to remain silent yet they have still voted to adopt this Plan anyway! The Countryside Charity (formerly the Campaign For Protection of Rural England – CPRE), recently called on the Council to withdraw this Local Plan as they felt it was already out of date Is all this an indication that it is now time for change? Why are our elected Councillors tacitly condoning such behaviour? BNG have concluded that the community has to elect independent Councillors onto the Town Council in May 2020. We need Councillors who are INDEPENDENT of party politics and/or prepared to stand up for the community and openly question the “party line” of voting to approve a Local Plan that builds unaffordable houses on the Green Belt in an unsustainable location that creates more traffic congestion, worsens air quality in the town and compromises natural habitats and wildlife. If you wish to discuss this or are considering standing for election onto Chesham Town Council and want support from BNG and its 1,800 supporters, please contact us at www.brownnotgreen.com/contact
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The Countryside Charity (formerly the Campaign For Protection of Rural England – CPRE) has sent an open letter to Chiltern & South Bucks District Councils calling on them to scrap the draft Local Plan which is still awaiting public examination despite the fact the Council itself will cease to exist at the end of March this year when a new Unitary Authority for Buckinghamshire takes over.
BNG was invited to be a co-signatory to this letter together with a number of other local community groups and several Councillors who are also fearful of consequences of this Local Plan. CPRE highlighted that the draft Local Plan is already out of date and that the Council’s own advisors estimate the Plan will increase the carbon footprint of the District by at least 21% yet the Council have only recently themselves declared a “climate emergency” and so to proceed with this Local Plan would be reckless hypocrisy. BNG urge everyone to write to their District & County Councillor urging them to drop this controversial and highly unpopular Local Plan. You can view the CPRE Press Release: Click here You can view the Open Letter: Click here Chiltern District Council’s outrageous decision to remove land at Lye Green from a list of Assets of Community Value appears self-serving and motivated to retain the land at Lye Green as a housing development site within its draft Local Plan which is currently awaiting independent examination.
The Council’s Review Decision on Lye Green was clearly not independent and it can hardly be in the community’s best interest. It follows a growing list of questionable decisions and shortcomings relating to the Council’s preparation of its draft Local Plan where many Councillors have either raised serious concerns or chosen to remain silent yet they have still voted to adopt this Plan anyway! Is all this an indication that it is now time for change? Why are our elected Councillors tacitly condoning such behaviour? BNG have concluded that when the community has to elect Councillors for the new Unitary Authority for Bucks in May 2020, that we need to elect Councillors who are either INDEPENDENT of party politics or prepared to stand up for the community and openly question the “party line” of voting to approve a Local Plan that;
a) Do not support this draft Local Plan b) Do not support the policy of building on the Green Belt c) If elected will seek to reverse any policy the Unitary Authority inherits to build on Greenbelt first without first exhausting Brownfield options d) Will actively work to explore all the other options that BNG and others have highlighted to build more affordable homes at more sustainable locations. With over 1,800 registered BNG Supporters any candidate flying the BNG Flag will receive a huge boost to their vote tally. If any such candidates wish to discuss this or are seeking independent election and want support from BNG, please contact us at https://www.brownnotgreen.com/contact.html Thanks The BNG Team The Council have now realised that in correctly issuing Asset of Community status to the fields around Lye Green that they have in fact scuppered their plans to take the land out of the Green Belt. Shamelessly, they revoked the ACV status a few days ago so that they can push forward with their flawed Local Plan. Read all about it by clicking here.
Click the map to sign the petition
Please share this petition with friends and family As well as giving ourselves a collective pat on the back here at BNG HQ, especially to Phillip Plato who did the lion's share of the work over the last few weeks on the DMMO and Reg 19 submissions, we wish to thank all our supporters who have helped us in one way or another.
Thanks to everyone involved who helped us:
Once again I am going to shamelessly use this opportunity to say a massive thank you on behalf of all the community to Phillip Plato who for the last few weeks has worked selflessly 24/7 on our campaign. To see just some of Phillip's output on BNGs official Reg 19 Submission response click here. Thanks again to everyone for the continued support. We now just need to wait to see what the Planning Inspector has to say. The BNG Team Do you walk on any of the informal paths marked in bright green? We want to hear from you. Click picture or here for enlarged map RE: Public Rights of Way Definitive Map Modification Order (DMMO) – Lye Green
You will be aware that BNG successfully applied to have the fields at Lye Green listed as an Asset of Community Value. Unfortunately, since that Decision was published, the landowner has now started fencing off some of the access points into the land and stopping people using unadopted footpaths that have been in use for decades. BNG feel it is now necessary to seek a Definitive Map Modification Order to get all the six informal tracks adopted as public footpaths, so these paths stay open for the community’s use. Accordingly, we need your help again in providing the appropriate evidence to the County Council to support the DDMO. There are two different processes depending on whether you have used the paths for:
These forms will need to be accompanied by a signed map of the route(s) that you use. Again, we have prepared all these for you, all you need to do is tell us which paths you walk on and sign the relevant maps that we will provide or you can print off yourself. Contact us (click here) with the following information:
This is a bit involved but we have tried to make things as easy as possible by preparing template forms for anyone, to complete, add, delete, expand upon or modify. Your evidence will help Bucks County Council decide if the informal footpaths will be dedicated as a public right of way which then means the farmer must then take down any recent fences or obstructions. The County Council MUST make a Modification Order (ie: adopt the footpaths) but only if we can demonstrate that the paths are “reasonably alleged to exist” which can only be proved by us getting enough statements to support our application. Let's repeat the success of our campaign to have the land listed as an Asset of Community Value. Please help if you can. Recruit your family and friends. Thank again for your continued support. The BNG Team Since the success of Brown Not Green having the land and woodlands at Lye Green listed as an Asset of Community Value there has been a growing number of reports of intimidation from the landowners where previously there has been none. We have now had reports of over 20 people being approached in the last 2 weeks being told to get off the land.
BNG is not qualified to give legal advice however we wish to give a commentary on this issue for our supporters to take on board and share with their friends and family who use the fields for recreational and commuting purposes.
Thanks again for your continued support The BNG Team Please take the time to fill in our survey by clicking on the clipboard.
It only takes three minutes. We need all responses by 31st July. Thanks, the BNG Team June and July has been a VERY busy period for the Brown Not Green (BNG) campaign but we have some important news to share with you that illustrates how your support and pledges of money ARE making a difference.
The land will now be listed as an ACV for 5 years and this gives BNG the “Right to Bid” for the land. Restrictions will be recorded on the landowner’s title at Land Registry. This means that if the landowner(s) wish to sell the land at any time during the next 5 years, they must give a clear prior 6 months’ notice to Brown Not Green to enable us to arrange finance/loans etc in order for BNG to bid for the land. BNG as a not for profit company, have stated that any purchase of the land would be held in Trust for continued community benefit in order to maintain the status quo; namely to maintain the land in agricultural use whilst also ensuring the community still has access for the many informal recreational uses that have been enjoyed by hundreds of people for decades. However, this designation as an ACV also raises several material planning considerations that we want to put before the Inspector too. Including:
We urge anyone still contemplating making a Regulation 19 Submission under the current (now extended) consultation process to consider this too when drafting their comments to the Inspector! We are also heartened by the many messages of support and the continuing donations through our CrowdJustice portal to fund the legal & professional fees we are incurring to protect this land and the wider town from the effects of its inappropriate development. Thanks again for your continued support The BNG Team |
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March 2021
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