Combined Villages Group

The following is a brief summary of the application, and some notes to guide any objectors to the principles in which the local authority will consider any letters.

An application has been made to Rutland County Council (RCC) by ‘Mrs Florence Biddle and others’ to site a residential caravan park in a field off the A47 between Wardley and Allexton. The initial plan is for:

“Change of use of land to use as a residential caravan site for 16 gypsy families, each with two caravans, laying of hard standings, construction of access road and formation of new access.”

The plans also show an additional 16 ablution blocks on the site but these are not part of the current application.

Full details of the application can be viewed on-line at Rutland County Council quoting application number FUL/2009/0533


Rutland County Council still recommend that all letters of objection be with them as soon as possible. They do not recommend the use of ‘pro-forma’ style letters (when residents use the same letter provided by a working group, just adding their personal details and signing); they would prefer to receive individual letters as this makes a stronger case. It was recommended that we provide guidelines to help residents put their letters together so I have detailed below the main objections. It is hoped that residents will select a handful of these objections that are of particular importance to them, rather than list all in one long letter. Alan Duncan would like to see copies of as many letters as possible, so please forward a copy to the address at the end of this note.


Sustainability – RCC prefer not to site new developments in areas where the new occupants cannot easily access their local amenities without using their cars:

· no footpaths/cycle lanes between the applicant’s field and Uppingham town
· no PO or village shop in Belton (contrary to their application)
· small farm shop at Belton in Rutland: limited stock, infrequent seasonal opening times - will involve crossing A47 to access
· nearest village shop Medbourne several miles away
· limited bus route to Uppingham. Route 747 (link between Uppingham and Leicester) recently under threat of closure
· impact on Uppingham town and schools. How will the children get to school? How will they cross the A47 when the school bus drops them off?
· poor infrastructure in Uppingham town for bored teenagers and few jobs available for them
· Belton pre-school playgroup full to capacity and currently turning children away
· difficult dangerous access for emergency services
· no mains water currently available at Wardley village

Highways – obviously a huge issue and one to be address to Rob Baxter at Rutland CC:

· the A47 is not a trunk road - decision will be made locally at RCC
· road very fast – national speed limit 60mph
· local accident black spot, entrance opposite lay-by, close to bell mouth of dual carriageway/crawler lane
· last fatal accident 18 months ago
· history of fog in winter at bottom of hill – reduced visibility/dangerous for vehicles pulling away from site
· RCC will need to implement/fund huge changes to road layout to allow slow moving towing vehicles to exit the site in either direction
· No footpaths/cycle lanes
· Risk of children/animals/footballs straying onto the verges causing accidents
· HGV vehicles using lay-by opposite – risk to pedestrians due to reduced visibility from cab
· café in lay-by would attract residents over the A47
· exit/entrance would need to be illuminated at night causing massive light pollution
· Wardley have been campaigning for a slip road into their village for years due to the dangerous road access – not allowed


Environment and ecology –

· Belton in Rutland a conservation village
· inappropriate development for ‘areas of particularly attractive countryside’ (as stated in EN28 of Rutland Local Plan)
· size of initial community would be larger than Wardley and nearly same size as Allexton
· light pollution from the exit/entrance lighting - bats/owls in surrounding woods
· visual impact – unsightly from A47 approaching Uppingham and from local villages
· unsuitable development for an area known to be at risk of flooding –
1. photographs available showing Sweethedges Farm and Allexton village flooded
2. water level rises dramatically in heavy rain/after heavy snow
3. proposed sewage system unsuitable for areas at flood risk, risking raw sewage seeping in the Eye Brook and Allexton village.
· Wardley village pipe their drinking water from a bore hole nearby applicant’s field
· Eyebrook Reservoir SSSi nature reserve - huge abundance of protected wildlife in the reservoir and Eye Brook area namely: otters, osprey, king fishers, terrapins, crayfish, bats, grass snakes, great crested newts, water voles and well as unusual flora and fauna. A survey by an ecologist is essential to provide evidence of this.
· applicant’s field not grazed or ploughed for sometime so likely to be a haven to wildlife, flora and fauna.
· there are established hedges and trees (contrary to application) - surveys necessary
· organic farm in Stockerston village - animals drinking from the brook
· the Eye Brook runs alongside applicant’s field - risk of pollution downstream from:
1. contaminated surface and foul water running into brook
2. raw sewage waste polluting brook if area flooded at high water
3. general dumping in the brook – polluting/blocking stream
4. diesel/waste oil from vehicles – 32 vehicles declared in application – it would be naïve to accept that this would not rise. On checking a google earth image it was discovered that Mrs Biddle currently has nine cars, four lorries, at least one trailer and three caravans on her plot at Justin Park. All in addition to her brick built house.



All letters of objection to be addressed to:

Mr N Hodgett
Planning Officer
Rutland County Council
Catmose
Oakham
Rutland LE15 6HP

Copies to:

Mr Alan Duncan MP
c/o 33 High Street
Melton Mowbray
Leicestershire LE13 0TR

Welcome to the website of the Combined Villages Group.

The Combined Villages Group (C.V.G.) was established in September 2009 in response to planning application FUL/2009/0533/NH, a proposal to establish a permanent gypsy caravan site in a field alongside the A47 Leicester Road in the parish of Belton in Rutland, Rutland. This application can be viewed in detail on the Rutland County Council website

The C.V.G. was established following a public meeting in Belton-In-Rutland at which over 150 people attended and unanimously voiced their concerns about the proposal.

This planning application was submitted to Rutland County Council in early September 2009 and is for a permanent gypsy caravan site with 16 individual plots, each plot containing two caravans, one permanent and one mobile. In addition there will be two motor vehicles per plot, one of which will be a commercial type vehicle. The application indicates that once planning permission is obtained, 12 of the 16 plots will be immediately occupied by families who between them have 23 children. Their plans also show an additional 16 ablution blocks.

The field in question is located on the Leicester bound side of the A47 opposite the lay-by used by Heavy Goods Vehicles at the bottom of Wardley Hill. The field was purchased in 2004 by a Mr Tony Button, who is a gypsy and currently living on a gypsy site in Northamptonshire. He has since sold plots on the field to other gypsies including members of the Biddle family. Other plots were purchased by gypsies living as far away as Wiltshire and Kent.

In 2005, attempts were made by some of the purchasers to move onto the site and establish a camp. Action was quickly taken by officers from Rutland County Council and a High Court Injunction was obtained preventing anyone from entering the field in order to establish residence. As a result those who had entered the field were evicted and fences that had already been erected to outline the plots were taken down. This Injunction will remain in place until such time as a planning decision overturns it. So far, no further attempt has been made by the owners to contravene planning laws.

The Combined Villages Group represents the interests of many Parish Councils and local Parish Meetings. The C.V.G. is democratically constituted with a core membership of a Chairperson and one representative from the Parish Councils/Meetings of five local villages.
In addition, non core membership is open to anyone else from the villages or surrounding area who may feel able to support us.

The C.V.G. is totally opposed to the application for many reasons. The group is aware, however, that objections against the application can only be made that relate to issues that are within planning guidelines. Consequently, many hours of research have been carried out by members in order to submit justifiable objections to Rutland County Council that are both relevant to local planning laws and Government dictates that give special dispensation to planning applications by gypsies.

The following is a run down of the work carried out by the C.V.G. so far:

· Hundreds of flyers have been distributed to local residents and businesses informing them of the application and its perceived implications. As a result, nearly 300 letters of objection have been submitted to Rutland County Council.
· A meeting has been held with our Member of Parliament, Mr Alan Duncan, who is very supportive of the group and who has submitted his own letter of objection.
· Meetings have been held with planning officers from Rutland County Council and the Police.
· Each village has submitted its own detailed letter of objection.
· Deputations have been prepared that will be read out at the Planning Committee Hearing.
· Updates have been prepared and distributed to keep residents informed of progress.

The application is to be heard at a specially convened Planning Committee Hearing to be held at 6.00pm in the Council Chamber at Rutland County Council, Catmose, Oakham on Tuesday 15^th December, 2009 . The C.V.G. urges as many people as possible to attend this hearing to demonstrate to Councillors the strength of feeling against this proposal.

IT IS STILL NOT TOO LATE TO WRITE YOUR LETTERS OF OBJECTION AS THESE WILL BE ACCEPTED UP UNTIL THE DAY OF THE COMMITTEE HEARING. GUIDELINES TO ASSIST YOU IN WRITING YOUR OBJECTION ARE POSTED ON THIS BLOG.