Press articles and other things

Please tell all friends and neighbours to attend if they can on Wednesday 20th July 2011 at 17:00, outside the South Glocs council offices in Nibley, in the estate opposite their New Offices in Yate for a photo for the Evening Post and possibly the Gazette.

Why?  To lobby the South Glocs Councillors and keep the issue in the press. There is plenty of car parking in front of the offices.

The councillors don't usually turn up till a bit later so we should have an opportunity to get pictures in front of the building with perhaps a couple of grumpy councillors walking by.

Other news.

• There will be an article in the Evening Post tomorrow, please look out for it.
• Signs will be appearing at all Yate town council parks across Yate in the notice boards advertising our campaign.
• An Application has gone in to build a "travellers site" somewhere between Herons proposed development, Tan house lane and Yate rocks. I have not looked at it yet but the  South Glocs Planning application reference is PT11/2001/F. I'm told its likely to have impact on the footpaths around the area and significantly increase traffic in a very rural area. Unfortunately the time for comments ends on 29/7/2011. Please note although you may have views about the type of people attracted to these sites, the council won't consider these views as it is considered descriminatory. They are only likely to consider objective issues likely infrastructure or environment.

South Gloucestershire Core Strategy Exploritory Meeting 28 June 2011

Attended the South Gloucestershire Core Strategy Exploritory Meeting 28 June 2011. The Core strategy is important as its the Councils overarching  planning document. If this can be delayed, new government legislation may give us the power to significantly affect any development.

1. The meeting was 3 hours long and focused on procedure rather than specific issues. It was a bit of an endurance test. Incredibly frustrating, as it focused on procedure, you really could not say what you wanted to, although a few people did, including me.

2. The first subject discussed was whether the councils consultation met with their legal obligations. It appeared that a QC was appointed by Britel Fund Trustees Ltd to argue the point. He seemed to make a valid case that initial consultations were stated as draft and that not all the documents were produced at the start of the consultation so people were not sure what they were commenting on. He stated that this meant the consultation did not meet the statutory obligations laid down in law.

3. The meeting then discussed housing with developers saying the numbers were too low and pressure groups including us saying they were too high. It felt like the suited developers were perched like vultures playing their own little game.

4. The green belt was mentioned then Filton Airfield. As the council had not yet met with British Aerospace. The Government Inspector agreed that he would defer his decision for 2- 3 weeks.

5. He stated that his decision would result in one of 3 outcomes. (1) use the core strategy as a working document and revise some things as they work with it as it will only be minor changes needed.(2) suspend the core strategy for anything up to 6months for further work to be done and take in Filton Airfield. (3) throw it out completely and wait for the Localism Bill to come into force. He will put his notes on the council web site.

Latest...

Been a while since the last newsletter. So what's been happening.

• The stall at the Yate Community festival 25/6/2011 80 leaflets distributed and 3 pages of signatures on the paper version of the petition.
  
  
• The leafleting campaign where most of Brimsham park has been leafleted. Over 550 leaflets distributed. this is a new improved leaflet and we are actually speaking to people this time around. If they are in.
  
  
• The picture in the Evening Post and then the Observer which goes to the whole of Yate.

• Attended the first full meeting of South Gloucestershire council and handed out leaflets to all but 5 of the councillors.

Latest News

About 10 of us met on 18th of May for the campaign's second committee meeting. Lots of good ideas and discussion. I'm afraid a busy schedule means I have not had time to write up the minutes.

Key activities decided on

1. Leaflet the councillors going to the first new council meeting on 25/5/11. This happened and I think we handed leaflets to at least 65 of the 70 councillors. Thanks to Pam and Dave, Dave L. and Barry. Also to Chris for running of the leaflets.

2. A Leaflet campaign talking to Brimsham residents and asking them to sign a petition, using our new "ybuild3000" logo of all of Brimsham Park late June. We need volunteers for this.Please help if you can. Phil has volunteered to lead on this.

3. A photo OP around mid June with placards for the press. A picture to be taken at the northern edge of Brimsham park. We need as many people as possible.

4. A march with placards to the Council offices and then if possible speak at the next meeting of the council on 20th July times not fixed but probably 1700-1900.

5. I've got a whole list of local groups to talk to ask advice of. We also want to distribute leaflets to the whole of yate but need to check on permissions.

6. Pam has volunteered to act as secretary.

7. Oh and we have a web site. https://sites.google.com/site/ybuild3000/ have a look and leave a comment. If you want to help edit or contribute to this site let me know.

A lot of people are going away over the half term so activities will resume in June.

Media Coverage

We now have media interest in the campaign

Yate and Sodbury Gazette
Please see the Yate and Sodbury Gazette published 12th May for an article on the housing development, a proposal for village green status. An idea put forward by Julian Chambers a member of the campaign and developed by Chris Willmore a Yate town councillor.
The Gazette are asking the question "do you support the bid for village green status" for the area north of Brimsham Park.

Gazette Article

Please contact the Gazette on gazetteseries.co.uk/news to say yes

BBC Radio Bristol 0700 am 12 May2011
Following the newspaper article there was an interview with Julian Chambers at 7 am tomorrow morning on Radio Bristol.

Many thanks to Alexandra Womack of the Gazette and to Ross Pollard from the BBC

Public meeting and More Information

Public Meeting
Apologies to all I have not updated this blog for while. Whats happened? Quite a lot actually.

The Public meeting took place Steve webb the local MP and Chris Willmore from the Town Council hosted the meeting and explained all the details behind the developers planning applications around Yate.  An article with regard to the meeting appeared in the Meeting Article

For details of the meeting and very good information on the Meeting see the Lib Dems Focus special edition.
http://www.paulhulbert.org/focus/brimshamspecial.pdf

Petition
Please sign the petition against the development, so far 155 people have signed it we need more.
http://campaigns.libdems.org.uk/stopbrimsham

Brimsham Park Campaign Meeting 28 April 2011
 We held our first meeting at the Beaufort Hunt.
full details are on the facebook site.

key issues discussed were
Distributing leaflets in key areas of Yate – Railway, Health centre, Shopping areas.
• A competition possibly sponsored locally to make people aware of what’s going on.
• The need to find out more about the liberals petition? Do we need our own?
• To campaign more widely in Yate not just Brimsham Park
• To find out more about the South Gloucestershire Councillors and parties and to
write to them.
• To create a website with very clear information on how and where to protest.
• To try to get as many Allies as possible. Environmental Groups etc.
• To find out what is needed for media campaigns. What are the hooks, they are
looking for?
• The need for more face to face campaigning.
• To start thinking about campaign funding and how to manage it.

The next meeting is already planned.

Brimsham Park Campaign Newsletter - Number 2 (17 April 2011)

Please find below a copy of the second newsletter

Dear Resident of Brimsham (or interested party)

Public Meeting
A public meeting was held on 12 April at Yate Parish Hall, on Station Road.

The meeting was led by Chris Wilmore (Lib Dem town councillor) and Steve Webb the local MP.

Background
The South Gloucestershire Core Strategy Document set out a plan for the county and was directed by the previous governments dictat that 33000 homes had to be built in the county. After the last general election Wilfred Pickles the minister responsible for local government stated in June 2010 that councils were no longer bound by this directive. Unfortunately his directive was challenged and overturned in the courts.

New legislation is due in November in the localism bill to allow local communities a greater say in changes that happen in their areas. Unfortunately South Gloucestershire Council has voted to proceed with the core strategy plans for 3000 houses to be built in Yate.

Many developments are now being proposed by developers to try to get them approved before the new legislation is passed by Parliament. It seems they are being aided and abetted by the county council.

The Developments
The following developments are progressing through the planning stages of Stakeholders consultation(S), Public Consultation(P), Concept statement(CS), Application(A) and Consent(C).

  170 Houses - Coopers1 Factory grounds - Located opposite Westerleigh Common Stages complete - S,P,CS,A,C]
  228 Houses - Sea Transport Stores (Now Known as Elswick Park) - Located at the end of the Chipping Sodbury Bypass. [Stages complete - S,P,CS,A,C]
    70 Houses - Coopers2 Factory site - Located opposite Westerleigh Common [Stages complete - S]
  170 Houses - Barnhill - Located behind Chipping Sodbury High street [Stages complete - S,P,CS,A,]
  250 Houses - Peg Hill - Located opposite the Skateboard park on the road joining Brimsham Park to the Wickwar Road.[Stages complete - S,P,CS,A,]
3000 Houses - Yate North - Located to the North of Brimsham Park [Stages complete - S]
2-300? Houses - Located between Engine Common and North Road Close to North Yate [Stages complete - S]
Slides
The following link directs you to a site showing the slides presented at the meeting
Meeting slides link

Making Comments
The following link takes you to a document providing advice from local councillors on the comments you might like to consider when writing to the council.
Comments link

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How to stop the development

1. The only way to stop development or at least make the council think again is to lodge your views with the council at each planning stage.
2. The Yate town councillors have objected to these proposals, have launched a petition, please follow the link and sign the petition.Link to Petition
3. The Yate town councillors provided guidance on how to object see link.
4. There will be a Core Strategy enquiry either in July or September this year. We need to raise as many signatures and objections as possible to help us convince the planning inspector that the proposals for the 3000 houses in the core strategy are turned down.
   

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Please, Please, Please take action

• Tell everyone you know about the campaign get them to Email Brimshamparkcampaign@gmail.com
• Actively look for opportunities to raise your voice either in person, on paper or via the Internet.
• Tell your locally elected officials how you feel.

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Next Steps of the campaign

We now have a core number of people who have registered as willing to actively support the campaign by Emailing Help to the email address.We now aim to create a campaign organising group and raise the level of the campaign both of awareness throughout Yate and the surrounding area, through the press and writing out to groups or organisations that can help use.

If you would like to join the Helper group please email Help to Brimshamparkcampaign@gmail.com

Thanks to the Email from Debbie to the campaign

Thought you might be interested if you didn't already know - I know you have Peg Hill, Engine Common and Brimsham Park planning on your radar but did you know that Rodford Way School may become houses and also the Cooper Works Site near Yate common may also become housing. With C/S having Waitrose and I believe housing also housing being started on the Land and Sea Depot in Yate and finally housing just off Heather Ave in Coalpit Heath/Frampton. This area is going to be in grid lock 24/7.

Thank You

Thanks to Alexandra Womack from the Gazette for your a mention of the campaign in the Gazette newspaper.
I will contact you. Honest!

Brimsham Park Campaign Newsletter - Number 1 (07 April 2011)

Dear Resident of Brimsham (or interested party)

NEWSFLASH
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A PUBLIC meeting is being held in Yate next week against the mounting number of housing developments in the town.
Please make every effort to attend.
The meeting takes place on Tuesday, April 12 (7.30pm) at Yate Parish Hall, on Station Road.
For more information follow the link below.
http://www.gazetteseries.co.uk/news/8954693.Public_meeting_to_be_held_about_proposed_housing_developments/

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The Campaign

The campaign's aim is to prevent the proposed developments in North Yate affecting the human rights of the existing residents of the area.

The right to privacy.The right to live in an area free from pollution (sight, sound and clean air). The right to be able to be able to access the infrastructure to support every day life( Shops,libraries, sports facilities, garages places of entertainment and open spaces).

Many of these freedoms have been publicised by the Council as reasons for the high levels of contentment in the area.

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Objective - Stop the proposed developments and protect the land from further development.
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Progress
The campaign started in or around the 16 March 2011 with me setting up an Email address, Blog site and Facebook site.Three other residents of Brimsham Park joined the campaign. Jules, Nic, Marcus, their families and mine have so far distributed approximately 700 leaflets to residents of Brimsham Park with details of the Email contact address. We have received 56 enquires and 12 people have volunteered to take an active part in the Campaign.

I have written to all the local councillors and the local MP (Steve Webb) complaining and asking what has been done.

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Strategy
To make people aware of the planning proposals and the actions they can take to protest.
To use the Internet to increase the speed and effectiveness of the Campaign.
To get people involved.
To get local politicians to appose the developments actively. Some of them seem to have been sleep walking. Others are in favour!!!(vote them out I say)
To get as many Allies to the cause as possible.

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What You can do to help

Tell everyone you know about the campaign get them to Email Brimshamparkcampaign@gmail.com
Actively look for opportunities to raise your voice either in person, on paper or via the Internet.
Tell your locally elected officials how you feel.
Attend the meeting Tuesday, April 12 (7.30pm) at Yate Parish Hall, on Station Road.
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Leaflet Drops

The team circulated over 500 leaflets making residents of Brimsham aware of the campaign at the weekend. The number of contacts from concerned residents very high.

Leaflet Drops

We are starting leaflet drops this weekend to improve awareness. You too can help by emailing a link to this site to everone you know. More update on the Peg hill development and a further 1000 home development in Chipping Sodbury soon.

Plans to build 3000 houses in North Yate

I attended a meeting last week called by the developers Heron Homes where they told us they planned a major new development in North Yate. I want to stop it.

The development is proposed to include 3000 new homes and 9 hectares of light industry. This will have a significant impact not only on Brimsham Park but also the town of Yate and the countryside as a whole. There is no need for such a massive development and the current infrastructure of Yate, and its surrounding areas, services and amenities cannot cope with the huge influx of vehicles and people into the area – this is also in complete disregard to current Government Policy whereby South Goucestershire Council has been released from its obligation to build more homes, imposed on it by the previous Government.

Can you help?

Heron Homes are consulting at the moment please look at their website http://www.heron-northyate.info/ and tell them we don't want the development at the following link http://www.heron-northyate.info/feedback.Responses must be back by 8 April 2011.

We are looking for people to join our campaign. By writing to local politicians, the press and creating a stink. With the local elections coming up in May there is a great opportunity to now to make progress.

If you are interested please send an Email to brimshamparkcampaign@gmail.com