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LoPRA
- A Busy First Year
Since the formation of LoPRA in August 2004 the LoPRA committee,
its members and the A65 sub-committee have undertaken a vast amount of work
communicating with official bodies, be it through lobbying letters, meetings,
conferences or telephone calls, which have directly or indirectly led to a
number of outcomes. Furthermore the committee have produced newsletters
for members and the addition of a detailed LoPRA website.
LoPRA have undertaken or seen the following over
the first year:
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LoPRA lobbied against the Housing Needs Survey undertaken by
Foundation Housing, after hearing of the housing enabler’s proposed meeting
with developer Northern Heritage and reading the HNS report which stated
that Long Preston required fifty new houses, which would have to be built on
Greenfield sites.
In addition Peter Scott-Smith undertook a critique of the
survey’s methodology and the Parish Council also rejected the survey.
In
early 2005 the housing enabler left Foundation Housing and Foundation
Housing withdrew from their position as housing enablers. A new housing
survey has since been conducted across Craven, the results of which we
expect to see in October.
-
Results of the Public Inquiry into the Draft Local Plan saw
acceptance of the Inspector’s report in April 2005 recommending that the
current Village Boundary is maintained and that any future new developments
are restricted to local occupancy/affordable housing conditions on exception
sites (i.e. no open market housing).
-
Continuous badgering of Northern Heritage eventually saw them
remove the unsightly compound and rubble behind Hartley Green, rebuild the dry-stone walls and reseed the area. It also saw the introduction of a 5mph
speed limit at the entrance to the British Fuels Site and agreement to give
reasonable future notice to residents after cutting off access near British
Fuels without due notice.
-
December 2004 saw the completion of the Village Plan and
copies are available on loan from the Post Office. LoPRA have agreed to
work with the Parish Council where appropriate on the Plan, especially with
regards to the A65.
-
In
January 2005 LoPRA set up an A65 sub-committee.
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Lobbying of the proposals at Gallaber to ensure operations
are viable, environmentally sound and to address concerns that this area
could become a line of corridor development between Long Preston and
Hellifield. Gallaber proposals now have approval under a delegated
authority subject to the submission of a satisfactory environmental plan.
-
Continuous lobbying re Townhead, where there have been a
number of applications for retrospective planning permission on a listed
building, trees have been cut down and walls built. This is a current issue
and is being looked at by the YDNP Planning Committee at present.
-
The ‘Village Clear Up, Clean and Tidy Day’ in July which saw
the LoPRA committee and members collecting a dozen bin bags of rubbish from
pavements and the roadside.
-
LoPRA attended at CDC’s ‘Shaping Places and Spaces’
conference in June, which has allowed us to be involved with the
consultation process for the Local Development Framework. We have submitted
a form asking to continue our involvement and have submitted comments on the
Draft Statement of Community Involvement.
-
LoPRA’s continued contact with the YDNP has led it to be
invited to take part in the National Park Authority Assessment (NPAP) as a
stakeholder, alongside other groups including the Yorkshire Dales Society,
RSPB and Yorkshire Wildlife trust. The meeting will allow LoPRA to discuss
the strengths and weaknesses of the National Park Authority.
-
The LoPRA website went live last December and its continuous
development allows for public, committee and members areas with up-to-date
information, dates of meetings, a record of minutes, letters, relevant news
items, back issues of our newsletter.
Meetings have included visits from:
-
MP David Curry - (development and A65 issues)
-
The Chief Executive of Yorkshire Dales National Park, and
with the Head of Planning - (development and enforcement issues in the YDNP)
-
The Deputy Chair of YDNP Planning Committee - (planning
issues)
-
Chair of Council for Protection of Rural England - (Craven
Branch) and Secretary of CPRE (CB) - (development, village boundary and
conservation issues), which has subsequently led to a LoPRA committee member
joining the CPRE committee
-
Chief Executive of Craven District Council and the Director
of Planning and Environmental Services CDC - (HNS and affordable housing)
-
Cllr. David Heather as representative of NYCC Transport Area
Committee - (A65 issues)
-
Cllr. Helen Firth CDC (as our local District Cllr has
attended both public and committee meetings)
Much has already been done. However, with the A65 Public Inquiry
in February and the adoption of the new Local Development Framework Plan in
2006 - which will once again open up the possibilities of boundary changes and
different regulations on new developments, much remains.
Click here to find out
why LoPRA was formed?
The Second Year
The Third Year
The
Fourth Year
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