View Full Version : Resisting development
Covenant
25-04-2012, 20:38
I have just been to a meeting in our local parish hall about a proposal by the council to release a piece of green belt agricultural land for housing development.
It will alter the nature of the village irrevocably and cause major problems with regard to the infrastructure. It would appear to be a numbers game; the government want 4600 homes to be built in West Lancs and if some don't get built on this site they will get built elsewhere.
Is it worth fighting this, there does not appear to be sufficient arguments to prevent it IMO.
It's a difficult one isn't it? I doubt there is a district in the land that hasn't been faced with a similar situation at some point in its history. We all fear change to some extent but if communities don't develop in some way or another the danger is they can stagnate and die. Rather than fight the entire development try limiting the number of houses and insist that any housing built is in character with the existing surroundings. Most developers would be open to such negotiations. Such campaigns around our area have been very successful ;)
sq225917
25-04-2012, 22:54
More houses, more people, economic growth, improved services and employment. As long as there aren't going to be shipping in scum from elsewhere in the country what's not to like.
The Grand Wazoo
26-04-2012, 00:02
......there does not appear to be sufficient arguments to prevent it IMO.
Ecology and landscape matters may be good avenues to explore.
With landscape, it's not enough to say that your view will be spoiled, but there are landscape character guidelines available on the internet and developments are supposed to respect those.
Ecology has more teeth as it is backed by EU law. Look for some newts on or near the site!
sq225917
26-04-2012, 06:52
Blimey it's just like the Archers on here.
Covenant
26-04-2012, 07:00
Blimey it's just like the Archers on here.
It's not true about me and a sheep, we are just good friends.
Covenant
26-04-2012, 07:11
More houses, more people, economic growth, improved services and employment. As long as there aren't going to be shipping in scum from elsewhere in the country what's not to like.
Do I detect a note of sarcasm? There are hundreds of unsold houses in the area, sure more houses will give more choice but the local school is full and the narrow lanes are already heavy with traffic.
It's the character of the village that will be altered as the site is in a prominent position as the head of a main road. It's good agricultural land and should remain so. I think the character of a community should be maintained if that's what the community wants.
I should be classified as scum as I am a scouser!
pete_mac
26-04-2012, 07:43
I wish you luck!
I'm a strategic town planner working in local government near Sydney and our council area will be experiencing a population increase from 50,000 to 250,000 over the next 20 years. The challenges associated with this are immense!
stupinder
26-04-2012, 07:52
It's not true about me and a sheep, we are just good friends.
That genuinely made me laugh!!!
I think it is worth fighting if you believe it will be detrimental to your village. People too easily roll over and let the powers that be bulldozer their way through!
The village in the UK where we lived and I still keep a house was a lovely little place on the edge of a wetlands reserve. One guy in the village sold a large plot of land for development and now the village is horrible. Too many folk, too many cars, no parking and the only people who have benefited are the guy who sold the land ( a guy of allegedly questionable standing) the house builders and the pub ... It's all a bit nimby I know!
Covenant
26-04-2012, 07:53
I wish you luck!
I'm a strategic town planner working in local government near Sydney and our council area will be experiencing a population increase from 50,000 to 250,000 over the next 20 years. The challenges associated with this are immense!
Wow, that is some increase. That's not something that you can sort overnight, the challenge must be immense. I have seen some comments about large soulless housing estates in Australia. I guess you need to build in green spaces along with all the other amenities that people require.
The Grand Wazoo
26-04-2012, 07:54
It's good agricultural land and should remain so. I think the character of a community should be maintained if that's what the community wants.
If that's what the community truly wants, then it's up to you to make sure that Cameron's Big Society bollocks comes back to bite him on the bum. Who's going to buy these houses & what are they going to pay for them with?
pete_mac
26-04-2012, 08:00
Absolutely! Creating new developments with a bit of character and appropriate services and infrastructure is certainly challenging. Unfortunately it takes time for suburbs to come to life, both in the physical sense and the social/community sense.
Infrastructure provision and the associated costs are the biggest challenge right now. Sydney is getting more and more congested and our transportation system is at breaking point.
There are some excellent examples of best-practice, and of course, some examples of how NOT to do it.
I wish you luck!
I'm a strategic town planner working in local government near Sydney and our council area will be experiencing a population increase from 50,000 to 250,000 over the next 20 years. The challenges associated with this are immense!
Can I ask very politely where these extra 200,000 incomers are expected to come from? I have a forum friend in your part of the world that is getting concerned that his country is in danger of being overwhelmed by incomers who do not have a lot in common with the current residents. There are similar concerns in many areas of the UK.
Dave.
pete_mac
26-04-2012, 10:13
Can I ask very politely where these extra 200,000 incomers are expected to come from? I have a forum friend in your part of the world that is getting concerned that his country is in danger of being overwhelmed by incomers who do not have a lot in common with the current residents. There are similar concerns in many areas of the UK.
Dave.
Partly natural population growth and partly immigration.
Sydney is generally short in supply of housing, so there's certainly a need for more of it. Greenfield development is unfortunately part of the solution.
Covenant
26-04-2012, 20:02
Partly natural population growth and partly immigration.
Sydney is generally short in supply of housing, so there's certainly a need for more of it. Greenfield development is unfortunately part of the solution.
You don't have any greenfields do you?:lol:
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