Your Comments Forms Have Been Delivered

The wonderful team who have been handling the submission of comments on the RSPCA site made their delivery yesterday and so now we sit to await the outcome of the two large planning applications that are being considered by Rushcliffe Borough Council.

Let's hope that we get the decision that we are all hoping for.

Don't Forget: Deadline for Comments on RSPCA Planning Application

Don't forget the deadline for the receipt of comments on the revised RSPCA site planning application for the land North of Nottingham Road is Thursday 30th January.

You can do this by completing the online comments form here using application number 13/02498/OUT.
Or you can complete the form below and email it to: developmentcontrol@rushcliffe.gov.uk

Planning Application Comments Form RSPCA by Kerry Gough

Save Radcliffe Pool Online Petition as Supplement to Physical Petition

By way of an update, the Save Radcliffe Pool team now have an online version of the petition that will be delivered to South Nottinghamshire Academy and our Rushcliffe Borough Councillors. 

You can sign the petition online on the Change.org petition site, or you can continue to sign the hard copies that are available around the village. The team will be in the village promoting the petition and the campaign to save the pool, this Saturday, so please do lend them your support. A tab at the top of the Radcliffe Community site offers a direct link to the pool petition, so get signing and sharing. 

Radcliffe Parish Council Cuts: Our Nottingham Post Article

Don't forget to buy your copy of the Nottingham Post today.

Many thanks to Rob Carter for sending us the link to the Nottingham Post article which covers the story about the reduction of funding to our local parish councils. Like other Rushcliffe parish councils, Radcliffe on Trent Parish Council is set to lose all of its funding in three years' time.

(c) Nottingham Post

You can read the article in brief here.

Deadline 30th Jan for Your Comments on the RSPCA Site Planning Application

Three days remaining for your comments to be submitted on the revised application on the Land North of Nottingham Road planning application. This is the land that is situated around the RSPCA. You can submit your comments online at the official Rushcliffe Borough Council site here, or you can complete the form below and return it to: developmentcontrol@rushcliffe.gov.uk

Planning Application Comments Form RSPCA

Rushcliffe Core Strategy: What It Means for Radcliffe on Trent

Rushcliffe Core Strategy Review 2013: What It Means For Us

A Radcliffe Community Group Report

Debate and discussion emerging from Rushcliffe Borough Council’s meeting of Thurs, 12^th December 2013, outlines the conflicting opinions surrounding the council member’s own views on the adoption of Rushcliffe Borough Council’s Core Strategy document. This document, in principle, sets out to define and determine the nature of Rushcliffe Borough Council’s future plans for development across Rushcliffe.  This discussion, which resulted in the Rushcliffe Borough Council adoption of the Core Strategy 2013, is publically available in an online recording which is available for six months on the Rushcliffe Borough Council’s website here.

Rushcliffe’s Embarrassing Position and the Not So Fresh Approach

We aim to reproduce some of that discussion for you in this report, and to place it within a context that is meaningful for members of the Radcliffe on Trent community. Rushcliffe Borough Council, had to revise their initial Core Strategy, The Fresh Approach, as it was turned down by government inspectors due to insufficient plans to accommodate the local housing needs, as identified and defined by central government. As such, Rushcliffe Borough Council sought to produce the revised Rushcliffe Core Strategy document as a means of addressing this issue and identifying where the additional housing should go.

By not having an agreed upon plan for Rushcliffe, Rushcliffe Borough Council found themselves in the embarrassing position of facing the loss of the right to make their own local decisions on where housing development should take place. In this situation, Rushcliffe Borough Council faced having the power to make decisions on planning issues revoked by government, instead to have these decisions made outside of the local borough, by central government officers. So the development of the Rushcliffe Core Strategy instead acts as the remedy to this predicament, and one in which the council have been forced into a position to act fast, in order to ensure that they have a plan in place to accommodate the demand from central government to build 13, 860 new homes in Rushcliffe by 2026.

This Core Strategy document represents not only an account of the demands that are being made by central government, but also Rushcliffe Borough Council’s plans for addressing those demands. At the Rushcliffe Core Strategy Meeting of 12^th December 2013, Rushcliffe Borough Council members voted to accept the modifications of the Rushcliffe Core Strategy document, which will now be prepared for review by the government appointed planning inspector.

The Rushcliffe Core Strategy document is available for consultation here, while the full recording of the Council meeting of 12^th Dec 2013 can be accessed until June 2014 here.

Keeping the Power of Planning Decisions Local: Plan Led Not Developer Led

While not all members of the Rushcliffe Borough Council were in agreement with the fine detail of the proposals being made, there was a marked desire to ensure that the power for planning decisions be retained by Rushcliffe Borough Council. This was seen as a key concern in the revision of the core strategy; to ensure that planning control remained within the power of Rushcliffe Borough Council and not central government office. Here Cllr Neil Clarke maintained that the decisions to build on brownfield and greenbelt land had not been taken lightly, while Cllr Bell reinforced that an acceptance of the plan would ensure that future developments within Rushcliffe would be ‘plan led and not developer led’.

Many Rushcliffe councillors highlighted how these decisions were not popular, but they did recognise that the council were left in a position that left them with no other choice available, were they to retain the power to control future development from within the Borough.

The Value of Viability? Targets vs. Requirements of Affordable Housing

Within that, there were concerns raised over the ongoing debate over the meaning of the word ‘viability’ within the context of planning development, and many including Cllrs Davidson and Boote maintained that Rushcliffe Borough Council should demand that future planning development should ensure that developers embed provision for a minimum of 40% of affordable housing within built-up areas and 30% of affordable housing further afield. While the current phrasing requires that ‘up to’ a stated amount of affordable housing be submitted as a part of the development process, this then becomes subject to reinterpretation and is frequently renegotiated by developers as a part of that planning submission process. This currently works in favour of the developers who, once planning permission is granted, have a tendency to renegotiate the percentage of affordable home provision.

‘The creep is in the favour of developers’

On this note Cllr Davidson identified how such caveats enable developers to ‘dilute the requirements’, highlighting how as a result of this, the recent development in Bingham saw a reduction to 20% of affordable housing, rather than the originally specified 30%. Setting the minimum requirements as a target, rather than a requirement was similarly raised by Cllr Jones, maintaining that ‘The creep is in the favour of developers’. Cllr Boote went on to highlight the importance of such provision in order to ensure that there was adequate provision to protect the future for young people, while Cllrs Mallender reinforce the need for affordable retirement housing to free up larger dwellings. On this note, Cllr Abbey argued for the need to support the 40% minimum requirements for affordable homes in West Bridgford, but not for the reduction to 30% outside of West Bridgford, stating that there is a need to appeal to both young families, as well as elderly people. Instead, he makes the argument that these requirements need to meet local needs.

Accounting for the Impact Upon the A52 and Commuting Corridor

When considering the wider impact upon local communities, many councillors raised their concerns over the failure to take into the account the impact upon the ever increasing traffic on the A52. Cllr Jones in particular expressed concerns over the scale of these huge developments and, at that time, the lack of extensive report from the Highways Agency, with little beyond the recognition that there will be a significant increase in traffic and journey times. Here Cllr Jones noted that the A52 was frequently at a standstill, expressing pity for our community, as the ‘Radcliffe on Trent citizens with the A52 that runs through the middle.’ In failing to address the highway infrastructure issues, he claims that many of these problems  are left unresolved, and become exacerbated by plans to move shops and essential services to non-central positions, which result in an inevitable increase in the uptake of car journeys.

Greenbelt Review Scheduled for 2014?

Other Councillors raised concerns over the devastating impact that these housing developments will have upon the Greenbelt around Rushcliffe and the direct impact that will be felt by the wildlife, flora and fauna within the region. Cllr Mason referred to the Core Strategy document as a ‘sad compromise’ highlighting that while it is not the plan that they would like, but that they do need to have a plan. Addressing how the ongoing review has caused much concern within the villages being affected, he draws attention to the concerns raised in light of the associated encroachment upon the countryside. Here he identified how the Local Plan Part 2, which is scheduled for later in 2014, would be the point at which the Greenbelt boundaries will be redrawn for the villages. This, of course, is an area that we are continuing to keep an eye on. As yet we have not received any clear guidance about when this will take place and the extent to which there will be a large and open public consultation, as has already been experienced by our neighbours in Gamston, Tollerton and Clifton.

However, while not all councillors were in immediate agreement with the specific detail contained within the Core Strategy document, Cllr Neil Clarke argued that Rushcliffe’s Borough Councillors should not be aiming to make commercial decisions, but rather should be working with the developers to ensure that the plan works, warning that otherwise the developers would have free reign and the council will be left without any control at all. Reinforcing how, while not everyone is happy about the plan, he asked Rushcliffe Borough Council members to recognise that they must act to ensure that they do have a local plan.

Commitment to Build A Minimum of 400 Houses In or Adjoining Radcliffe on Trent

While the report that we have produced here is designed to give our community members an overview of some of the key issues that were discussed, the documentation and recording of the meeting itself is available for your individual perusal on the Rushcliffe Borough Council website. At present, Rushcliffe Borough Council have committed to build ‘a minimum of 400 homes’ which are ‘in or adjoining Radcliffe on Trent’ as a part of their Core Strategy Local Plan. As yet, these sites are undecided, so we need to ensure that we continue to be informed about changes that are planned for our community in order that we can all participate in that discussion and ensure that our voice gets heard.

However, with that in mind, Cllr Vennett-Smith issued a very real warning that seems pertinent to a small community like ours. While we are fuelled by our commitment to seeing a brighter future for our village and we are blessed to have an active community spirit, in which we are all willing to share and participate in the journey that we have embarked upon together, he warns that ‘Over time people get fed up and forget what they are fighting for.’ We hope that this site will act as a reminder of that initial call to action and give us the impetus and strength to continue to fight with the same courage and resilience that we began with.

We have achieved an awful lot in six months and long may that continue. We will continue to press for further information over the consultation process for the forthcoming Greenbelt review and keep you updated with developments as we hear about them. At present, we are led to believe that this will be around May/ June 2014, but we are still waiting to receive clearer guidance on when this will occur and whether there will be a public consultation as a part of this process.

Over the course of the last week, we have been in contact with the Highways Agency and we have been reassured that they are conducting a review of the A52 and the impact that these developments will have upon the already heavily congested traffic around our village. Presently, they are not able to discuss the details of the two ongoing planning applications with us (for the Shelford Road site and the RSPCA site), however they are a part of the consultation process and will be offering their recommendations as a part of the ongoing planning application process to Rushcliffe Borough Council.

This Rushcliffe Core Strategy document is produced in full for ease of access below:

Rushcliffe Core Strategy - Proposed Modifications Dec 2013

Don't Forget: Wharf Lane Recreation Ground at 1.30pm Today (Sun 26th Jan) Nottingham Post Want You!

Don't forget to visit the Wharf Lane Recreation Ground at 1.30pm for The Nottingham Post photo shoot. They are looking for an image to produce alongside their article on the planned cuts to Radcliffe on Trent Parish Council's budget. This will feature in Monday's edition.

Please promote and share this opportunity to anyone and everyone (family pets included)! It would be great to have a really good turn out to show our support for Radcliffe on Trent Parish Council and the good work that they do in maintaining and supporting our green space and leisure facilities in the village.

Stick on your rain mac and do it for the kids x

Congratulations: We Made It to 10,000 Visitors This Evening

Congratulations us!

The Radcliffe Community site made it to 10,000 visitors this evening and with that we are planning a review of our activities over the last 6 months since this page began. What started out as a mission to share information about the planned housing developments in Radcliffe on Trent has quickly grown to a position in which the Radcliffe Community Group are now consultees as a part of that process.

This is all thanks to the support of our wonderful community, so to repeat - congratulations us!

(c) Warner Bros. 2013

New information is emerging all the time about changes and developments within our community and we will continue to share that information so that we can all benefit from participating in the discussions surrounding the future of our village.

We are in the process of creating a separate Facebook page in which we will continue to share this information. The existing discussion groups for Greenbelt and Pool will continue to exist in their own right, and we imagine that new ones will arise as new campaigns and issues, which are relevant to our community, come to the fore. However, as our audience grows, we felt that it would be better to create a common Radcliffe Facebook News page through which we can share all of these stories as they emerge.

Since we started our online discussions, we have become very aware that the majority of these activities have been in response to the various campaigns that have become prevalent as a part of our community life. We will continue to get information out to you as quickly as we can, as we would hope that this enables all members of our community to participate in the debates and have an impact upon their eventual outcome.

It would appear that we have started a fire...

(c) Tambako 

So many thanks for all of your support over the last six months and here's to a great start to the new year as an empowered community, armed with information and enriched by the shared skills within our very own community at Radcliffe on Trent.

If you have any stories or news that you would like to share, please drop us a line at: radcliffecommunity@gmail.com

Urgent: The Nottingham Post Need You at the Wharf Rec Sunday 26th Jan at 1.30pm

Tomorrow Sunday 26th January at 1.30pm, the Nottingham Post are visiting the Wharf Lane Recreation Ground (known locally as The Rec) as they want a picture for a story that they are running on the withdrawal of funding for Radcliffe on Trent Parish Council over the next three years.

Currently our Parish Council maintain all of the parks within Radcliffe as well as The Grange Hall, St Mary's Church Hall and the Cliff Tops. At present the Wharf Lane Recreation Ground, Valley Road Park (known as the Tractor Park), the Rockley Memorial Gardens and Bingham Road Playing Fields all fall under the care of Radcliffe on Trent Parish Council, and the loss of this funding over the next three years, at present, leaves the future care of our green space a little uncertain.

The Nottingham Post are running their story on Monday and are looking for members of our community to star in a photo opportunity at The Rec at 1.30pm on Sunday, 26th January. Our local paper have been very supportive of the stories that are emerging from within our village, so if you are able to, stick on your bobble hat and pop down to participate in this photo opportunity.

All are welcome.

Save Radcliffe Pool Group Out in the Village Today

The Radcliffe group who are campaigning to save our swimming pool at Radcliffe on Trent today. If you are able to offer your support or services, please do pop on over for a chat and sign the petition if you haven't yet done so.

We are fortunate in Radcliffe to have such an active volunteering community who are keen to represent our views and to participate in key discussions on our behalf.

Police Request for Assistance: Arson on Covert Crescent

Our local Neighbourhood Watch have forwarded on a message from Nottinghamshire Police this morning. There is an urgent appeal for information regarding an arson attack on Saturday, 18th January between midnight and 12.10am.

They are seeking witnesses, information on suspicious activity and any available CCTV footage from the area.

If you can help please contact the police using this link to the Neighbourhood Alert system or call Nottinghamshire Police on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Collecting Your Views on the RSPCA site from Facebook

Please do get involved and share your views on the Facebook page about the plans submitted to develop an additional 300 houses at the RSPCA site. We are using these comments to formulate our own submission as a part of the planning application process. So far some of the concerns that you have raised include:

• The need to protect our Greenbelt land 
• Additional impact upon the A52 
• Concerns over ongoing flooding and sewer drainage along Nottingham Road 
• Building on the flood plain and under the pylons
• Concern over lack of parking and amenities in the village
• Inability of schools to cope with additional pressure

If you have any additional issues that you would like including, please be sure to include these on the Facebook page discussion, so that we can include them on your behalf. The deadline for submission of your comments is 30th January 2014. 

If anyone is willing to print and deliver hard copies of the comments form to members of their community, please email us at: radcliffecommunity@gmail.com If you are able to deliver to your own street, this would be a huge help.  

At present all of the printing costs and deliveries that we have made so far have been reliant upon the good will of our community members. Many of these have invested a considerable amount of time and energy. At present we have just about exhausted our printing avenues, so if anyone is able to help us with printing, please do email us at: radcliffecommunity@gmail.com

Planning Application Comments Form: RSPCA site

Please find a downloadable copy of the comments application form below. The deadline for return of comments on this revised application for the RSPCA site is 30th January 2014. As ever, make sure that your voice counts.

However if you are able to complete this online (I am led to believe that this is the council's preferred method of response), you can do so here, using the planning application number: 13/02498/OUT

Planning Application Comments Form RSPCA

Revised Planning Application at the RSPCA Site

We have received notification that a revised planning application has gone in on the land around the RSPCA site at Radcliffe on Trent. Please find a copy of this notification letter as below:

RSPCA Planning Application Notification Jan 2014

You can login to the Rushcliffe Borough Council site and register your comments on this revised application here using the planning application number: 13/02498/OUT

For your ease of access, a link has been placed at the top of our site. Direct comments here will have the most impact and will be received directly by Rushcliffe Borough Council.

Public Meeting: Save Radcliffe Pool - 7pm, 5th Feb 2014

Radcliffe on Trent Parish Council are holding a public meeting to enable our community to come together to discuss the recently announced plans to demolish Radcliffe on Trent Swimming Pool.

The meeting has been scheduled for:

7pm, 5th February 2014 at The Grange Hall, Radcliffe on Trent

This is your opportunity to have your say on leisure facilities in the village. Please lend your support and share your views in this meeting.

Save Radcliffe Pool: SNA Meeting Report 10 Jan 2014

The Save Radcliffe Pool group have recently met with South Notts Academy to discuss the proposed loss of the Swimming Pool in Radcliffe on Trent. You can read their report in full here:

South Notts Academy Meeting 10-1-14 Save Radcliffe Pool by Kerry Gough

Follow their action and join the discussion on their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/SaveRadcliffeSwimmingPool

Radcliffe Pool Closure Update

The Save Radcliffe Pool group are working closely with South Nottinghamshire Academy over the recently announced plans to close our pool at Radcliffe on Trent. You can read the South Nottinghamshire Academy Update below:

South Notts Academy New Build Update Dec 13

You can join in the discussion on their Facebook community page here or via the discussion on Twitter here. They endeavour to update our community as often as they are able, so please make sure that you follow their activities and have your say. Direct links have been provided at the top of the Radcliffe Community page.

Radcliffe Pool Closure Features on BBC Radio Nottingham's Breakfast Show This Morning

Radcliffe on Trent Pool closure is set to feature on this morning's BBC Radio Nottingham's Breakfast Show. Make sure you tune in to hear members of the Radcliffe community discussing this issue.

Urgent News: Rushcliffe Borough Council Update

An urgent message just came in from one of our residents:

Apparently if you have sent your comments via email on the proposed development at Shelford Road (Ref: 13/02329/OUT) you will also need to let them have your postal address.

I can't see this stated anywhere in their own letter, but just to warn you that you may be contacted asking for clarification of your address. Think Rushcliffe Borough Council might need to update the advice given on their own standardised letters.

Planning Application Notification Letter by Kerry Gough

Many thanks to Radcliffe Life Magazine for Featuring an Article on Our Campaign

Many of you will be receiving a copy of Radcliffe Life magazine this week (if you haven't already). Many thanks to the Clemmow family for including an article on our campaign in the Jan 2014 issue.

If you haven't had a chance to read it yet, you can find it on the Life Magazines site here:
http://www.life-magazines.co.uk/currentissues.php

Just click on Radcliffe Life and you will find us on page 37.

Delivery to Rushcliffe Borough Council complete. Still not done it, email now!

All of the comments forms received on the Shelford Road development have been delivered to the Rushcliffe Borough Council Offices today. Although I must say that the River Trent was a bit higher and a lot murkier today than the picture below...

(c) Rushcliffe Borough Council

If you haven't sent in your concerns, you can still do so now. Just email them to:

developmentcontrol@rushcliffe.gov.uk (using ref: 13/02329/OUT)

Go on. You don't have to write much, just outline the key issues that concern you the most, and I can guarantee that you will have the best night's sleep knowing that you did your bit. 

Off to make a Delivery of Hard Copies of Your Comments Right Now, There's Still Time to Complete Online

We are just about to make a delivery to Rushcliffe Borough Council Planning Office with your completed comments forms. There has been an ongoing jolly gathering outside my house for most of the morning. Makes you realise what a warm and welcoming community we have here at Radcliffe on Trent.

If you haven't sent on your concerns yet, there is still time. Pop it in an email today to: developmentcontrol@rushcliffe.gov.uk

Last Chance to Submit Your Concerns. Make them count!

This is it. Today is the day. Submit your Concerns to Rushcliffe Borough Council Planning Office on the Proposed Shelford Road Development. 

Take 5 minutes today to email your concerns to: developmentcontrol@rushcliffe.gov.uk 
Using ref: 13/02329/OUT Shelford Road

Or this will be gone forever

Suggested Content 
While a personalised statement of complaint will have the most impact, here is a template based upon the shared concerns raised by our community at Radcliffe on Trent.

To Whom it May Concern,

I am writing to object about the Shelford Road planning application 13/02329/OUT and the plans to build upon the Greenbelt land around Radcliffe on Trent.

With 1000 houses recently green-lit by Rushcliffe Borough Council within neighbouring Bingham, and an additional 500 houses approved in Newton, in addition to the huge development at Gamston, members of the Radcliffe community have raised their concerns over the pressure upon village life and its community.

The key objections raised by our Radcliffe on Trent community include:

• Objections to the identification of Green Belt land as a suitable place to build 
• Negative impact upon the local environment and ecology
• The increased pressure on an already heavily congested A52 and the additional impact that the approved plans for 1000 houses in Bingham would have.
• The same is the case of the 500 houses approved at Newton.
• The increased traffic through the village as a 'rat-run' as a result of the proposed roundabout at the top end of Shelford Road and suggested link through to the A52.
• Increased pressure on Shelford Road due to the impact of the existing plans to build 400 homes by William Davis Ltd. The lack of link to the A52 will result in all traffic from the site travelling down Shelford Road. This is unacceptable to our community. 
• Concern over inability of drains to cope with flooding, given the nature of the ongoing flooding within the village.
• Pressure on the village centre with a lack of adequate parking.
• Pressure on the heath centre and the increasing difficulty of access to essential services.  
• Concerns were raised over the already stretched capacities of Radcliffe on Trent Infant School and Radcliffe on Trent Junior School and the influx that a potential 2055 additional new homes would bring to the village community. 
• Additional anxieties were raised over policing and the reduction of police presence in Radcliffe on Trent with the closure of the police station. 
• Loss of village life and community appeal.  

Deadline Tomorrow: Submit Your Comments via this Short Form

Deadline 6th January 2014: 

Complete the form below, or simply email your comments to: developmentcontrol@rushcliffe.gov.uk 

Or complete a paper version and drop it at 15 Clumber Drive by 12pm, 6th January 2014 and we will hand deliver it for you.

Rushcliffe Planning Application Comments Form by Kerry Gough

Suggested Content 
While a personalised statement of complaint will have the most impact, here is a template based upon the shared concerns raised by our community at Radcliffe on Trent.

To Whom it May Concern,

I am writing to object about the Shelford Road planning application 13/02329/OUT and the plans to build upon the Greenbelt land around Radcliffe on Trent.

With 1000 houses recently green-lit by Rushcliffe Borough Council within neighbouring Bingham, and an additional 500 houses approved in Newton, in addition to the huge development at Gamston, members of the Radcliffe community have raised their concerns over the pressure upon village life and its community.

The key objections raised by our Radcliffe on Trent community include:

• Objections to the identification of Green Belt land as a suitable place to build 
• Negative impact upon the local environment and ecology
• The increased pressure on an already heavily congested A52 and the additional impact that the approved plans for 1000 houses in Bingham would have.
• The same is the case of the 500 houses approved at Newton.
• The increased traffic through the village as a 'rat-run' as a result of the proposed roundabout at the top end of Shelford Road and suggested link through to the A52.
• Increased pressure on Shelford Road due to the impact of the existing plans to build 400 homes by William Davis Ltd. The lack of link to the A52 will result in all traffic from the site travelling down Shelford Road. This is unacceptable to our community. 
• Concern over inability of drains to cope with flooding, given the nature of the ongoing flooding within the village.
• Pressure on the village centre with a lack of adequate parking.
• Pressure on the heath centre and the increasing difficulty of access to essential services.  
• Concerns were raised over the already stretched capacities of Radcliffe on Trent Infant School and Radcliffe on Trent Junior School and the influx that a potential 2055 additional new homes would bring to the village community. 
• Additional anxieties were raised over policing and the reduction of police presence in Radcliffe on Trent with the closure of the police station. 
• Loss of village life and community appeal.  

Our MP Kenneth Clarke Speaks Out on Local Planning Issues

Rt Hon Kenneth Clarke gave the Radcliffe Community Group advice on how to approach the recent planning issues that we are facing around the development of our Greenbelt in Radcliffe on Trent. In our meeting of Sat, 14^th December, while recognising the issue of planning as a highly emotive subject, and highlighting how as our MP for Rushcliffe, he had no powers where planning decisions were concerned, he was able to offer us advice on how best to approach this. While he felt it was unfair to show support, or otherwise, for any one individual planning application, he was able to give advice based upon how to tackle developments of this kind. Here he outlined the processes involved in the decision making surrounding planning applications, such as the recent William Davis Ltd. application that is currently under review on the Greenbelt land at Shelford Road Farm.

While it is good to have the support of our local Radcliffe on Trent Parish Councillors, he identified how ‘The decision will be taken by Rushcliffe Borough Council and they will have to reach their own decision in line with planning practice and guidelines…’ To this end, it was his immediate suggestion that we contact our Rushcliffe Borough Councillors and Nottinghamshire County Councillors directly to express our concerns over the exact nature of these developments in a way which addresses these planning issues and objections directly.

Protection of Our Greenbelt

While we did request MP Clarke’s support on the broader issue surrounding the protection of the Greenbelt land that surrounds Radcliffe on Trent, he highlighted that he was unable to comment explicitly upon this, but reassured us that this would feature as a part of next year’s Greenbelt review for Rushcliffe. The site is still designated Greenbelt and, as yet, the review has not gone ahead. In addition to this, we also asked for his support on the wider issue of the A52 and the existing pressures upon this as the major carriageway that serves Nottingham from the surrounding areas. To this end we pointed out that these were issues that would be faced not only by residents of Radcliffe on Trent, but would be an issue faced more broadly by all of those communities who were reliant upon the A52 corridor for access to Nottingham.

It was highlighted to us that this discussion of the pressures on the A52 would be an issue that would be under consideration as a part of the Rushcliffe Core Strategy and the wider review of future development across Rushcliffe. However, as far as decisions over individual planning applications is concerned, ‘Each one has to be looked at on its merits, and most of them have arguments for and against, but the Borough councillors are elected to take a decision weighing up the merits and the main people to canvas are your elected Borough Councillors who are members of the body which is charged with being the planning authority.’

Planning and Process: How it Works for Us

When asking for clarification over the process for prospective applications on Greenbelt land, MP Clarke highlighted how while the existing laws are in place to protect the Greenbelt, ‘it does not mean that absolutely nothing can be contemplated for the land which is currently designated Greenbelt.’  Here he highlighted how the argument put forward by the developers needs to be compellingly presented and that there is a need to demonstrate ‘exceptional circumstances’. In this situation he identified how ‘To make a decision, you have a look at the facts of each individual case and you have to decide whether it justifies the description of exceptional circumstances.’ MP Clarke felt that in Rushcliffe’s future, ‘There will be modifications to the Greenbelt. But in the meanwhile, the presumption is that you don’t have development on the Greenbelt unless there are some exceptional circumstances.’ So if we are to understand this correctly, this would mean that an application would not be granted on the Greenbelt unless there are ‘exceptional circumstances’ which would justify granting it. At present it would seem that there are no exceptional circumstances evident in the proposal, so it would appear that there is hope yet.  

While he was sympathetic to the position of local councillors in Rushcliffe for the difficult decisions that they are facing at the moment, he identified how as a part of Rushcliffe Borough, ‘Our problem is, it’s not a former industrial area, it doesn’t have brownfield sites. Which is why the problem of getting an agreed local plan in Rushcliffe is so difficult.’ He went on to identify how there is a

‘Need to get the balance right between the public interest and allowing some continuous development and contributing to building the number of houses that we need and on the one hand, the need to protect the amenity of local residents, the environment, the Greenbelt and so on, and it’s not an easy task.’

The Greenbelt Review?

However, with that said, he did recognise the argument surrounding the protection of small communities and pocket villages like Radcliffe that surround Nottingham. In this case, he did recognise that ‘That’s a perfectly valid argument; we do not want the conurbation to creep out swallowing village after village.’ It is nice to know that our MP knows our village and, in discussion, highlighted how ‘Shelford Road has always struck me as an ordinary agricultural landscape.’

Raising our concerns about the fact that Radcliffe on Trent has not, as yet, featured in real terms as a part of the Rushcliffe Local Plan or Core Strategy Development documentation and its plans for development on the Greenbelt, would suggest that there is still room for us to raise our concerns over these developments. We asked whether there would be a large and open consultation process as had recently been offered to the Gamston, Tollerton and Clifton residents, and while not forthcoming in an answer on this issue, he did reassure us that the future of Radcliffe on Trent’s Greenbelt boundary would feature as a part of the next stage of the Core Strategy review. Rushcliffe’s recently released Rushcliffe Greenbelt Review Document (November 2013) states the following on this issue:

‘More detailed changes around Key Settlements in or adjacent to the Green Belt (Bingham, Cotgrave, Keyworth, Ruddington and Radcliffe on Trent) and a review of possible minor adjustments around other villages inset from the Green Belt will take place at a later date in support of the second part of the Local Plan.’

At this stage we are led to believe that this will take place in May/June 2014, however despite pressing on this issue with our MP, local councillors and Rushcliffe Borough Council, we have not been able to gain any further clarification on this subject beyond being referred back to this document, so we include it in full here for your ease of access. Our MP Kenneth Clarke did highlight how

‘Actually the most difficult powers the council have are planning. That is what they are elected to decide, but there is a bit of pressure on them from national policy, because with some councils the easy way out is to turn every application down and just challenge the planning inspectorate to allow the appeals to be turned round and say it’s not my fault. The whole point of a local plan is to give them more responsibility. Once they’ve settled where they’re prepared to contemplate development, then it is added protection for the rest and they can control how it’s developed.’

As such the forthcoming review of Radcliffe on Trent’s Greenbelt review will have the largest decisive factor upon the development of our village community and as such we will continue to fight to have our say on issues that affect us and the impact upon us immediately within our village community.

Failing Drainage and Increased Traffic for the A52 and Our Village

When presenting the concerns of the members of the Radcliffe on Trent community about the proposed development on our Greenbelt, particularly in light of the concerns over the environment, increased traffic, failing drainage, as well as the increased and ongoing flooding issues currently faced by our village community, our MP advised us to put all of these issues into our complaints to Rushcliffe Borough Council. Our MP Kenneth Clarke identified how both ‘The County Council as well as the Borough are involved in the transport consequences, and I do realise that everything along the A52 into Nottingham is heavily loaded.’

When highlighting the massive pressure that has already been exerted upon the A52 as a result of the increase in development across the commuting corridor, and fears amongst our village members as to the impact that all of the developments that have already been granted planning permission will eventually have upon the A52 once complete (in excess of 1500 houses within miles of Radcliffe on Trent and thousands more further along the A52 in the directions of both Grantham and Gamston), our MP acknowledged that ‘The commute to Nottingham from Radcliffe, I am led to believe is a nightmare every morning. It’s got over-loaded over time and transport problems are one of the things that will inhibit it eventually, I would imagine.’

He went on to reassure us that he was well aware of the situation surrounding our village and had already been approached about concerns surrounding the plans to develop the Shelford Road site at Radcliffe on Trent, but that our meeting with him had brought him up to date. He reassured us that he would raise all of these issues personally with our local Rushcliffe Councillors and ensure that our views are taken into consideration, stating that ‘We are now in the middle of a full-blooded argument, discussion, consultation about this decision.’ However, we do need to do this for ourselves, and the more weight that we can put behind this in terms of individual responses to the Rushcliffe Planning office, the better. Recognising how ‘Ordinary citizens just want the merits of the case to be decided objectively and fairly, by someone who’s looked at both sides and takes a decision. And that is what the Borough Council is for.’

The time for us to act is now

As of today we have 2 days remaining to raise our concerns with Rushcliffe Borough Council. To do nothing is to seal our fate. Issues of traffic, drainage and environment are some of the key planning issues that the council will listen to and as such we would ask you to raise your concerns on these issues and any other issues that will have an impact upon our village to the planning office.  

You can raise your concerns in the following ways:

Write in person to the Planning Office at Rushcliffe Borough Council (quoting reference 13/02329/OUT Shelford Road Farm):
Planning Office Ref: 13/02329/OUT, Development Control, Civic Centre, Pavillion Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham NG2 5FE

Or; Email your concerns directly to the Planning Office directly here: developmentcontrol@rushcliffe.gov.uk

Or; Complete the template form available here, returning it to either of the postal addresses or email addresses above

Rushcliffe Planning Application Comments Form

In addition

You should write in person to your local Councillors Jean Smith and Neil Clarke at Rushcliffe Borough Council at: Civic Centre, Pavilion Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham NG2 5FE
Or email:
Cllr Jean Smith at: Cllr.JSmith@rushcliffe.gov.uk
Cllr Neil Clarke at: Cllr.JClarke@rushcliffe.gov.uk

This advice provided by Rt Hon Kenneth Clarke is applicable to any grass roots social action group, such as ours, and so will benefit others that find themselves in our situation.