Radcliffe Community Meeting: 7.30pm The Trent, Shelford Road, Radcliffe

We are excited to hold our first public Radcliffe Community meeting this evening. We have lots of news to share and plans for action that you can participate in. Our campaign has generated some really beneficial interest from the people that matter, so we need to get together as a community to press home the message that we really want to share.

If there are any amateur photographers planning to attend tonight, please do bring your camera, as we would love to use your images to update the website for those who are unable to attend this evening.

Looking forward to meeting you all tonight for a bit of sociable community action.

Nottingham Post: Rural Action in Action - Some Great News for Us!

Read Dan Russell's full article in today's Nottingham Post detailing Stapleford & Trowell Rural Action Group's (STRAG) successful campaign against Broxtowe Borough Council's plans to build on the Greenbelt land at Field Farm and Eric Pickles MP's response to 'call in' and review the decision.

As a direct result of Dan's initial article yesterday, a few interesting things have happened. We got in touch with the folk at STRAG and they have offered us some solid advice on how we can tackle Rushcliffe Borough Council's plans to build on our own Greenbelt in Radcliffe, and the Campaign to Protect Rural England have similarly offered technical expertise to assist us in our fight.

Three brown fields that once were green... thanks to William Davis Ltd.

And they don't have planning permission yet!

But the best conversation of the week was directly with Nottingham Post journalist, Dan Russell, via Twitter and the support being extended to small communities like ours who are facing widespread Greenbelt devastation.

Don't you just love it when the local press step up to represent community groups like ours.
We love Nottingham Post!

@RadCommunity @Rushcliffe thanks. The full story is in tomorrow. Also online in the morning
— Dan Russell (@DanRussell12000) July 29, 2013

@RadCommunity not a problem. I know @EmilyWinsor is keen to do a story with you if you are hoping for a similar outcome?
— Dan Russell (@DanRussell12000) July 29, 2013

@DanRussell12000 @EmilyWinsor We most certainly are!!!! First public meeting meeting scheduled for Weds, so more to say after that.
— Radcliffe Community (@RadCommunity) July 29, 2013

Success for Stapleford & Trowell Rural Action Group: Eric Pickles MP calls in plan due to 'conflict with national policies'

Stapleford and Trowell Rural Action Group (STRAG) have experienced success in a similar campaign to our own. Announced today, it has been revealed that the plans by Broxtowe Borough Council 'may conflict with national policies' which includes the use of Greenbelt land.

Read the full article here. There is hope!

Mother Nature Bites Back: Soggy Surveyors and Coagulated Mud

Some very wet surveyors and muddy conditions. Oh small joy!

Call to Action: Inspirational Film from Campaign to Protect Rural England

Campaign to Protect Rural England have made a film which acts as a wonderful call to action, please make every effort attend this Wednesday's Community Meeting at The Trent (7.30 for 8pm, 31st July 2013) for a bit of sociable community action.

No armour necessary, just some good spirit, fire in your belly and bit of loose change to buy a drink.

 

With over 1600 site visitors to our site here's a little celebratory dance for you...

But...

as the archaeological survey work continues in William Davis Ltd.'s preparation for planning application submission, it makes us feel deeply sympathetic for Treebeard's Last March of the Ents in The Lord of the Rings (c) Twentieth Century Fox

Radcliffe Community Public Meeting: 7.30pm Weds, 31st July 2013 Radcliffe Needs Your Help

It is official. We have our first Radcliffe on Trent community public meeting scheduled for Weds, 31st July 2013 at The Trent, Shelford Road, Radcliffe on Trent and we need your help. Across our village, it has very quickly emerged that we have a shared skillset and expertise that places us in good stead to get our voices heard as a community.

We are undoubtedly passionate folk and this morning we have had our 1400th visitor to the website. Not bad considering that we only started our fact-finding and myth-busting mission just under a month ago. It is uplifting to see how many people have enquired about getting involved. What a wonderful shared community spirit we have! Let's keep our village the way we know and love. Please share this invitation with anyone and everyone you can think of. This will be the first of many meetings, but in the first instance let's meet up and see what we can do if we put our heads together.

 'Together, ordinary people can achieve extraordinary results.' Becka Schoettle

Radcliffe on Trent Community Greenbelt Meeting 31 July 2013 by RadcliffeCommunity

What You Can Do: Action Update 27 July 2013

Your voice is key to saving our Greenbelt land at Radcliffe on Trent. Indifference and inertia will result in a loss of our Greenbelt. Act now.

What you can do:

Sign our Petition
In the first instance, sign our Greenbelt petition here.

Complete the William Davis Ltd. Questionnaire: Deadline 1st August 2013 
You should now complete the William Davis Ltd. 'Public Exhibition Questionnaire, which can be found here.

Please be aware that no planning permission has yet been approved, and although William Davis Ltd. are the only ones who will see or make use of your comments in this instance, you can still make your feelings known on the subject in preparation for the opening of Rushcliffe Borough Council's own public consultation.

Write to your Rushcliffe Councillors (currently this will have the most impact)
You can write to our Radcliffe on Trent Councillors at the following addresses:

Mrs Jean Audrey Smith
The Old School House, Main Street, Cropwell Butler, Nottingham NG12 3AB

Tel: 0115 933 3616

Email: Cllr.JSmith@rushcliffe.gov.uk 

(Jonathan) Neil Clarke
The Old Barn, Hickling, Leicestershire LE14 3AJ

Tel: 0115 914 8277

Email: Cllr.JClarke@rushcliffe.gov.uk 

(James) Eddie Fearon
19 Orford Avenue, Radcliffe on Trent NG12 2DD
Tel: 0115 9334217
Email: Cllr.jfearon@rushcliffe.gov.uk

David Vincent Smith
85 Whitworth Drive, Radcliffe on Trent NG12 2ER
Tel: 0115 9334786
Email: Cllr.dsmith@rushcliffe.gov.uk

Write to Radcliffe on Trent Parish Council (while ROTPC have minimal impact, they are consulted on decisions to develop our Greenbelt, ultimately Rushcliffe Borough Council will make the decisions on our Greenbelt)

You can raise your concerns with Radcliffe on Trent Parish Council here: 

The Grange, Vicarage Lane, Radcliffe on Trent, Nottingham, NG12 2FB

Email: clerk@rotpc.com

Write to our MP Kenneth Clarke 
In addition, you can write to your MP Kenneth Clark here.
Or at:
Rushcliffe House, 17/19 Rectory Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham, NG2 6BE
Tel: 0115 981 7224
Email: office@rushcliffeconservatives.com
Or,
House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
Tel: 020 7219 4528
Email: clarkek@parliament.uk
We need to make our feelings as a community clear to all of those involved in the decision making process.

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

To Whom it May Concern,

I am writing this letter to object about Rushcliffe Borough Council's plans to build on 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, 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.
• Concerns were raised over the drastic decrease in property values for Radcliffe residents who had paid a premium for the views across the Green Belt.
• 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. 
• 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. 
• Concern over inability of drains to cope with flooding, given the nature of the ongoing flooding within the village.
• 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.  

We do not want this additional housing and we are against the development of Greenbelt land as a site for housing. Once our Greenbelt land is lost, it is lost forever. 

If we have missed anything off please drop us an email at: radcliffecommunity@gmail.com

Campaign to Protect Rural England 
Sign the Campaign to Protect Rural England petition here.

William Davis Ltd. 'Public Consultation' and Plans to Build on our Greenbelt: 1st August Deadline

It was good to see so many members of the Radcliffe on Trent community participate in the 'public consultation' with William Davis Ltd. on the 18th July 2013. Like all good public speakers, William Davis Ltd. put on a good show about their plans and how they intend to be sympathetic to the needs of the village. It was also reassuring to hear how many of you held them to account on a whole host of issues that will have an impact upon our village community in Radcliffe on Trent. However, as a community we need to be wary of such 'public consultations' for the reasons outlined below.

Radcliffe on Trent William Davis Ltd Greenbelt Consultation Meeting July 2013

Part of the strategy for holding such 'public consultations' as the one held recently by William Davis Ltd. is to ensure that that they have fulfilled some of the initial stages of community consultation in order to place them in a more favourable position to gain planning permission. So, in speaking with us, and holding sessions such as this, when they put their application in they can state how they have consulted with the community, and will then look at some of the concerns raised to see how they can address them in order to gain planning permission. Do not be fooled.

William Davis Ltd Shelford Road Greenbelt Plans and Comments

In addition, while giving us an opportunity to complete their 'Public Exhibition Questionnaire', part of the rationale behind this is to garner opinion so that they can recognise where the points of conflict are so that they can be addressed in a way that makes it more likely for them to gain planning permission, but also to allow you let of steam and complain while you are angry.

 This has two significant results; i) you feel as though you have had your say on the matter and that your concerns will be listened to and ii) it helps in generating survey fatigue in members of the community. The direct impact here is that when Rushcliffe Borough Council begin their own public consultation, which is the one that really matters as they are the decision-makers, the Radcliffe on Trent community will feel as though they have already had their say and so not bother to register their concerns with Rushcliffe Borough Council. 

So what do we do? By all means complete the William Davis Ltd.'s 'Public Exhibition Questionnaire' (available below) and make your concerns about the plans to build on our greenbelt very clear, however do be aware that this information will be used by William Davis Ltd. to develop their application for planning permission. The only people who will see your comments will be William Davis Ltd. However, it is our recommendation that you see this as a rehearsal for the complains that we will need to put in to Rushcliffe Borough Council. So by all means complete the form below and return it via the methods outlined on the form. The deadline for this is 1st August 2013.

William Davis Ltd Radcliffe on Trent Shelford Road Greenbelt Survey

A copy of this can be down loaded for completion by clicking on the link above.

Sunday Times Article Discusses Threat to the Greenbelt Across the Country

The article below discusses the plight faced by our Greenbelt across the country. This is quite scary considering that developers are targeting developments across the country on designated Greenbelt land. It is high time we stood up to this as a community on Radcliffe on Trent. Details of a Radcliffe Community meeting to follow this weekend

Sunday Times Article Discussing Greenbelt Destruction

No Plans Submitted, No Greenbelt Review, Yet Preparatory Work is Underway

As we sit planning the next stage of our community complaint about the review to our Greenbelt land at Radcliffe on Trent, work has already begun in the Shelford Road end of the village. 

This is curious considering that this site is still designated Greenbelt land and as yet no plans have been submitted to Rushcliffe Borough Council for planning permission. This film was taken at 10am this morning (22nd July 2013), only 4 days after William Davis conducted a public presentation in which a large turn-out of the Radcliffe on Trent community made their feelings about the imposition on our Greenbelt land very clear. We do not want these houses building on our Greenbelt.