East Cambs Full Council meeting

Last night (8 January) saw the first East Cambridgeshire District Council full council meeting of 2015. Of particular interest to Sutton were the two items on Neighbourhood Plans: one to agree Sutton Parish Council’s application to be considered a neighbourhood plan area, the other to agree the process by which the District Council will play the part it must play by law in supporting the parish council through the process.

This means that the parish can now proceed to the next stage of drawing up its plan and consulting local residents on it. We will shortly receive a questionnaire from the parish council as the next stage in this process.

I welcomed the application, and congratulated the parish council on being the first one in East Cambridgeshire to start this process.

The council unanimously supported a motion from my group to support Ely & Soham Dial a Ride, which had said it would wind down in March due to financial difficulties, and ensure a sustainable community transport service for the future. The council also agreed a separate report proposing to provide one-off financial support of £15,000 to Ely & Soham Dial a Ride and offer in-kind support to the organisation in a complete review of its operation.

Following the announcement by Tesco yesterday morning that it would not be proceeding with its proposal to develop a new superstore at a new location on Angel Drove in Ely, I asked the council leader an urgent question about what this meant for his strategy including for the Station Gateway project and the Ely Southern Bypass.

The Leader replied that he and the council’s Chief Executive were informed of Tesco’s decision by brief letter yesterday morning and had held a number of meetings. He said Tesco’s decision would not stop him in his determination to build the Ely Southern Bypass (though it’s not clear on what financial basis, now that there is no Government money this coming year either), but that he had always seen the Station Gateway project as ‘long term’ – which is somewhat surprising as the Supplementary Planning Document was due to be finalised in the next few months.  I will be seeking further information about the effect of the announcement on the finances and the timetable of this project.

Planning application: single storey rear extension, 10 Sutton Court

An application has been received by the District Council for a single storey rear extension at 10 Sutton Court.  You can see the application details online: click View the weekly list, and choose the Simple tab. The reference number of this application is 14/01427/FUL.

The application can also be viewed at the District Council offices during office hours, or at the parish council offices at The Glebe by arrangement with the Parish Clerk.

If you wish to comment on this application, you need to do so by Friday 30 January.

Planning application at 3 Ely Road, Sutton

A planning application has been received by East Cambridgeshire District Council for an additional four-bedroomed property at 3 Ely Road, on the corner of Churchill Close.

The application is online on the district council’s website – search for reference number 14/01392/FUL.  Alternatively it can be viewed at the Council’s offices in Ely during office hours, or the Parish Council holds a copy of the application which can be viewed by arrangement with the Parish Clerk.

Comments on the application may be received by the district council until 23 January 2015 – and of course as your district councillor I would be interested in any views you may have.

Christmas and New Year waste collections

East Cambridgeshire District Council has published the arrangements for collecting the rubbish over Christmas and New Year.

  • The collection due on Monday 22 December will take place as usual.
  • The collection due on Monday 29 December will take place on Tuesday 30 December.
  • The collection due on Monday 5 January will take place on Tuesday 6 January.
  • From Monday 12 January normal service will resume.

Christmas cards, non-foil wrapping paper and cardboard tubes from Christmas crackers can all be recycled in your blue bin.  Real Christmas trees will be collected until 31 January if left for collection next to your green bin. Please cut into lengths no longer than the height of the bin.

Witchford Recycling Centre will close from 1pm on Christmas Eve and will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

Planning application: 49 The Row

A planning application 14/01303/FUL has been received by East Cambridgeshire District Council for a new two-bedroomed two-storey chalet dwelling behind 47 and 49 The Row.

You can see the details of the fresh application by going to the council’s planning applications page and entering the reference number above.  When you have done this, you can hit the Documents tab to see the application and associated papers, or hit the Comments tab to make a comment on the application.

Alternatively, you can see the application at the district council offices in Ely during office hours, or by arrangement with the parish clerk at the Glebe.

Planning permission for a two-bedroomed chalet dwelling (14/00061/FUL) at this location was refused earlier this year for several reasons, but the application has been revised and re-submitted.

If you have any views about this application that you would like me to know about, do get in touch with me no later than Thursday 18 December.

Planning application: Land Adjacent To 16 Tower Road

As a district councillor, I’m contacted about each planning application that the council receives for land in Sutton. I thought it might be a useful service to share these as they arise.

Planning application 14/01245/FUL is for a new two-storey three-bedroomed house on land next to 16 Tower Road, immediately opposite the water tower.  You can see the details by going to the council’s planning applications page and entering the reference number above.  When you have done this, you can hit the Documents tab to see the application and associated papers, or hit the Comments tab to make a comment on the application.

Alternatively, you can see the application at the district council offices in Ely during office hours, or by arrangement with the parish clerk at the Glebe.

If you have any views about this application that you would like me to know about, do get in touch with me no later than Wednesday 3 December.

Planning: more power to local people?

Sutton is blazing a trail in East Cambridgeshire, with an application to start producing a Neighbourhood Plan, giving more power to local people to shape development in the village.

Sutton Parish Council has submitted a letter to the District Council to open this process, with a map showing that the area of the Neighbourhood Plan will be the same as that of the parish.  Residents have until 5pm on New Year’s Eve to comment on the proposed boundary of the Neighbourhood Area.

If approved, the parish council will then be able to start work on preparing the Plan. This can establish planning policies for development and use of land, including new housing and employment premises. These will then form part of the District Council’s planning rules.

The drawing up of the Plan must involve local residents and the community as a whole.  And at the end of the process, all residents of Sutton on the electoral register will be given a vote in a referendum on whether or not the Neighbourhood Plan should be put in place.

The Royal Town Planning Institute has published a useful guide to the process here.

 

Gaining seats from Tories and Labour

Winners Epping Hemnall and Queen Edith's

Seven and a half weeks ago victorious Liberal Democrats took Epping Hemnall (Epping Forest District Council) from the Conservatives. And on Thursday this week the Liberal Democrats gained Queen Edith’s (Cambridge City Council) from Labour. It’s real votes in real ballot boxes that count, and these results show there’s all to play for next May here in the East of England. Congratulations to respective winners Kim Adams and Viki Sanders!