First Public Meeting of 2014
Tonight was the first meeting of Keep Beare Green Green this year and was very well attended, in fact we overflowed from the room we had booked at The Dukes Head into part of the restaurant area so we would like to apologise to diners if we disturbed them and thank everyone for coming.
The purpose of the meeting was to give a quick update on our progress against the development of housing at the Weald School but also to introduce the Green Belt Review and to publicise the 3 sites under consideration in our village.
The School: The green ribbons and the many letters to the authorities and local press have certainly increased awareness of the School's plans and our survey indicates that about 80% of local people are AGAINST the building of houses on the site. But we need a larger sample to be statistically viable so please fill in a questionnaire if you have not already done so. We wait for the School's next move.
The Green Belt Review is a discussion of sites that might be considered for removal from the Green Belt for development and there are 3 in Beare Green. These are known as BG01: Breakspeares Farm, BG03: Great Turners to the South and BG08: next to Moorhurst Lane to the North of the village. The Weald School is not being considered under the Green Belt Review but is looking to "exceptional circumstances" as a reason to allow development within the Green Belt. In addition the Solar Farm proposal on land owned by Crackerbarrel farm near the A24 to the South of Beare Green roundabout is not included in the review but is added to our list of developments which may threaten our area.
The Weald School
Crackerbarrel Farm: Map not available at this time
The purpose of the meeting was to give a quick update on our progress against the development of housing at the Weald School but also to introduce the Green Belt Review and to publicise the 3 sites under consideration in our village.
The School: The green ribbons and the many letters to the authorities and local press have certainly increased awareness of the School's plans and our survey indicates that about 80% of local people are AGAINST the building of houses on the site. But we need a larger sample to be statistically viable so please fill in a questionnaire if you have not already done so. We wait for the School's next move.
The Green Belt Review is a discussion of sites that might be considered for removal from the Green Belt for development and there are 3 in Beare Green. These are known as BG01: Breakspeares Farm, BG03: Great Turners to the South and BG08: next to Moorhurst Lane to the North of the village. The Weald School is not being considered under the Green Belt Review but is looking to "exceptional circumstances" as a reason to allow development within the Green Belt. In addition the Solar Farm proposal on land owned by Crackerbarrel farm near the A24 to the South of Beare Green roundabout is not included in the review but is added to our list of developments which may threaten our area.
BG01
BG03
BG08
The Weald SchoolCrackerbarrel Farm: Map not available at this time
Next Action:There is an exhibition/consultation by Mole Valley at Beare Green Village Hall on February 14th with full details of the Green Belt Review and everyone should attend for the information and background. Even if you are not against extra houses it is very interesting.
MVDC want your views on these proposals, not whether we are in favour or not but whether there are reasons known by locals why the sites are not suitable and should be excluded. In the next few days we will publish details of each site with a shortlist of possible issues we would ask you to consider and add to.
The main problem is that most of us moved to Beare Green because of the view from our street and we don't want this ruined. We don't want more traffic or noise but that may not be a valid reason to stop development even though it is the one which motivates us. But there are other reasons which might prevent development based on the 5 principles of the Green Belt which can be used.
The 5 principles for the existence of Green Belt are:
•To check the
unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas
•To prevent
neighbouring towns from merging into one another
•To assist in
safeguarding the countryside from encroachment
•To preserve the
setting and special character of historic towns
•To assist in urban
regeneration, by encouraging the recycling of derelict/urban land
In the case of BG08 for example the plot might not prevent Beare Green from spreading into South Holmwood but it does check the spread of unrestricted sprawl.
If you wish to object, your comments should not be about what harm the development would cause but what the removal of that piece of land from the green belt would do. That carries more weight and we will publish some examples shortly.
We can register our views by writing to Mole Valley or emailing them and each person in a household is allowed one letter per development or it may be easier for you to use their excellent website to give feedback. MVDC said it keeps costs down by submitting electronically (which in turn affects our council tax)
Many feel that Beare Green has already "done it's bit" but you might think a few extra houses is a good idea so now you can have your say.
Finding a development planned right by your house is a dreadful event for those affected but it is easy to ignore the plight of others when we are NOT directly impacted. We now have FIVE proposals around us so nearly everyone is involved, now is the time to pull together and help each other and speak with one voice and decide what Beare Green will be like in the future.
That's all for now but keep checking this Blog and we will publish as much as we can and provide the links to useful information. Please tell all you neighbours and get them on the mailing list !
In the case of BG08 for example the plot might not prevent Beare Green from spreading into South Holmwood but it does check the spread of unrestricted sprawl.
If you wish to object, your comments should not be about what harm the development would cause but what the removal of that piece of land from the green belt would do. That carries more weight and we will publish some examples shortly.
We can register our views by writing to Mole Valley or emailing them and each person in a household is allowed one letter per development or it may be easier for you to use their excellent website to give feedback. MVDC said it keeps costs down by submitting electronically (which in turn affects our council tax)
Many feel that Beare Green has already "done it's bit" but you might think a few extra houses is a good idea so now you can have your say.
Finding a development planned right by your house is a dreadful event for those affected but it is easy to ignore the plight of others when we are NOT directly impacted. We now have FIVE proposals around us so nearly everyone is involved, now is the time to pull together and help each other and speak with one voice and decide what Beare Green will be like in the future.
That's all for now but keep checking this Blog and we will publish as much as we can and provide the links to useful information. Please tell all you neighbours and get them on the mailing list !
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