The 7 members of Fenland District Council Planning Committee had a very robust debate on several planning applications. Some of the applications are difficult and emotive.
Several speakers promoting or in cases objecting to applications have to be taken into account. All decisions are planning based.
Click Here FDC Planning Meeting 20-03-24
|
Over the past few weeks we’ve been tackling illegal drugs and exploitation across Cambridgeshire. Operation Hypernova 2 is the culmination of months of intelligence and partnership working in a bid to make the county hostile towards county lines drugs dealers, prevent further exploitation of young and vulnerable people and reduce serious street-based violence. The operation, which is the biggest of its kind in the county, has resulted in 60 arrests with 33 of those being charged with 93 drug and human trafficking offences. Officers carried out more than 30 dawns raids over recent weeks across Cambridge, Peterborough, Yaxley, Great Paxton, Burwell and Little Wilbraham as well as over the borders in Bedford, Dunstable, Luton, Northampton, Crowland, Leicester, Sheffield, Rotherham, Sheffield, Teesside, Coventry and London. Fifty-one county lines have been dismantled with crack cocaine, cocaine, heroin and cannabis seized along with £45,000 in cash and other assets. Further lines have been disrupted. Several weapons including zombie knives, machetes, knuckle dusters and imitation firearms have also been seized. See the team in action on this video. The proactive work was carried out with support from the Metropolitan Police’ Orochi Team, the Eastern Regional Specialist Operation Unit (ERSOU), British Transport Police to identify those individuals posing the greatest threat to the community. Although these intensification weeks have come to an end, our work to gather intelligence continues daily and we will continue to knock on doors, make arrests and disrupt county lines drug dealing in Cambridgeshire. However, we can’t do this alone. We need you, Roy, members of our community, your intelligence and your concerns reported to us to continue to make our communities and indeed the county a hostile place for county lines. If you’ve got any information you can share with us, please do so via this link. Detective Inspector Andrew Gaunt-Warner Intelligence and Specialist Crime Department. |
Normally one Planning meeting a month, this month there will be an additional meeting.
Agenda frontsheet 20032024 1300 Planning CommitteeTwo years of a little TLC from my wife Connie has produced a wonderful flowering Cherry Blossom, give a few more years……
The posting below was 04-03-2022
The recently 6 Japanese Cherry Tree’s donated from the Japanese Ambassador via MP Steve Barclay were planted at our prefered locations.
Unfortunately the one planted in St Marys Church yard did not conform with Church rules and law, which states only native trees can be planted (unknown to most of us)
So looking for a new home, I found one here at Ashline Grove.
The tree will mature not too large and will add some colour.
Cllr Kay Mayor with myself and The Tivoli Team re-locating the Japanese Cherry Tree.
This week is Safer Business Action Week, where we will be highlighting the work that we do with the businesses in the area to combat retail crime, such as shoplifting and anti-social behaviour (ASB).
Today, PCSOs from our March neighbourhood team have been visiting businesses, engaging with the staff members to hear about their concerns. This includes encouraging them to report any incidents to us, so we are able to identify offenders and hotspot areas.
This is a priority for the team based on the feedback we get from the community. In a bid to tackle retail crime across the sector, we will continue these patrols and engaging with workers.
You can find more information around preventing business crime and the option to report to us on our website 
https://orlo.uk/PClvW
#MarchNPT #SaBA
Please find below summaries of the latest news from our courts over the last week – click on each headline to read the full story.
Cambridgeshire
Drink driver more than four times the limit
Dangerous driver banned for six years
Drug dealer caught following collision in Cambridge
Drug dealer tried to bite and spit at officers
Stalker who set former partner’s car on fire is jailed
Drug dealer hid stash of crack cocaine in fake beer can
Peterborough
Peterborough flat “closed” to reduce anti-social behaviour
Thief jailed after breaching Criminal Behaviour Order
Whittlesey chocolate thief found with knife
Drink driver crashed in residential street
Neighbourhood officers catch class A drug dealers
Chocolate thief breached court order two weeks after prison release
Jail for wanted man who goaded police on social media
You can find more news from the force online here.
Superintendent Ben Martin took over the role as head of local policing in Fenland and Peterborough at the end of last year, and now he’s settled into the role he wants to hear from you and offer the opportunity to answer your questions.
Response policing (deploying officers to respond to your calls for service across the district)
Neighbourhood policing (community-based problem-solving and tackling local issues)
Investigations
I am a committee member of Fenland District Council Planning Committee, and publish these observations in the general interest of transparency on Council matters.
I did not attend the meeting myself and another WTC supplied the observations.
Whittlesey Town Council are a consultee on planning applications.
Decisions are taken into account at the Planning Authority – Fenland District Council.
P30/2024. Update from Will Hodgson, Louise Simmonds from BDW and Andrew Hodgson from Pegasus Group regarding Land North of March Road, Coates.
Louise not present.
Brief update. Progressing. BDW have pre-app discussions with FDC.
Archaeological investigations complete. + Drainage assessments.
Not putting in application at this time. Still in discussions. Waiting for new local plan. Waiting for new head of planning. Education contributions key – no resolution. Working with education consultant, CCC & FDC.
County have no funds for £13m school – places needed before houses! Return in 3-4 months time.
P29/2024. Public Forum (Time allowed 15 Minutes)
Stephen Goldspink: F/YR24/0145/) (Three Horseshoes). Villagers shocked to learn of planning. No for sale board. Only community facility. Landmark of historical interest. Residents Assosc. set up to oppose and register as ACV. Submitted with FDC.
75 /(20% of village) joined to oppose the plan.
NPPF recognises importance of village pubs. Summary produced and circulated.
Much made of unviability – but can’t be viable when people don’t know when it’s open.
F/YR24/0145/O – Erect up to 5 x dwellings (outline application with matters committed in respect of access) involving the demolition of existing Public House at The Three Horseshoes 344 March Road Turves Peterborough Cambridgeshire PE7 2DN
Coates and Eastrea Ward: BNW, BW
Previous Application: F/YR19/0895/F (Erect 2 dwellings).
Principle of Development
The site lies adjacent to residential and commercial development and on an access currently serving a residential property. As such, the site is considered to lie within the settlement of Turves.
Policy LP3 of the FLP identifies Turves as a ‘small village’ whereby development will be considered on its own merits but will normally be of a very limited nature and normally be limited in scale to residential infilling or a small business opportunity.
Policy LP12 (Part A) supports development which contributes to the sustainability of the settlement and does not harm the wide, open character of the countryside and satisfies all of criteria (a) to (k) covering matters such as; relationship and scale to the settlement and
neighbouring settlements, retention and respect of; natural boundaries, ecology and biodiversity features, and exposure to identified risks.
As such, the principle of the development is supported.
BUT: Emerging Fenland Local Plan: part of the site (plot 5) is OUTSIDE the Settlement Boundary (LP1) shown on Inset Map 23 (Aug 2022) – does not rule out development, but is a consideration.
NPPF (92 c) “guard against the unnecessary loss of valued facilities and services, particularly where this would reduce the community’s ability to meet its day-to-day needs.”
FLP LP6: “Retaining community facilities
Proposals that would lead to the loss of community facilities (e.g. public houses, village shops, community halls, post offices) will only be permitted if:
1) it can be demonstrated that the retention of the facility is no longer financially viable and an appropriate marketing exercise has been carried out, and it can be demonstrated that there is a lack of community need for the facility, or
2) an alternative facility is provided. “Appropriate Marketing” – Offered for sale through Daveyco since Feb 2020. Some interest & viewing, but no takers. No local knowledge of the sale. Since planning application a lot of local interest in retaining the Community Facility. Need to decide if level of marketing has been “appropriate”.
Asset of Community Value” – moves being taken to register as ACV. Once listed, if an Asset of Community Value comes up for sale, the community have an opportunity to make a bid to purchase the asset. Initially there will be a period in which communities can express an intention to bid for an asset, this is followed by a period during which communities can prepare their bid. The owner cannot dispose of the asset during this time.
This does NOT prevent planning permission – Planning Authority (FDC) can decide if it is a “Material Consideration”.
65 public comments. 50 object, 15 support. Objections are overwhelmingly about loss of Community Space, together with complaints about erratic opening affecting perceived viability. Several hand-written letters of support on same heading, appearance of solicited support, rather than spontaneous.
FDC officers discussing 10/04, at committee 01/05.
BNW proposes refusal until more appropriate marketing is carried out. – agreed.
A man who stole chocolate from a shop in Whittlesey has been jailed after he was found in possession of a knife. On 15 September last year, Lloyd Speight, 36, entered Lincolnshire Co-Op in West End, Whittlesey, picked up a basket and filled it with about £60 of chocolate and left without paying.
Police officers recognised Speight whilst on patrol in Cathedral Square, Peterborough city centre, on 4 November, and after running his details through the Police National Computer (PNC), he was arrested after flagging as being wanted for the shoplifting offence.
He was further arrested for being in possession of a knife in a public place after one was found in his pocket during a search.
Speight, of Riseholme, Orton Goldhay, appeared at Cambridge Magistrates’ Court on Friday (8 March), where he was sentenced to six months in prison.
He has also been ordered to pay £55.60 in compensation to the Co-Op.
PC Chris Grant, who investigated, said: “Despite Speight’s claims that the knife was going to be used to repair his bike, it is still an offence to be in possession of a knife in a public place, and is imperative that we get them off of the streets before they potentially cause harm to someone.
“Knife crime is an issue that we as a force are continually tackling, and I urge anyone with concerns around someone who may be carrying a weapon to report it to us.”
Anyone with information or concerns about someone who carries a weapon is urged to report to police online via the dedicated knife crime information webpage.
