THE LONDON GREEN BELT COUNCIL
Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held in the Abbey Community Centre, Westminster on 31 Jan 2001
Present
Mr J Wilkinson MP (President)
Mr L G Holt, Secretary (Chislehurst Society)
Mr 5 R Smith, Treasurer (Enfield Preservation Society)
Miss B Webb, Assistant Secretary (Rochford Hundred Amenities Society) Mrs 0 Oliver, Assistant Sec (Barnet Parish Residents Association)
Representatives of Ascot Society, Battlesbridge Protection Group, Brindles Wood Residents Assoc., Carshalton-on-the-Hill Residents Assoc., Chiltern Society, Chislehurst Soc, CPRE London, CPRE National Office, CPRE National Office, Elmbridge Evergreen, East Coulsdon Residents Assoc, Friends of Epping Forest, Friern Barnet & Whetstone RA, Gerrards Cross Parish Council , Leighton Buzzard Preservation Soc, Mill Hill Preservation Soc, Mill Hill Residents Assoc, North Mymms District Green Belt Soc. Oak Farm Residents Assoc, Open spaces soc., Otford Parish Council, Pembury Society, Pinner Association, Sevenoaks Soc, Stoke Poges Parish Council, Youth Hostels Association (South Region)
Apologies for absence Mr R W 0 Smith (Chairman), Mr M Hencke (Assistant Sec), Cyclists Touring Club, Harefield T and R A, Hatch End Association and St Lawrence Cowley RA. In the absence of the Chairman, the Secretary conducted the meeting.
Matters arising from previous minutes
Cane Hill Hospital Croydon Mr Hancock said he had been the co-ordinator of a group of six
organisations comprising LGBC, CPRE and local groups to oppose the relocation and enlargement of the medium secure unit. In December, the Council Officers, who had hitherto supported the proposal suddenly recommended against allowing the application on Green Belt grounds and the Planning Committee accepted this recommendation by a majority of 11 to 2. Mr Hancock's group had written to the Council welcoming the stand taken to protect the Green Belt. The applicants have until June to appeal.
Local Government Reform in London The Secretary reported that Darren Johnson now receives 'Notes' as does the Librarian of the Government Office for London. He is also copying to Mr Johnson any letters he writes on major Issues.
Regional Planning Guidance for the South East The Secretary said that the text of RPG9 was now substantially finalised and invited comments. Mrs Habib asked what the LGBC view was on para 6.5. Her colleagues were concerned that although the policy set out with a statement that there is no regional case for reviewing Green Belt boundaries, it then goes on with words which amount to an invitation to Planning Authorities preparing plans to engage in such a review. The Secretary said that as far as he could recall it was worse in earlier drafts. He added that RPG9 was governed by PPG3, which had turned out quite satisfactorily for Green Belts.
Central Railway Mr Babler said that Central Railways scheme had been re-launched. They now preferred a route round the SW quadrant of the M25 rather than through central London (though they had not formally given that up). The relaunch had received relatively little coverage in the press. The company will not say how much money has been put up by prospective contractors but they have recently admitted that they might need Government support. In the last week they have sought to persuade Mr Prescott to back the scheme by mews of a hybrid bill. They did not attend a conference in June on rail freight. . Last autumn DETR conducted a consultation on guidelines for handling Transport and Works Act applications including a Blight Compensation Commission which would have wider conditions for the payment of blight compensation than applied at present.
Travelling Showman's quarters at Keston The secretary reported that this application had been allowed On appeal, the very special circumstances in the main being that there was nowhere else for them to go.
Brands Hatch Motor Racing Circuit The Secretary reported that the call-in inquiry had been abandoned. The potential planning difficulties and the offers made by Silverstone had made the project unattractive.
CPRE Advice to Branches on Green Belt in Local Plans See below
Residential development on the Holwood estate, Westerham Road Keston This application has been called in and the Secretary has written to object to it.
Expansion of Biggin Hill Airport. The Secretary had written to the DETR to make sure that they are aware of the activity on this subject which is taking place within the DETR in an airports context
Residential development at Hockenden Lane, Swanley The revised application had now also gone to appeal and LGBC had submitted observations arguing that it should not be allowed.
Racecourse at Fairlop Water An environmental statement had been put in this appeal and LGBC had objected.
Hertsmere Local Plan The Council's Environment Committee had rejected the Officers' excuses for not restoring the correct Green Belt boundary and the true line had been restored. The Council's Director of Planning and the Chief Executive had resigned but it is understood that this is not related to the Green Belt issue.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
President's address The President said that everyone's thoughts were with the Chairman and wished him a speedy recovery. He -said that the during the year the Chairman had been diligent and well-informed as ever and he thanked him, the other officers and members for their work on behalf of LGBC. He considered that the work of the LGBC had been broadly successful and that important representations had been made to the Government. However, in the coming year it will be necessary to redouble efforts. In his own part of London two big issues - Central Railways and Harefield Hospital - would need to he addressed. The probable election later in the year would he an opportunity to focus the attention of political parties on the Green Belt and after the election there will be a new administration to engage with on the subject.
Chairman's Review of the Year (Read by the Secretary) The last four meetings have covered 17 policy issues and over 40 individual cases. 59 different member organisations attended the meetings - 30 of them attending three or four times. The new PPG3 (Housing) and the urban and rural White Papers have shown no weakening of the Government's policy on Green Belts. More controversial was Prof. Crow's report on South East planning but subsequently the Government effectively disowned him. A major task for the planning system in the coming year will be to come to come to terms with the impact of the incorporation into UK legislation of the European Convention on Human Rights. Already it has been used to call into question the Secretary of State's position in planning appeals and resist the eviction of people who occupy land without planning permission. On the other hand it has been prayed in aid to refuse permission for a mobile telephone mast. In conclusion, the Chairman regretted that health problems had compelled him to give up the Chairmanship earlier than he had hoped. He thanked the officers and the Presidents (present and past) for their help and the harmonious way LGBC's business had been conducted. On the subject of the Human Rights Convention, Mr Selwyn observed that it might lead to third party appeals against planning decisions. Mr Hull asked if details of the mobile phone mast situation might be given in a future issue of 'Notes'.
Mr Liffen proposed that the meeting should express its appreciation of all the Chairman had done LGBC. All members enthusiastically agreed.
Treasurer's Report Membership of LGBC has remained steady at 134, the loss of 4 members during the year being offset by 4 new members. No subscriptions were outstanding, though two arrived too late to be included in the accounts to 31 August 2000. Income and expenditure were similar to the previous year and resulted in a surplus of £392, bringing the balance of funds to £5,667. The Treasurer thanked Mr Lim for again auditing the accounts without charge. The accounts were accepted nem con. The Treasurer's proposal that the annual subscription remain at £ 1 0 was also agreed nem con.
Election of officers There were no nominations for the office of Chairman and this item of AGM business remains adjourned. The President had, however, very kindly offered to chair meetings in the interim until a new Chairman had been found and to lead any delegations to e.g. DETR Ministers
The Secretary proposed that LGBC should institute the office of Vice Chairman and proposed that Mr R W G Smith be appointed. This was agreed by acclamation.
The following officers were re-elected by acclamation:
Secretary: Mr L G Holt Treasurer: Mr S R Smith
Assistant Secretaries: Miss B Webb, Mr M Hencke and Mrs 0 Oliver
Auditor: M A Lim
Other AGM Business
CPRE advice to branches on reviews of Green Belt boundaries in local plans The Secretary said that, following the August LGBC meeting the Chairman had written to Tony Burton at CPRE National Office expressing concern that CPRE might be accepting reviews of Green Belt boundaries too readily. No reply had been received. Mis Dewing added that she understood that the CPRE branch in her area had similar concerns. Mrs Stainton said she was not aware of the letter to Mr Burton; if it had been received, she was sure it would have been replied to by now. She also said that there was no difference of view between the National Office and any branches on this subject. The branches are autonomous and, while the National Office disseminates information to branches, it does not advise them on what line to take on specific issues. She felt there was a danger of what was essentially a non-issue being blown up out of proportion. It was agreed that she would liaise with the Secretary on the contents of the Chairman's letter to Mr Burton and the letter would be re-sent if necessary. [At the end of the meeting, the Secretary provided Mrs Stainton with a copy of the Chairman's letter to Mr Buxton.]
Registering a Domain Name for the London Green Belt Council. Mr Liffen explained the system of domain names for web sites on the Intemet and suggested LGBC ought to register at least one (such as LGBC.org.uk and possibly other variants) at a cost of about £10. This would ensure that when LGBC wanted to set up a web site the most useful name would not have been already used by another organisation. The meeting agreed this was a good idea and there was considerable support for the idea of setting up a LGBC web site, though it was recognised it would take a significant amount of someone's time to ensure it remained up to date. Mr Liffen was asked to act as convener of a group of members with an interest in the subject to take the whole question forward.
Membership list. Mrs Habib asked whether it would be possible for members desiring a copy of the membership list to have one. The Treasurer said it should be possible (provided there are no data protection complications) and he would look into it.
Officers reports on new business
The Chairman had written to the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) about their discussion paper on Green Belt policy issued in September 2000. (See 'Notes') The Institute's Director of Public Affairs replied that it was trying to establish whether there was a consensus among members for change and they would later canvas outside organisations. Even the RTPI's own Journal, 'Planning' published an article strongly criticising the paper. Reports of seminar to discuss the paper (open only to RTPI members) have been conflicting. Ministers are unlikely to take much notice of the paper. The Oxford Green Belt Network (an LGBC member) is arranging an event in Oxford later this year.
The Secretary reported that he had objected to the following applications:
- Travelling showman's quarters St Mary's Lane, Fairoak Upminster
- Aggregate recycling at Laburnum Avenue, Boume Wood, Swanley
- Residential development Whiteways, Folkes Lane, Cranham, Upminster
- Travelling showman's quarters at Sotts Hole, Crouch Lane, Platt, Sevenoaks
The Secretary also said that he had corresponded with DETR about the meaning of the words 'engineering and other operations" in paragraph 3.12 of PPG2. It appears that the expression is used in the Town and Country PIanning Acts but there is no case law to aid interpretation
Miss Webb said that she had objected or would be objecting to the following applications:
- Residential development and a school car park at Rochford
Mrs Oliver reported that the Government Office for London had refused to call in a retrospective application to legitimise new retail units at a former garden centre at Botany Bay. A number of the original buildings had been convened to craft and antiques shops, winch would not necessarily be against Green Belt policy, but more recently new units had been added. Enfield Council was being asked to reconsider its intention to allow the application.
Other matters raised by members
Mr Liffen said that his attempt to photograph the map of 1938 Act land in the Chairman's possession had not been very successful as the map was very large and the equipment available to him was not really adequate. He circulated an example of one section.
Mr Bitten said that the Mr Liffen's sample showed a piece of 1938 Act land at Debden on which Epping Forest Council had just built a school. The Council had demolished two schools and used the land for housing and then found they were short of school places. They had used this land because it was already used by the Council; it was easier than finding other land not subject to Green Belt rules. The Government Office for the East of England (GO East) refused to call the application in because it was not of regional significance.
Mr Rowan referred to a large development in Green Belt at Battlesbridge. It seemed that there was an alternative site not in Green Belt available but a new railway station to serve it would be on a line less convenient to Railtrack. He said that the Chairman had written to Chelmsford Council about it but he was not sure what he had said. The Secretary did not know either but surmised that the Chairman would have picked up the points made by the Battlesbridge Protection Group and related them to national Green Belt policies. He suggested that the Group copy the correspondence to GO East because if the proposal is a major departure from the local plan, they may call the application in. Mr Bitten suggested that if there were a non-Green Belt site available, application of the 'sequential approach' should dictate that it was used.
Mr Crow said that Hillingdon Borough Council is in the process of selling off Green Belt land, mostly in Harefield. This would make it more vulnerable and was something that needed to be kept in view.
Mr Crowther recalled that LGBC has fought a campaign against the overuse of the word 'normally' in local plans. He said that now it seemed that 'generally' was being used similarly. The Secretary said that DETR has been assiduous in chasing '.normally'; we would have to see that they did the same for ,generally ' .