THE LONDON GREEN BELT COUNCIL Minutes 362-363

Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held in the Boothroyd Room, Portcullis House, Westminster, on 22 February 2005.

Present Mr J Wilkinson MP, President

Mr R W G Smith, Retiring Chairman, (Potters Bar Society)

Mr C Pohl, Chairman elected at the meeting (Rochford Hundred Amenities Society)

Mr L G Holt, Secretary (Chislehurst Society)

Mr S R Smith, Treasurer (Enfield Preservation Society)

Mr M Hencke, Assistant Secretary (Old Coulsdon Residents Association)

Mrs G Oliver, Assistant Secretary (East Barnet Parish Residents Association)

Mr I Nixon, Soc for Preservation of Ascot & Environs Mr D Ellis, Barnet Society Ms J Hargreaves, Brindles Wood Residents Association Mrs J Habib Chiltern Society Mrs J Stainton, CPRE National Office Mr T Harrold CPRE Surrey Mr G Myers, Croydon Society Mr M Hope, Croydon Society Dr G Lomas, East Coulsdon Residents Association Mrs A Martin, East Coulsdon Residents Association Mr T Simpson, Elstree and Borehamwood Green Belt Soc. Mr H Bitten, Friends of Epping Forest Mr L Bull, Friern Barnet & Whetstone Residents Assoc. Ms H Stainer, Hedgerley Parish Council

Mr & Mrs H Rader, Ickenham Residents Association Mr C Hoptroff, Leighton Buzzard Society Miss M Dewing, Mill Hill Preservation Society Mr E Dilley, Otford Parish Council Mr B Selwyn, Open Spaces Society Mr M Maurice, Pinner Association Mr G Forward, Ramblers Association, Essex Mr S Roberts, Ramblers Association, Kent Mr M Hull, St Albans Community Forest Association Mr P Rogers, Sevenoaks Society Mr G Quantock, South Ruislip Residents Association Mr C Huntley, Tewin Society, Hertford Mr J Archer, Youth Hostels Association (South Region)

Apologies for absence Carshalton-on-the-Hill Residents Association, CPRE Herts, CPRE London, Hatch End Association, Iver and District Countryside Association, Kenley Residents Association, Mill Hill Residents Association and Old Windsor Parish Council

Matters arising from previous minutes

347(4) Sale of fields strips in Green Belt The Chairman said that Section 52 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act, which provides that a local authority may serve a 28-day stop notice immediately without waiting for SoS approval, would come into force on 7 March. Mr Huntley said that the companies were still very much in business but there was now more public awareness of the issue. He produced an advertisement by the European Land Sales Partnership which had circulated with a BBC magazine. It was agreed that LGBC should write to the BBC and/or the publishers asking why they were carrying an advertisement for a business of a type which had been criticised in BBC programmes. Mr Hull said that the promoters of a scheme in St Albans had sold most of their plots but there was a consortium of disgruntled purchasers who were considering legal action against them. Mr Huntley considered that legislation was needed but members had few ideas of what form it should take. Mrs Habib suggested a provision that land in certain designated agricultural areas should not be alienable in plots of less than, say, 8 acres. She also wondered whether the Land Registry might have a role but this was thought unlikely in the absence of substantive law preventing the practice.

Mrs Oliver reported on a somewhat similar problem which had risen at Harrow. The developers of housing on a former riding school site had difficulty in knowing what to do with 40 acres of grazing land in Green Belt acquired with the school and had offered it in plots to the owners of the new housing.

353 50th Birthday celebrations The Chairman apologised that various circumstances had conspired to delay preparation for a celebration and asked whether members still wished to go ahead. There was unanimous support for continuing. Mr Liffen and Mrs Habib will put the arrangements in hand as soon as the expected general election is over and it is known who will be the relevant Minister and the next LGBC President.

355(1) Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy (MKSMS) Mr Hoptroff said that it was unclear how far the East of England Plan (EEP) would relate to the part of Bedfordshire covered by the MKSMS. The ‘Sub-region’ in fact takes in parts of two other regions as well - the South East and the East Midlands. The EEP implies that the MKSMS will set the strategy for its area and these issues will not be reopened in the EEP procedure.. The Local Development Scheme produced by South Beds DC, however, implies that, when they produce various elements of the new planning framework for the district, the documents will have to conform to the EEP. In its response to the report of the Examination Panel, the Government has endorsed the Panel’s proposal to include Leighton Buzzard in the potential growth areas with a review of the Green Belt round the town. The South Beds Local Development Scheme provides for this review but the wording is objectionable because it seems to prejudge that the review will result in changes to the Green Belt boundary.

355(4) Green Arc for NE London The Chairman observed that there was no inherent conflict between the proposals for a Green Arc and the Green Belt but it was important to maintain the position that Green Arcs are no substitute for the Green Belt. Mr Bitten said that the NE London Green Arc was intended to link together various existing open areas. He was concerned because a year ago one of the main justifications seemed to be that the Green Belt was not doing what it should do. Mrs Martin and Dr Lomas said that Surrey County Council had prepared a similar Green Arc for South London. The intention seemed to be to explore how conservation and positive use of green spaces could be promoted.

359 Urban Fringe The Chairman said that another seminar on this subject had been arranged for 7 April, which Mr Pohl would attend. He said that there was a distinct Kent slant to the speakers.

Item 362 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

1. President’s address The President said he was proud to have served the LGBC. He was always amazed by and respectful of the wide expertise of the officers and members and congratulated the Chairman on his high quality leadership. He said that this would be his last AGM as President as he was standing down from parliament at the next election and would live mainly in Chile. There are similar problems of urban sprawl and the parceling up of open space in Chile, too. It is an immense challenge to us all to get the right balance between town and green space. He wished LGBC the best for another 50 years - or more.

Mr Hencke thanked the President for his help and support. The members concurred with acclaim.

2. Chairman’s Review of the Year The Chairman said that the year had been quieter than usual in the sense that there had been only one meeting and fewer localised queries and crises but incomparably busier in the vast volume of official guidance, consultation papers etc. issued by Government departments and the regions impinging on Green Belt issues. The Chairman said that his 25 years in office had been an immensely rewarding and stretching experience. He felt that LGBC’s main opponents were not Governments of any party but development interests and professional bodies like the RTPI. The Chairman said that he would continue to write ‘Notes’ and thanked Mr Holt in particular for reading masses of background information and passing important points on. He thanked the President for his support, the Treasurer for always being completely on top of the LGBC finances, Mrs Oliver and Mr Hencke for their work in North London/Herts and South London/Surrey respectively and Mr Hoptroff for preparing the minutes. The Chairman concluded by thanking Mr Pohl for having been prepared to take over the Chairmanship.

Mr Pohl said it was vital that the customary collegiality continue to help him and to ensure a steady flow of information to Mr Smith for the Notes.

3. Treasurer’s Report The Treasurer presented the accounts for the year ending 31 August 2004 and they were accepted unanimously. A copy of the accounts is enclosed for members not represented at the meeting. Income for the year was £200 more than in 2003 but expenditure was £1,169 higher - mainly due to the large fees incurred in obtaining counsel's opinion on the sale of field strips. The Treasurer noted that Printing & Stationery, an item which varies widely from year to year, showed an increase of just over £200 but there was no expenditure on Hall Hire as the meetings were held in Portcullis House. He considered that, notwithstanding a deficit of £413.97 for the year, LGBC is left with a healthy balance. He therefore proposed that the annual subscription be maintained at £10 and this was agreed unanimously. The subscription is now due and a remittance slip is enclosed.

The Treasurer said that membership at the end of the August 2004 was 132 including four members listed for removal last year but whose subscriptions had been received early in the new year (Friern Barnet & Whetstone RA, Headstone RA, Oxford Green Belt Network, and Pembury Society) On the Treasurer’s recommendation it was agreed that the following members and associates whose subscriptions remain outstanding should be removed from the membership list: Binfield Village Protection Society, Goffs Oak Community Association, New Thundersley Residents’ Association, Springwell Residents’ and Conservation Association, St. Albans District Council, West Horndon Residents’ Association and Winkfield Row Association. Mr Hull agreed to contact St Albans DC, in case there had been an oversight in the Council Offices.

4. Election of officers The following were elected unanimously:

Chairman: Mr C Pohl Vice-Chairman: Mr T Simpson

Secretary: Mr L G Holt Treasurer: Mr S R Smith

Assistant Secretaries: Mr M Hencke and Mrs G Oliver Auditor: Mr A Lim

The Chairman pointed out that there was still a need for two volunteers to be Assistant Secretaries covering the east and west sides of London.

Mrs Habib expressed the members’ thanks to the retiring Chairman for all his work over 25 years. She said that she had found him an inspiration. In reply Mr Smith observed that there was nothing more ex- than an ex-chairman but Mr Pohl countered that there was nothing more eminent than a future eminence grise.

Following the elections, Mr Pohl took over as Chairman for the rest of the meeting.

Item 363 Officers reports on new business

1. New Planning System The retiring Chairman said that the new system was producing an unprecedented volume of paper carrying an unprecedented amount of verbosity. Mrs Stainton said that CPRE had set up a website called 'Planning Help’ to assist people in getting to grips with the system. The address is www.planninghelp.org.uk Mr Harrold said that the Surrey Structure Plan was probably the last structure plan to be adopted under the old system. Although, formally, it would only have a life of about two years it was still important because it would form the basis of the various documents in the new Local Development Frameworks.

2. East of England Plan The retiring Chairman explained that this draft plan, which constitutes the Region’s Spatial Strategy (RSS 14), was produced by the East of England Regional Assembly for the ODPM who therefore now “own” it. The Assembly’s support for the draft depended on Government funding for the necessary infrastructure and, as this has not been forthcoming, their support has been withdrawn. Since they do not have the power to withdraw the draft, they are continuing with the consultation process. The deadline for comments is 16 March. He said that he had been invited to make a 5 minute presentation in a debate on the plan organised by Herts CC and made the following points:

- The draft is a mixture of sound general statements and huge loopholes in backup;

- “Sustainable” is used repeatedly to justify anything;

- Concern about global warming and fuel saving should lead to work going beyond the Green Belt to be near homes rather than bringing homes into the Green Belt to be near work;

- It is wrong in principle to say that development in the green belt is acceptable if more Green Belt is designated in lieu.

This was followed by a public debate by the Herts CC ‘Environment Scrutiny Committee’, at the end of which the committee voted by 6 to 3 to reject the plan (subject to confirmation by the full County Council on 7 March).

Mr Bitten said that the Friends of Epping Forest had organised a 13000 signature petition to save Green Belt land threatened by the plan. He agreed that a note on the issues raised prepared by the Friends of Epping Forest could be copied to all LGBC members in the region.

The East of England Draft Plan may be viewed on the Assembly’s website www.eera.gov.uk

3. South East Regional Plan The retiring Chairman drew attention to the draft South East Regional Plan, consultation on which was running on a timetable somewhat behind the East region. The draft needed to be looked at equally rigorously. At first sight it appears that it also is a mixture of sound general principles but loopholes in the details. Mr Harrold said that CPRE Surrey are preparing a response which would focus particularly on three sub-regions, the London Fringe, the Gatwick Area and the Western Corridor & Blackwater valley. He added that housing figures for the individual districts were not included in the draft. They will be the subject of further consultation later in 2005 when other aspects of the plan are firmer. Mr Harrold considered that the timetable was too tight. Both council officers and consultants were under pressure and the necessary support work for the proposals had not been done. The draft plan can be seen on and downloaded from the South East Regional Assembly website www.southeast-ra.gov.uk Copies may also be obtained from the Assembly Offices in Guildford (Telephone 01483 555200).

4. Planning for Gypsy and Traveller Sites The retiring Chairman referred to the consultation paper which he had described in Notes 139. He did not like the new habit of drawing attention to what might constitute very special circumstances. He added that, though there might be occasions when provision has to be made for gypsies who have temporarily abandoned itinerant lifestyle for health or age reasons, such settlements should not be allowed to become retirement villages in the Green Belt. Comments on the paper are required by 18 March.

5. Updates to PPG3, including Rural Exception Areas. Owing to lack of time, the retiring Chairman dealt only briefly with this issue. There had been a Ministerial statement on two revisions to PPG3 (Housing) which were not for consultation but did not appear to make a significant difference to the guidance note as far as Green Belt is concerned. Another Ministerial statement refers to a consultation paper “Planning for Mixed Communities” which concerns the provision of affordable housing but does not appear to have any Green Belt implications.

6. Also as a result of lack of time, the Secretary could not refer in detail to his activities since the last meeting. He has:

(a) Objected to two mobile homes at Waldens Farm, Crockenhill Road, Swanley

(b) Objected to residential development at Gracelands Park, Borough Green Road, Igtham

(c) Made observations on three wind generators at Willoughbys Hill, Havering Park, Romford

(d) Objected to a day/utility room at Ockenden Road, North Ockenden

(e) Objected to a rail freight interchange at Howbury Park, Slades Green

(f) Objected to residential development at Ravensbourne College of Design & Communication

(g) Opposed appeal against refusal of residential re-development at Kenley House, Kenley

(h) Commented on transfer of market to Green Belt site south of the M4 in Southall

(i) Objected to residential caravan development at Keston Park, Layhams Road, Keston

(j) Corresponded with ODPM, Kent CC and Havering, Bromley, Thurrock, Luton, South Beds Dartford and Sevenoaks Councils on new Plan Frameworks, existing Plans, Travellers and other planning matters.

THE DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING will be notified in due course.