J Wilkinson MP, President
R W G Smith, Chairman (Potters Bar Society)
L G Holt, Secretary (Chislehurst Society)
S R Smith, Treasurer (Enfield Preservation Society)
B Webb, Assistant Secretary (CPRE Essex and Rochford Hundred Amenities Society)
Assistant secretaries M Hencke (Old Coulsdon RA) Mrs G Oliver(East Bamet Parish RA)
Representatives from Bamet Residents Association, Bamet Society, Brindles Wood Residents Association, Carshalton-on-the-Hill RA, Chislehurst Society, Croydon Society, Cyclists' Touring Club, CPRE London, CPRE Surrey, Denham Parish Council, East Coulsdon Residents Association Elstree and Borehamwood Green Belt Soc. Evergreen Elmbridge, Friends of Epping Forest Friem Bamet & Whetstone RA Hatch End Society , Havering Residents Associations Leighton Buzzard Preservation Society Mill Hill Preservation Society, Mill Hill Residents Association North Uxbridge RA, Oak Farm RA, Open Spaces Society, Otford Parish Council Pembury Society, Potters Bar Society, Ramblers' Association (Essex), Reigate Society Roding RA, Sane Planning in the South East, Sarratt Parish Council, Sevenoaks Society South Ruislip RA, Warlingham RAl, Whitchall Lane RA, Youth Hostels Association (South Region)
Mr R Bate, Guest Speaker
Apologies for absence Bexley Society, CPRE HQ, Dickens Country Protection Society, Finchley Society, St Lawrence Cowley RA and Wing Cdr Fleming.
Matters arising from previous minutes
Cane Hill Hospital Croydon- although the Government Office for London had indicated that if the application were called in it would not be allowed to proceed, they had so far failed to call it in. Time wa s short now as the council wore expected to approve the application soon. The President suggested that the MP in whose constituency the hospital lies, should be asked to table a parliamentary question without delay. Someone considered that this was typical of the regional office's unhelpful attitude. Others had had better experiences with the regional office, however. Another observed that the functions of the office would be significantly reduced once the mayor and new authority were in place.
Copthall Stadium, Mill Hill. It was reported that since the appeal had been dismissed, Bamet FC had mounted a public relations exercise to drum up support for an alternative scheme without which, they claimed the club will not survive. Under the scheme, the stadium would not be si gnificantly smaller but Shaftsbury Barnet Harriers would not be accommodated in an adjacent stadium. Instead they would share a new stadium with Hendon FC. No application had yet been submitted. The speaker regretted that Sir Sydney Chapma n had expressed support for Barnet FC's move to Copthall.
Local Government reform in London A speaker observed that although the mayor and authority would have few executive powers and will act mainly through the boroughs and bodies like London Transport, the mayor will be able to appoint a Cultural Strategy Group of 10-25 members. Although it i s not entirely clear from the Greater London Authority Act, the Government has indicated that the Group's remit will extend to informal recreation in the countryside. The speaker was concerned that the voices of organised sport and indoor culture would be well represented and considered that LGBC- ought to join the London Forum in order to strengthen representations on behalf of London's countryside. This was agreed. SERPLAN: Regional Planning Guidance for the South East The Chairman referred to his notes on this attached to the agenda for the meeting. He considered that the Panel's report was a major threat but the Government did not have to accept it. SERPLAN's o wn response to the report was, however, encouraging, including for example the following: "The panel claims to be supportive of green belts, and certainly does not promote a wholesale revision of boundaries.
However, by increasing the scale of housing pro vision to such an extent, it is inevitable that very significant pressures for the release of green belt land and strategic gaps will occur. Coupling this with the suggestion that parts of the green belt with no designated intrinsic value are somehow less precious, and the fact that no sustainability criteria are set for assessing releases, undermines the whole policy." The Chairman said it was important to try to influence Ministers before the revised draft is issuing early in the new year. The full text o f the panel report is available, price £12, from DETR (RPG Team), 1 Walnut Tree Close, Guildford, GUI 40A (01483 882267). There had been two parliamentary debates of the report; one on 2 November on the housing figures proposed by the panel and another on 3 November on the implications for the Green Belt.
Countryside Agency's Attitude to the Green Belt. The Chairman said that he had not taken up this question again as the Panel report on the South East RPO made it clear that the damage had already been done. It was more important to deal with Ministers on this first.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
President's Address The President congratulated the Chairman and Officers on the work of the LGBC. Seldom had its work been more important and in the new century press ures on the Green Belt would doubtless increase. He said that two issues would be significant for the coming year. The first was how the strategy of the mayor would affect the Green Belt in London and the second was the activities of the regional developm ent agencies whose agenda may well conflict with LGBC'S. He stressed the importance of constituency MPs and local councillors; their strong territorial connection should motivate them to support LGBC.
Chairman's Review of the Year The Chairman reports tha t during the year, LGBC had dealt with 68 issues important enough to feature in the minutes, 18 of them general policy issues and 50 specific cases, not to mention a host of other minor matters. He thanked the Officers for all their work and also the Pres ident for his untiring interest and support. On the broader matters, there had been a continuing flow of consultation papers, supplemented by more and more esoteric bed time reading on sustainable development. Worst of all is the growing number of bodies in volved respectively in regional planning and regional development with the danger that Green Belt will be caught in the middle. The relationship between the regions and the counties is not yet clear especially where sub-regions have been identified. It is important that the SoS keep sufficient powers of supervision and be prepared to use them. On individual cases, the Government and the Planning Inspectorate decisions on Green Belt issues seem firmer than before. In response to the Chairman's report, Mr T urtle said how valuable it was to be able to cite LGBC in support of a position Other members murmured their agreement.
Treasurer's Report - 136 paid up members at the start of the year. 5 organisations had joined and 3 disbanded or did not renew membership. The Treasurer noted that donations were lower than the previous year because that included a large fee for a speaking engagement under taken by the President. Mr Kermode expressed members thanks to President for donating it LGBC. The accounts for the year to 31 August 1999 showed a surplus. Adoption of the accounts was moved by NU Archer, seconded by Mr Kermode and agreed. It was also agreed that the subscription for 2000 should remain at £10.
Election of Officers -all officers were re-elected
Address by Guest Speaker The Chairman welcomed Mr Richard Bate, Special Advisor to the House of Commons Select Committee on the Environment, Transport and the Regions and a former CPRE repr esentative on LGBC. Mr. Bate explained that there are two sorts of Parliamentary Committee, the Standing Committees which scrutinise and amend legislation and the Select Committees which monitor the activities of different Government departments. The comm ittee staff are employees of Parliament, not civil servants. In addition to the administrative staff, the select committees take on special advisors such as himself.
A select committee starts its study of a particular topic by issuing a press release invi ting written evidence and may also invite evidence from people and organisations individually. The press release usually specifies the maximum number of pages for the evidence; exceed it and you risk alienating the committee. The committee then asks a sel ection of those submitting written evidence and sometimes others to appear and give oral evidence. They even have the power of sub peona though it is seldom, if ever, necessary. The first oral session usually involves experts in the subject so that the memb ers can be better informed before tackling others who have an axe to grind. The formal oral session usually involves the relevant Secretary of State and/or Ministers. The oral sessions are open to the public and details may be had from the committee clerk s.
After collecting the evidence, the committee issues a report to which the Gov't has to respond. Although the Gov' t does not have to accept everything the committee says (DETR have, for example, repeatedly rejected committee calls for limited third part y rights of appeal on planning decisions), it forces them to think critically about their policies and justify them. Mr Bate said his job was to advise on planning matters, suggest questions that members might want to ask, brief the committee for 15 minut es before each oral session and assist in drafting the report.
Mr Bate the turned to consider specifically his Committee's investigation into the revision of Regional Planing Guidance in the South East. Although there were sonic positive statements on the Green Belt in the Panel report (like incremental nibbling away in response to pressures would not aid sustainability and there is no special need to make changes to Grew Belt boundaries at present), the overall flavour would give too much encouragement t o local authorities to review boundaries. When Prof. Crow appeared before the Committee he asserted that the Green Belt should not be altered and he was confident that the number of dwellings the panel proposed could be provided without going into the Gre en Belt.
In response to a question from the President, Mr Bate said that all major committee reports are debated and committee members often comment on others on the floor of the House without a formal debate. Mr Liffen asked how the committee members were chosen. The President replied that there was a select committee to do the selecting which included representatives of the whips who sometimes try to use membership of a committee as a reward for loyal members. It was also seen by members as a step on the r oad into the Government. Mr Bate added that it helped to have members who no longer had ambitions of joining the Government as they felt more able to speak their mind.
Mr Crowther observed that in Surrey, of which 75% is Green Belt, providing the number of dwellings proposed without using Green Belt would change the character of the built up areas; plots with one house would be replace by 25 flats. Mr Bate agreed that s ome areas would have to change but this could still leave a lot of suburbs. The UK has lower urban densities than many other countries.
Miss Webb asked how the proposed number of dwellings might be reduced. Mr Bate thought that it would not materialise since it assumed that everyone who wanted a house would get one at a price they could afford but the necessary sources of subsidy were jus t not available. There was a need to deflect development towards other regions. It was not helpful that the regional Development Agencies seemed to be in competition with one another to promote their areas. The South East might be better off without one.
In response to Mr Bitten's question, Mr Bate said the Panel had not considered what would happen after 2016. Demand for more houses was unlikely to grow since the age structure of the population implied a falling birth rate after 2025. There was also a li mit to how far the trend towards smaller household size could go. Mr Bitten asked whether the Panel was the usual way of dealing with draft regional guidance. Mr Bate said that it-,was new. In the pa st it had been a matter between the local authorities and the Government; the Panel was an attempt to inject more democracy into the process and create a greater sense of ownership of the plan. It was like the Examination in Public of a structure plan.
In answer to other questions Mr Bate said that the Panel had not considered how sewerage and water supplies would cope with the developments they proposed nor what environmentally damaging developments would be needed to make good any shortfall in capacit y.
Officers' reports on new business since the last meeting
A consultation document on the revision of PPG 13 (Transport) is available from DETR free literature (0870 1226 236). The only reference in it to Green Belt, which is in a a paragraph on Park and Ride, appears to be satisfactory
The Secretary reported taking the following actions:
- Objected to the redevelopment of Brands Hatch for Formula 1 motor racing. The Forestry Commission and Woodland Trust had objected that proposed replacement plant ing would not thrive on account of the dryness of the area. A similar objection in respect of screen planting in Sevenoaks had been success in three cases,
-Written to DETR about the use of PPG11 (Regional Planning) in RPGs prior to its publication;
- Written to DETR about the use by inspectors, on appeal, of the criteria in Annex C, PPG2 (Major Developed Sites) to decide cases on sites which had not been so designated.
-Commented on the draft local plan for Gravesham.
-Commented on a proposed Millennium Park and Ride site at Padham Fam Farningham.
Mrs Oliver reported objecting to the sale of houses on 1938 Act land at Trent Park under the "Right to Buy" legislation. She felt that this was in the nature of a rearguard action as the SoS had never been known to overrule the right to buy.
Mrs Oliver said that she had recently received a statement of case for a new road from the M25 on 19 hectares of Rammy Marsh. Mr Bitten added that CPRE (Essex) had objected and a public inquiry was expected next year. The Chairman asked Mrs Oliver to continue dealing with the matter.
New Matters raised by members
Mr Kermode suggested that when the candidates for London mayor are settled, LGBC should ask them about their policy on Green Belt. Mr Myers suggested that the mayor should produce a synoptic map of the Green Belt. The Chairman thought a map of the whole G reen Belt would be very useful but pointed out that the mayor would only have the power to do it in Greater London. It was important to avoid giving the impression that there were two Green Belts, one in Greater London and the other outside