Comments for The Rochford Independent

Comment on Rochford Core Strategy – Revisited 2011 by Editor

Editor — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 17:32:05 +0000

Suspension Refused by Inspector here

Comment on Rochford District Council – Suspension of Core Strategy by Editor

Editor — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 17:30:29 +0000

Suspension Refused by Inspector here

Comment on An Outsiders View of the Rochford Core Strategy Suspension by Editor

Editor — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 17:28:11 +0000

Suspension Refused by Inspector here

Comment on Rochford District Council – Suspension of Core Strategy by Two Letters To Ms Graham « onlineFOCUS – News and Stuff For Rochford District since 2003

Sun, 31 Jul 2011 20:33:23 +0000

[...] Councillor John Mason gives his update on the core strategy here [...]

Comment on Rochford Core Strategy – Revisited 2011 by John Mason

John Mason — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 08:12:05 +0000

I am sorry but my reply is far too long to post under Comments so I have uploaded it here.

Comment on Rochford Core Strategy – Revisited 2011 by RDC Cllr Colin Seagers

RDC Cllr Colin Seagers — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 10:32:44 +0000

Response from RDC Councillor Seagers on the Rochford Lib Dem Web Site

RDC Cllr Colin Seagers:
July 27th, 2011 at 12:07
Cllr John Mason

Thank you. At last some figures from a ‘Passport to Pimlico’ party in a belated response to my questions, now the public can have a proper debate. I quote from your website below.

“So RDC has no need to build affordable houses for 593 Applicants only 576 to meet our local needs.
Bearing in mind that 3800 houses over 20 years seems to relate to the whole housing list of 1200 then because there are only 576 who need homes that seems to suggest just 29 affordable houses need to be built each year for 20 years rather than 60 which is 50% against a total number of houses of 1920 over 20 years rather than 3800.”

I can see the potential headlines now, ‘ROCHFORD RESIDENTS PARTY SETS 20 YEAR TARGET FOR HOUSING WAITING LIST’.
So even assuming your calculations and assumptions were correct, you seem prepared to condemn those already on the waiting list (a rolling requirement remember not an unmoving snapshot) to an unsustainably long wait. Your numbers would not even allow for the current and expected growth in population at all levels in the district, region and nationally stemming from increases in both birth rate and longevity. The ignoring of those two demographic factors alone destroys your argument for affordable homes numbers, but are we also required to assume that our 4x larger private home owner segment of the population will somehow be totally immune from those same demographic trends affecting their needs? Methinks you should reconsider and recalculate.

Now we await the Green Party response.

Comment on Rochford Core Strategy – Revisited 2011 by Around The Local Blogs « onlineFOCUS – News and Stuff For Rochford District

Sun, 24 Jul 2011 16:46:38 +0000

[...] the Rochford Residents have written at great length about the housing issue here: An Unsound decision will be disastrous for Rochford District. . What the Council needs to do is [...]

Comment on Council in Battle with Government Inspector over Core Strategy by Tweets that mention Council in Battle with Government Inspector over Core Strategy | The Rochford Independent -- Topsy.com

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 08:57:51 +0000

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Michael Hoy, John Mason. John Mason said: Council in Battle with Government Inspector over Core Strategy http://bit.ly/aONttb [...]

Comment on Councils Can Surely Halt Housing Development Decisions – if they really try !! by Cllr John Mason

Cllr John Mason — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 16:20:58 +0000

A letter has been received by email from Miss Laura Graham who is the Government Planning Inspector responsible for the Public Examination of the Rochford Core Strategy.

She has already presided over the Hearings on Housing but she is now required by the Planning Inspectorate to seek further input from the Council and those who participated in the last consultation conducted by the Council last October.

This time it is about the Government’s intention to abolish the RSS and the amendments to PPS3 regarding garden grabbing and removal of the minimum density of 30 dwellings per hectare.

Let us hope that the Council participation reflects the views of the majority of residents who wish to see new house building at the minimum to meet local needs. This should require the Council to conduct an assessment of local housing needs and a re-write of the preferred Locations and the Sites put forward in the Allocation of Sites DPD.

With regard to the Hawkwell Appeal I was notified today that there will be no further consultation because the Planning Inspector, Mr. John Head submitted his Recommendation to Eric Pickles on 8 June.

The only thing that concerned residents of Hawkwell can do is write to Mr. Pickles.

Suggested letter:
Dear Mr Pickles

PINS Reference APP/B1550/A/09/2118700/NWF

I have been campaigning with many other residents to save our green belt in my home village of Hawkwell, Essex, in an area known as The Christmas Tree Farm, Thorpe Road/Rectory Road from development proposals for 330 homes. Mark Francois, our local MP, has supported the campaign.

Following a four day Government Inquiry in April, we now await the Inspector’s recommendation and your decision.

My reason for contacting you is in respect of your letter to Chief Planners of 27 May, where you advise of the Government’s intention to legislate to return decision making powers in respect of planning applications to local Councils and, in the process, abolish Regional Strategies. You request that the letter is treated as material planning consideration. Therefore, I would be grateful for your response to two questions:

1. As the Secretary of State with the final say on this planning application, can you ensure that your Government’s intentions are reflected in your decision on this planning appeal?

2. Consequently, can the residents of Hawkwell, who have overwhelmingly supported this campaign, look forward to receiving confirmation that this planning appeal will be dismissed?

I also remain concerned that Rochford District Council says that it can do nothing about the Core Strategy until legislation is passed. The Rochford Core Strategy is well advanced and I certainly do not wish to see this adopted by default because legislation has not been passed in time. Can you, as Secretary of State, issue an appropriate Order under your executive powers or make an Interim Statement in the House which has the force of law to abolish the Regional Strategy targets?

Thank you for your attention to this letter and I look forward to your reply.

Yours sincerely
Email address for Mr Eric Pickles: psericpickles [at] communities.gsi.gov [dot] uk
Email address for Mark Francois MP: jacquina [at] parliament [dot] uk

Postal address for Mr Eric Pickles: Department of Communities and Local Government, Eland House, Bressenden Place, London SW1E 5DU

Postal address for Mark Francois MP: House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA

Comment on Spending Cuts – the effects on Rochford District by Weekly (weekly) « Southend-on-Sea in Transition

Weekly (weekly) « Southend-on-Sea in Transition — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 00:38:35 +0000

[...] Spending Cuts – the effects on Rochford District | The Rochford Independent [...]