Looking back over the past 12 months it’s been a year filled with contentious planning applications. Despite the efforts of Parish Council and residents, applications for 16 self-build properties off London Lane, 7 houses along Mill Lane, 52 behind Duck End and 125 off Chapel End all received planning approval.
It has been evident that Central Beds Council is reluctant to refuse these types of speculative applications at the moment, knowing they are likely to lose any subsequent expensive appeal. This is exactly what happened with the Mill Lane application. The Council appears to be under enormous pressure from Government Inspectors to reach its 5-year growth requirements & deliver its overdue Local Plan. This has created “open season” for landowners & developers across Central Bedfordshire at the moment, with many villages seeing massive growth on land that in the past would never have been considered for development. With all this growth across Central Bedfordshire over the coming years the area is likely to see significant change. Central Beds Council tell us they hope to have their Local Plan in place within the year, which should hopefully put a brake on the rush of speculative Planning Applications being approved. It is starkly noticeable that in Bedford Borough Councils area where they do have a Local Plan, development is being delivered in a planned & controlled way on suitable sites – proving it can be done
With approximately 650 houses currently in Houghton Conquest these developments, along with the imminent Wixams Park Southern Extension, represent significant growth in a short amount of time. Our hope is that the developers keep the PC and residents informed during the build process and cause as little disruption to village life as possible.
The Covanta Waste Incinerator also remains a contentious issue, with the application for an Environmental permit to operate now open for public consultation. The Parish Council will be making comment and we encourage all residents to also take the time to voice their opinions.
On a positive note the Parish Council has carried out bulb planting, organised a team of volunteers to clear the overgrown footpath at the top of Mill Lane, had the benches in the play area refurbished, installed a new basket swing and a zip wire in the play area.We also provideda grant to the Lower School for commemorative coins for the children to mark the Queens 90th birthday, a grant to the Church for a children’s entertainer at a village fundraising event and for theChristmas tree lights.
In recent years alternate funds available to the Parish Council have reduced significantly, and we rely in the main on the precept for any village improvements including highways works. The majority of the precept is spent maintenance, mostly grass cutting within the 30mph zone, the play area and sports field, and we are pleased that there is now a local football team making regular use of the football pitch. We want to encourage residents to make more use of the sports field as it is a great village asset.
This year has seen some fluctuation in Parish Council membership, and we are currently 2 members short of a full council. Being a member of the Parish Council isn’t for everyone. It is tightly regulated, in many ways restrictive and often frustrating, however it is an effective way of making a difference if you are willing to put the effort in.
Many thanks to our litter picker George Maxted who continues to do a great job, and to our hardworking and efficient Clerk Gill Wiggs. I would also like to thank the Parish Councillors and our Unitary Councillor for all the work they have put in over the past 12 months.
And finally some sad news. Sylvia Sollars, who served on the PC from 1994 – 2011, recently passed away.Our condolences go to Sylvia’s family and friends. The same year Sylvia joined the PC she also set up the Care Group – the first in Bedfordshire, which still runs today as the oldest care group in Bedfordshire.The archives show she wrote to the PC in 1993 asking it to justify the increase in Precept, so she joined the PC soon after writing that letter. Typical of Sylvia – she was evidently not happy about something so decided to get involved in it herself!
Lisa Frangiamore
Chairman, Houghton Conquest Parish Council