As reported in Planning Resources 24^th June 2019

The government has removed a paragraph from the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) intended to support the extraction of "unconventional hydrocarbons" following a High Court ruling earlier this year which found that a public consultation on the policy was flawed.

Prime Minister Theresa May announced on 12th June 2019 that the UK will introduce legislation to "eradicate its net contribution to climate change by 2050

The UK’s current long-term emissions target is to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by at least 80 per cent by 2050 relative to 1990 levels. Number 10 said the move is based on advice from independent advisory body the Committee on Climate Change (CCC). In a report last month, the CCC said the target was possible, but would require "evolution" of the planning system.

 Launching the new target, May said: "This country led the world in innovation during the Industrial Revolution, and now we must lead the world to a cleaner, greener form of growth.

 Standing by is not an option. Reaching net zero by 2050 is an ambitious target, but it is crucial that we achieve it to ensure we protect our planet for future generations."

 Reacting to the announcement, Ben Smith, energy and climate change director at engineering and planning consultancy Arup, said: "The high-level message throughout the CCC report is generally consistent - we understand the risks, we know what needs to be done but we need to get on and do it. If you look at the sectors the report covers, they include energy, transport, buildings and land-use, so of course planners will have an important role in delivering the net zero target.  They will be important to set the vision at local and development scale, to design policy and also in capacity building and tools development." 

 Julie Hirigoyen, chief executive at the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) said that the built environment contains some of the biggest opportunities to slash emissions. She said: "We must accelerate action in all areas including improving the efficiency of our ageing building stock, and overcoming the challenge of decarbonising heat. To do this, we need to see both policy and industry leadership to ensure the built environment is at the vanguard of emissions reductions. There is no time to lose, now is the time to act."

 Also reacting, CCC chairman Lord Deben said: "This is just the first step. The target must now be reinforced by credible UK policies, across government, inspiring a strong response from business, industry and society as a whole."

 Campaign group Friends of the Earth's chief executive Craig Bennett welcomed the announcement but said it did not go far enough to address climate change. He said: "2050 is still too slow to address catastrophic climate change, the UK can and must go faster. The next prime minister must legislate to end our contribution to climate breakdown earlier, put carbon-cutting at the centre of policy-making and pull the plug on plans for more roads, runways and fracking.

"Our very own deputy chief executive of the National Office of  the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), Tom Fyans, said: “The government’s commitment to net zero is a bold and necessary step forward in tackling the climate emergency. The longer we leave it to take action on climate breakdown, the more difficult and expensive that task will then become. We therefore urge the government to be even more ambitious with its target, aiming for net-zero by 2045. Now that this target has been set, the government must back it up by introducing policies that ensure that it delivers on its commitments. We need to see policies and funding that guarantees better land use, increases tree and hedgerow planting and reverses the degradation of our soils so that we can drive carbon back into the ground. Many solutions to this crisis lie in restoring our natural world. While the countryside may be on the front line against climate change, it can also provide the solutions that we so desperately need.”

City of York Council consults on cutting housing target in proposed local plan changes

10 June 2019 by Colin Marrs in Planning Resources

The first AGM of our CIO charity - the theme...for this generation and the next!

On Saturday, 13 April, CPRENorthYorkshire held it's Annual General Meeting to present the accounts and endorse the trustee board for 2019/2020.

We're always talking about campaigning for this generation and the next so we decided it was time to do something positive about it and invite the next generation along!  The winners of the 2019 School Writing competition and their families came along to the meeting.  This will not be the last time we listen to those we are campaigning for!

Summer, Nyima and Evie received their prizes from our President, Lord Crathorne.  
Roger Haffield was presented with his prize for taking the winning photograph in our annual photography competition (do check out our instagram page, there's a link to it on the home page)  Ron Healey was presented with an award for totally outstanding contribution to CPRENorthYorkshire and working for this charity as a volunteer for over 40 years.

The Board was endorsed and the accounts accepted by the members.

We had a good story to tell and did so ... Loud and Proud.

REFUSED UNANIMOUSLY BY PLANNING COMMITTEE 25 MARCH 2019

10 YEAR BATTLE BY CPRENORTHYORKSHIRE AND SOCC nears the end 

WE'RE READY FOR THE APPEAL! 

The Official recommendation for the Hellifield holiday camp application is that planning permission should be refused..  A 51 page  officer report shows the conviction behind this decision.

Ingrained in the identity of these villages is the annual migratory air show as great formations of birds come in to land on these flashes. Many of these birds are on the RSPB’s red and amber lists. As if that isn’t enough, this beloved place is home to colonies of great crested newts for which there is law that it makes if an offence to intentionally destroy breeding or terrestrial habitat. 

Local people are proud of this area and it’s under persistent threat

This landscape is much more than a home to wildlife. Hellifield is a living village with a beating heart and a strong sense of community. Families walk these footpaths, children learn to ride their bikes here and go skidding on the ice in cold weather. A generation ago the flashes were home to the Hellifield Beck Jumpers who built dens, sledged and played on this land. 

The latest application to build lodges and cinemas alongside an existing trailer park has been a long hard battle. Swimming Pools, Park & Ride and a Hotel & Spa when there is already one 5 miles away makes no sense.  These flashes were once recommended as a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC). This large area of open countryside has been the subject of numerous applications since the 1990s.

We were honoured to have Stephen Butcher as a member, a mentor and a friend.  Stephen used to be a member of both Craven and the Yorkshire Dales National Park planning committees.   On each one of the dark nights when it seemed the odds were so against us, we’d ask:

“What would Stephen do?”  

It’s really very simple.  He’d tell us to get on with it and stop feeling sorry for ourselves!  Whilst Stephen is no longer with us, his spirit lives on, we can only try to honour his belief that the Flashes could be saved.  So we continue and we’ll do so until the land known as the Hellifield Flashes is saved from this enormous development.

Save Our Craven Countryside and CPRENorthYorkshire have burned the midnight oil, laughed and cried together over the last year or so.  They know the local community, they know the history of the landscape, we know planning.  Together we’ve mounted a strong campaign to alert people to the importance of landscape, nature and community.

The recommendation by Craven District Council’s planners is welcomed by CPRENorthYorkshire.

The fate of this precious landscape now lies with the Planning Committee who will decide on Monday.

The planning report clearly gives 51 pages of reasons why this application should be refused, there’s just one more… because Stephen believed it should be refused and he was always right!

The power point below was sent to us by a Hellifield resident Mrs S Gregory

We provided sufficient evidence to endorse refusal of this application in a conservation area in Carleton in the Craven District authority area (see the pdf attachment).  However, local residents have contacted CPRENorthYorkshire recently expressing their disbelief that this application has been recommended for approval next week at the Planning Committee meeting in Skipton.  

If Carleton has sufficient permissions under the "very advanced local plan" for the next 20 years and Craven can show a five year supply and there are sufficient material reasons to refuse this application....why is it recommended for approval?  More executive homes are just not needed.  More destruction of conservation areas in Craven is not needed.

REFUSED BY PLANNING COMMITTEE AGAINST OFFICER RECOMMENDATION

13 April, 1.30 The Old Swan Harrogate (subject to change please watch the web site).

The first AGM of the newly formed Charitable Incorporated Organisation CPRENorthYorkshire!

Meet the trustees, see what we've achieved, hear what we are doing and where we are going.....

More information to follow as speakers finalised.....

Scackleton in the Howardian Hills AONB

Last June, we were contacted by a number of local people because they were shocked to find a static caravan had been placed in a field in their village and works started (concreting, water connection, gateway etc).  On investigation we found that no planning permission had been applied for!  Now that's just not right.  Whether it's the middle of city or the middle of a protected area WE ALL must follow the rules and apply for planning permission.  So we contacted the local council to find out what was going on... they issued a temporary stop notice.  

CPRENorthYorkshire commissioned a heritage and conservation report by a well respected expert.

An appeal by the developers of this site then followed, a dismissal of that appeal by the planning inspectorate soon followed that.  

You just cannot decide you want to build somewhere and start without gaining all the necessary approvals.

We responded to requests for help from local people and supported them and the local parish council (the first tier of local government) to ensure that this development in an AONB and Conservation area was stopped. 

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (s)
It's time to count the stars!

We've been gazing at the stars since time began, we've worshipped them, we used them to navigate and we've been inspired by them