Minutes Parish Council Meeting 1st August 2024

SILVERDALE PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of the Regular Meeting held on

Thursday 1 August 2024 at 6.30pm at Silverdale Library

 

Present: Cllr H Adamczuk (HA), Cllr C Mrozicki (CM), Cllr J Avison (JA), Cllr J Crabtree (JC) Cllr I Gould (IG), Cllr S Toon, Cllr R Adcock

 

 

Appendices A, B and C can be found in the PDF version of the minutes

 

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Silverdale Parish Council 1 Aug 2024

Report of the Chair

Draft Final Local Plan 2024 New Impacts and Locality Grant Applications

1 Summary

The revised document splits the former complete golf course area, SP11 into 3 segments, (1), (2) and (3) for allocation of housing and community facilities. One of these sites (3) is in two portions and accessed from Ashbourne Drive. SP11 (4) is separate and is linked with SP 23 accessed from Cemetery Road. The total allocation is 1,090 houses on green belt land (see 4).

In addition, the location of a primary school, a local centre (including health) and a country park are set out. These have already been given the spatial ‘home’ of SP11 (1) without prior consultation.

The whole green belt area 78 hectares is effectively split into two portions. Many decisions have been taken which benefit the Keele Road development side, whereas the decisions on Silverdale side beg considerable road access issues and appear to work to the detriment of resident’s interest. The Local Plan by inference reflect stakeholder rather than local residents interest.

The case in point is the late announcement on 5 July of T&G 8 without any consultation with Silverdale Parish Council causing considerable local concern, to put it mildly. Acre Allotments Association with local plot holders were disadvantaged by the access proposals and it thwarts the parish council’s future use of the site for expansion of allotment provision (see 6). On top of that decision was contamination in the land (see 9.3).

2 Introduction

The borough council’s Local Plan proposals are presented and criticised.

This is just the start of a robust critique about the way the housing allocation for Silverdale’s sites impact on our village and particularly the transport infrastructure decisions. The borough council in justifying the new housing need numbers for Newcastle also must demonstrate exceptional circumstances for approval of green belt housing supply.

3 Differentiation of Sites

The revised plan divides the former 18 hole golf links, the former 9 hole golf course and the open agricultural land off Park Road into separate ‘bubbles’. This has the effect of creating a ‘Keele development’ of 555 homes with community facilities accessed from A525 and a ‘Silverdale development’ of 545 without the facilities accessed from Cemetery Road, Park Road, Racecourse (SP23) and Ashbourne Drive (SP11 (3)).

Creating half the new traffic access from Silverdale in the proposal probably reduces the cost of road improvements on the A525. The Silverdale side of the former golf course has greater slopes so the Keele Road element will be brought forward first if the total scheme is approved.

Place names have been put forward for the Keele Road access, Keele Square and Keele Woods as if these were part of Keele Parish. No names were offered for sites accessed from Ashbourne Drive and Cemetery Road.

The crude use of Keele references at this point in the proposals should be challenged. It is 90% within Silverdale Parish yet Keele comes on the nameplate. Are planners catering for different classes of resident? Where are the spaces for social housing provision?

4 Council Decision 24 July 2024

Borough council decided on 24 July 2024 to approve the Draft Final Local Plan 2024. The proposals have far-reaching consequences on Silverdale’s Neighbourhood Plan so this report is intended to advise Parish Council on the main changes and gauge how best to respond given the short 8 weeks consultation now available from 12 August for 8 weeks to 7 Oct 2024.

Headlines were the sub-division of different parcels of land covering ‘old SP11’ and the site called SP23 and adding community facilities (primary school, retail and health) and a local country park.

The number of dwellings on greenfield land allocated by green belt land release proposed were;

SP11 (1) Keele Sq. (2) Keele Woods (3) Ashbourne Dr and (4) Park Rd.  total 890 homes

SP23 Land at Cemetery Road                                                                      total 200 homes

A new proposal for traveller and gypsy provision at T&G8 raised considerable opposition as it first implied the loss of Acre Allotments. After clarification of the site an amendment to Economy and Place Scrutiny Committee showed it was further west but still unacceptable.

Underpinning the borough’s proposal was an increase in the housing need from 350 to 400 new homes per year over the plan period. This increased the total housing need by 1,000 homes over 20 years; 8,000 rather than 7,000 as previously projected.

Silverdale is conceived as part of the urban centre in Newcastle so there is no consideration that the parish is a mixture of rural and urban land use. Silverdale’s geography as a former mining village and suburban extensions encircled by a green belt vanishes with the green belt changes. The main recommendation is that our objections are fully addressed through the consultation and that promise of Masterplanning from the Council is kept either initiated thorough Locality of through the borough.

5 Technical Support Response

Our professional advice had been to apply for Design Guidance. Also Masterplanning technical support is possible and funded from Locality. Technical Support is awarded as a technical work package and is separate to any grant and is delivered free of charge to groups who qualify by meeting the eligibility criteria. Previously Silverdale Parish were successful in a technical support package application for a Housing Needs Assessment from AECOM. There is a 4 week turn-round for the result of the Locality Grant Application.

‘Technical Support includes professional support to groups like Silverdale Parish facing more complex issues in developing their neighbourhood plan.

Professional urban designers will work alongside groups, harnessing their ideas and local knowledge, to produce bespoke urban design guides or codes for potential development or regeneration sites.’

The Design/Design Codes package ‘professional urban designers work alongside groups, harnessing their ideas and local knowledge, to produce bespoke urban design guides or codes for potential development or regeneration sites’.

The Masterplanning package provides ‘a high-level spatial plan for part of your neighbourhood area, setting out how you would like to see development or regeneration come forward’.

On behalf of Silverdale Parish Council, I first submitted an Expression of Interest on 6 July and within the 14 days deadline applied for the Design/Design Codes package on 20 July.

At the Diagnostic Interview on 22 July I was informed that it was still possible to include Masterplanning as part of the original application. However, that package would include the borough council as a partner. Should we agree to do that?

6. Potential ‘Irregularity’ of T&G8

The run up to the council decision was unsatisfactory in several ways. Under Item 10 of the council decision Cllr Jacqueline Brown raised a question of the Chair of Planning, Cllr Andrew Fear about the reasoning behind the inclusion of T&G8, ‘apparently suitable for a Traveller and Gypsy site. Cllr Brown raised a supplementary question the detailed reply could not be shown on the screen in the council chamber. Cllr Andrew Fear reported that the housing need of the traveller community may change in the future and that the site might not be needed.

As chair, I submitted the Freedom of Information request to find out how ward and parish councillors had been consulted and whether the Walley’s Quarry Committee of Inquiry evidence of the atmospheric pollution and health concerns had been considered along with other land contamination. (Walley’s Quarry Landfill contamination was incorporated in the site specific SP11(4) commentary).

7. Green Belt Land Release

Site SP23 is under-developed compared with SP 11. The primary road access is from Cemetery Road with another access point to SP11(4) Park Road.

A landscape buffer is mentioned to maintain ‘the character and approach of the Keele Hall Registered Park and Garden’ to the south. Protected space to the east is mentioned, presumably Jog’s Wood but not specified.

Former SP14 is designated Open Space when it is in agriculture (currently a field of cattle).

8 Next Steps

The council’s proposals are described as initially understood. The splitting of the site solves few problems and create many new ones in terms of re-alignment of traffic within the High Street and on Racecourse and on Park Road.

The borough’s strategic objectives will be developed such as support development and economic growth, focused around the Keele and the Science corridor.

At what cost? The development reflects the interests of land-owners and developers. Silverdale’s residents must be firmly encouraged to object across the many weaknesses in the proposals. Parish should set out a document from these beginnings that covers contested points in greater detail.

Sources

Newcastle under Lyme 2024 Final Draft Newcastle under Lyme Borough Council Local Plan (Regulation 19) July 2024

https://moderngov.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk/documents/s42971/LP%20Council%2024%20July%201.pdf

Newcastle under Lyme Borough Council (2024) Council 24 July You Tube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilTanGhQ_jA&t=58s at 2 hr 46 minutes

9 Inconsistencies or Drafting Errors

9.1 SP11(4) p 170 refers to 100 houses accessed from a new road at junction of Racecourse and Park Road.

9.2 Ashbourne Drive does not extend beyond the Silverdale Cricket field as it becomes Staveley Place so there’s another ‘drafting error’. Staveley Place has a turning point at the Cricket Club and access to former Keele Municipal Golf Course.

9.3 Walley’s Quarry Landfill contamination was incorporated in the site specific SP11(4) commentary but not T&G8.

 

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Cllr. Rupert Adcock report for Silverdale Parish Council August 2024

Walleys Quarry

The new DEFRA minister has now approved the prosecution of Walleys under the council’s Abatement Notice. We now await the case to come to court.

The first of our council inquiry days was held on 23^rd July and we head lots of evidence from campaigners, the Parish Council, the former MP Aaron Bell, Cllr. Simon Tagg, council officers and local GP Dr. Scott. The operator declined to attend. There was a lot of very revealing evidence about health effects, potential waste crimes and pointing to several points where operation and regulation of the site has been wholly inadequate and poor decisions have been made. The EA, the UK Health Security Agency and Adam Jogee MP will be attending on a second day on August 14^th. Following this a report will be made and brought to council. We hope that one day we may get government approval for a full public inquiry to be held.

Arcadis are running a Community Impact Study on behalf of the County Council about the wide-ranging effects of living near Walleys Quarry. I have been invited to be a member of the community steering committee. We met for the first time two weeks ago and we discussed how they can gather evidence of the negative effects on health, economics, education and housing. Focus groups are being set up. I have passed along some details of people and businesses who have been affected. We will meet again to discuss the next steps in September. There is potential for this study’s findings to be used as evidence of this site’s harm on the community.

I received a reply to my letter from Andrew Hitchings of the EA about the delay to publishing recalibrated hydrogen sulphide emission data. He stated that the Chief Science Officer and the new ministers at DEFRA will need to review the findings before they can be published, and they are still awaiting this.

I also attended the Walleys Quarry Liaison Committee and asked to EA to come back with more data and an explainer of why the odour increases at night. I also asked them to publish the longer-term health effects data (not just short term exposure) in their weekly reports as they have been asked to by campaigners and by the Health Security Agency.

I notice that the last week has seen another unexplained spike in odour and complaints despite the good weather.

Local Plan

Council has approved that the Local Plan to go out for a final round of consultation starting 12^th August for 8 weeks. Like last time I am told there will be in person events and multiple ways to submit comments which will all be available to the planning inspector.

In a named vote, I voted in favour of the plan for two reasons. First, noting the compromises that have been made over the former Keele Golf Course site, including the new Country Park and Primary School. Second, for my belief in the risks of delaying or defeating the plan given the new government is making clear that intervening into council plans and implementing greenbelt and ‘grey belt’ development is a high priority and the risk of us ending up with much more unfavourable development. ‘Grey Belt’ exact definition is currently being decided as part of the policy changes being published but I have seen in reports from housing industry experts that this is likely to include former golf courses. I remain committed to preserving as much of the site as possible for a Country Park and helping residents make comments on potential issues as I did in the first round of consultation.

Litter Picking

Thank you to Julie and the other councillors and volunteers that organised the litter pick at Silverdale Park which my wife and I helped with on Monday. I have reported the broken bin and long grass to StreetScene.

Bath Road development

I received a letter from Aspire in early July saying that following a delay due to potential bat nests in the roof space, demolition will recommence and should finish within 3 weeks.

Development behind the Bush Pub

I have had confirmation from Debbie Hulme planning officer that the application has now been rejected.

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Ward Councillor report to Silverdale P.C.                          Date of report   31. 7. 2024 

Councillor: Jacqueline Brown              No of cases: 71 No resolved: 58 ongoing: 13

Walley`s Quarry. Walley`s Quarry. Cllr. Adcock has provided a good summary of the events of day 1 in his report of the WQ Inquiry on 23.7.24. I think it is important we remain focussed on the scope of the Walley’s Quarry inquiry:

• What is the impact of the on-going odour issues?
• What needs to be done next and by whom to resolve matters
• What, if any, opportunities have been missed to resolve the issues sooner?

Several pieces of evidence presented on day 1 surprised me. Firstly, although the local agencies e.g. NULBC, Silverdale PC objected to the application to increase tonnage on the permit in Oct 2020 officers from Staffs CC seemed unclear as whether they had objections, stating that if it did not have an impact on highways they would not have raised objections. I have chased this up with the secretariate and saw documentation which confirmed no objection had been raised.

Secondly the study on health impacts undertaken by Keele University has not include any consultation with Dr. Scott of Silverdale surgery who has the largest patient list in the area, over 12 thousand patients. Also, although he designed a coding system for quarry related symptoms he did not get any direction or support from the health authority to do so. He also knows of no other surgery which coded patients in this way. It is therefore very difficult to know how the Keele Uni study got the information needed. Residents have contacted me asking where they can get a copy of the study. Apparently, it has not been published yet.

Finally, the Arcadis study seems to have `picked` certain stakeholders to contribute. Cllr. Adcock is very clear he has encouraged them to seek wider consultation, as he has with WQ Liaison Committee. The Chair of this committee gave evidence that seemed to run contrary to other evidence i.e. that the operator has high standards and works well with all stakeholders.

Unfortunately, all this, plus the controversial Local Plan is happening during the holiday season. I had booked to go away 12-16^th August, I am therefore making arrangements to travel back for day 2 of the Inquiry on 14^th Aug. The second day has a number of key players, the new M.P., the Environment Agency the U.K. Health Security Agency. I am hoping the E.A. will attend as they have failed to attend at other key points in this process.

NULBC Local Plan Final Draft (Regulation 19)

This document appeared just after the General Election. It is 228 pages long with several Appendices. There is also a suite of supporting documents accompanying the plan. Some of these only became available on the NULBC website on 22.7.24. One particular example was in the case of Site 8, a proposed Traveller and Gypsy site on land at the Acres Allotment site. Concerned residents alerted the PC and myself to this very quickly and as a result NULBC acknowledged that a mistake had been made and the site map was incorrect. Even so the site was still considered unsuitable by residents. I made a site visit on 20.7.24 and allotment holders talked me through the implications. I therefore deemed it appropriate to submit a question asking why this site had been selected. At this point there were no site selection reports available on the website. The question was submitted on Mon 22^nd at 1.19pm. That afternoon the Gypsy & Traveller site selection report July 2024 appeared on the website. I had time to peruse it before the full council meeting on 24.7.24 and could see that just as many factors had been identified making the site unsuitable as suitable, including on p.16

`The site has been assessed in the Sustainability Appraisal (table N.15, and appendix H) which has identified particular issues natural resources and waste, health and wellbeing and transport and accessibility objectives`

Unfortunately, at the council meeting the portfolio holder Cllr. Andy Fear said he had prepared an answer, but it was unavailable. He did say that the council had to provide a list of possible sites and this one had been identified but may not be used. In the meantime, County Councillor Huckfield got in touch with me and asked me to brief him on what had happened at the full council meeting. As he has no ability to get information digitally, I had to print of the question and documents, which I had also shared with the Parish Council and post them through his letter box. I finally got the answer to my question on 30^th July, almost a week since the meeting and 8 days from the question being submitted. I have printed it out to read to you at the meeting.

All this demonstrates how difficult it is to get enough information to have a view on just one site. The Labour group had submitted a motion to delay the passing of the Local Plan out to consultation, fearing that not enough time had been given for councillors to make informed decisions and mindful of the fact that the plan would not come back to full council for vote before being passed to the Planning Inspectorate. This motion was voted down by the opposition and in a named vote the Local Plan in this form was passed. I voted against it for the above reasons. I am also not convinced that the first round of consultation had any impact on this latest version of the plan, particularly for Silverdale.

Planning & housing: I have to inform the Parish council that from September 2024 I will be on NULBC Planning Committee. I will therefore be mindful about `predisposition` and will explain more at the meeting on 1.8.24.

Silverdale Sidings Section 106 money    I had individualised training on Planning with Planning Officer Craig Jordan on 30.7.24. We have to arrange a second session so I will use this opportunity to seek an update on the Silverdale Sidings issue.

Overcrowding issues

I have been liaising with Nicloa McMillan, Aspire housing officer for Silverdale, on two serious overcrowding cases. I also sort advice from more experienced councillors in the Labour group to try and help these residents. The problem is there is just not enough stock of 3 bed houses in the ward. Problems are more difficult when due to the need to be near family who have caring responsibilities or the need to keep children in school without disruption. This causes residents to bid on Silverdale properties alone. The depletion of the social housing stock over many years has made this a constant problem.

Tennis Court update.

Residents had informed me that the tennis courts were locked up at the start of the 6 weeks summer holidays. I contacted Lyndon Ryder of NULBC to ask about this and get an update on our request for re marking and resurfacing. I received the following:

The large service gate is locked, but the small access gate (off the ball court) is unlocked.

Regarding the resurfacing and remarking. We are waiting for quotes from external contractors to be returned. Once received they will have to be submitted to capital funding for consideration.

On Monday, following a litter pick, a member of the PC informed me the courts were unlocked.

Work with schools   I attended an indoor Sport`s day on 9.7.24. On Monday 15^th July I attended Silverdale Academy to do the last Storytime of this term with the Reception class. The school had invited PC Chair Henryk Adamczuck to visit and see the improvements to the outdoor area which resulted from PC funding. Afterwards Henryk and I took an assembly in which we talked about the work of the PC and the benefits to the community. We focussed on the Parade Park area and all the children put their hands up to say they had played on the skate park. I spoke to them about keeping safe in the summer holidays and respecting the local community.

Anti-social behaviour

Unfortunately, the very unpleasant case of prolonged Anti social behaviour in the Bath rd/Cheddar drive area of Parksite has come up again. I will have to start working with Michelle Hopper and the police again on this case.

The disruption on 29.6.24 on Sutton Ave resulted in a anti social behaviour number being issued but no individuals could be identified. Luckily there has been no repeat so far.

General Comments:

I attended a wonderful Afternoon tea at the Dell organised by Silverdale PC. On Tues 16^th.

Not only were the refreshments first rate the residents were all talking about local issues, music to a local politician`s ears!

 

Weekly updates available F.B. page Councillor Jacqueline Brown in Silverdale Page