SCDC has launched the next stage of the process for the Local Development Plan. It is a consultation on the changes and modifications that the Council has proposed as well as extra work that the Inspectors have asked the Council to do.
The Consultation runs from Friday 5th January 2018 to Friday 16th February 2018. You can find the details on the council website at https://www.scambs.gov.uk/mainmods.
There are over 300 modifications that are being consulted on, including on Bourn Airfield.
The Council wants to extend the boundaries of the area to be developed on Bourn airfield, bringing the boundary as close as 50m to our parish boundary. You may recall that I wrote about this back in November 2016, on my blog article titled “Council Reneges on Separation pledge for Highfields Caldecote”
I would urge everyone to read the consultation documents and please respond to make your views known. The response should be specifically only for these changes that are proposed. The Inspectors have asked for comments only on the modifications because these are the items that have changed since the original submission and the hearings for the content of the original submission have already taken place. So rather than re-hash old points/arguments, the Inspectors wants to hear views on the modifications to enable them make their final decision.
To help with reducing confusion and identifying the relevant sections – as there are so many documents, please take a look at this document Consultation Report Chapter 6 (click on link to view and or download). The text for the relevant modifications are from SC-MM077 on page 243 to SC-MM092 on page 250. The document itself starts with page 211 so only about 33 pages in to find stuff on Bourn Airfield.
The plan showing the allocated area in the original submission and the new boundary modifications can be found here. The darker hatched area is the original allocation, which includes the location of the TKA Tallent site. The modified boundaries are shown in the lighter hatch colour to include the TKA Tallent site.
It is worth noting that during the Plan hearing for the Bourn Airfield Policy that took place in April 2017, the site proposer for BAD admitted that they could not fit in 3500 houses in the space that was currently allocated, and would need the additional land to meet the target number. That in itself shows that the policy for Bourn Airfield, as submitted, was not sound! Now the Inspectors want to know what we think about giving the proposed modification to the site boundary.
In the light of the newest appeal decision to allow 58 houses to be built at the end of Grafton Drive, it is even more important, as this extension to Grafton will link Highfields Caldecote directly with Bourn Airfield if it goes ahead.
If you have questions, please feel free to ask.
Please share this post on your timeline and with your friends and neighbours in the village. Nothing is lost and the decision is not final until the Inspector gives the final verdict.