Latest news with #GreenBelt
Leader Live
17-05-2025
- Automotive
- Leader Live
Chester: Grosvenor Pulford Hotel plans to build car park
The Grosvenor Pulford Hotel and Spa, in Wrexham Road, has approached Cheshire West and Chester Council with plans to create 63 additional parking spaces, using a patch of woodland within the hotel's footprint. The new overflow would utilise a patch of the hotel grounds towards the south west of the main building. The area is currently designated as Green Belt land and restoration area under the council's Local Plan, with NSC Planning saying that proposal would seek to 'safeguard and enhance' identified areas. Permeable grass webbing or webbed panels will be installed to support vehicles and to 'limit the impact on biodiversity' in the site. OTHER NEWS: Some trees and hedges would need to be removed in order for the car park to be completed including three ash trees, an English oak, and some hedgerows, however a survey states that all of the trees identified are in fair to poor condition, with one ash tree already dead. The planning statement adds that in 'times of heavy business' the current parking for the hotel becomes overrun and parking spreads onto Wrexham Road, which can be 'inconvenient' or 'troublesome' for residents, increasing traffic and reducing access. Its developers say that the build, if approved, will be 'in keeping with the rural character of the site'. They add: 'When not in use, the car park will seem as it did before, proving sympathetic to the delicate nature of the Green Belt and restoration area minimising the impact on both openness and visual amenity.'
BBC News
14-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Oxshott residents asked for views on 250 new homes plan
Residents are being invited to a public event to view and comment on plans for 250 new homes in a Surrey Homes is holding a consultation event on Thursday about its plans to redevelop Clouds Hill Farm in proposed development site covers 23.1 hectares of land including two residential properties, stables, a barn, grasslands, grazing pastures and woodlands, the Local Democracy Reporting Service previously developers asked Elmbridge Borough Council's formal opinion on what information should be included in an environmental impact assessment for a future planning application on the green belt site. Matthew Estwick, Fairmile Homes chief executive, said plans for 50% of the new homes to be affordable were "baked in".He said for the site to be classed as a grey belt development it had to hit "golden rules", one of which is that half the homes must be affordable."We want to do 50% affordable because you need to be breathing new life in to areas that are really struggling to get youngsters to come in," he said."It's horrifically expensive as an area." Concerns raised by residents via the council's planning portal included the "very bad precedent" that the development could set in the village given the site's green belt mentioned the "horrendous" traffic situation in Leatherhead Road, with both the M25 and the A3 nearby, and that the new homes may "considerably worsen the situation".Mr Estwick said he understood frustrations regarding transport and that plans would include mitigations like car clubs, cycle paths and better footpaths to the also include 32 acres of publicly accessible green borough, which includes the towns of Esher, Cobham and Walton, was previously labelled one of the "least affordable in the country" by a government planning council was told by the inspector to rethink its local plan, setting out where and when homes will be built in the borough, including a request to provide more affordable drop-in session will take place on Thursday between 15:30 BST and 19:30 at Oxshott Village developer plans to submit an outline planning application to Elmbridge Borough Council later this year.
The Hindu
10-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Officials from Ministry of Education visit Auroville, learn about development projects
A team from the Ministry of Education visited Auroville Foundation to understand it's functioning and learn about the development projects. The team, including Joint Secretary Govind Jaiswal and Deputy Secretary Saila Shah, visited various units including food processing, candle, chocolate and leather manufacturing centres. They also visited Matrimandir and held discussions with representatives of Auroville Foundation, a release here said. 'The Ministry officials discussed about the development projects for the Auroville City, grant-in aids, land acquisition procedures for Auroville City project and Green Belt initiative. The officials expressed their support for the ongoing development initiatives,' the Foundation said in the release. The visiting delegation was briefed by Accounts Officer Angshuman Basu, Senior Consultant Venugopal and other members of the committees of the Governing Board, the release said.
Shafaq News
06-05-2025
- Health
- Shafaq News
Dust storms: Iraq loses $1M a day
Shafaq News/ Dust storms sweeping across Iraq are costing the country an estimated $1 million per day in damages across multiple sectors, the Green Iraq Observatory revealed on Tuesday. 'The health sector bears the brunt of the impact,' the observatory explained in a report, citing treatment costs for respiratory illnesses. Many patients are also turning to home oxygen devices rather than visiting hospitals and clinics. Other damages include an uptick in traffic accidents on highways due to near-zero visibility, as well as severe harm to crops. Risks to livestock and wildlife were also highlighted, along with soaring water usage in cleaning operations at homes, government offices, and streets—adding strain to sewage systems often clogged with mud and debris. The Observatory urged authorities to fast-track efforts to combat the crisis by launching long-delayed afforestation campaigns and reviving the Green Belt project, particularly in border provinces. The latest sandstorm wave, driven by a seasonal Khamsini low-pressure system, has blanketed cities across Iraq and the Kurdistan Region over the past five days, triggering mass cases of suffocation and disrupting daily life. A Fragile Country Iraq is among the world's five most vulnerable countries to climate change, according to the United Nations. Earlier this year, the Strategic Center for Human Rights reported a nearly 30% loss of arable land over the past three decades due to climate shifts. The water crisis, already gripping Iraq for years, has worsened dramatically since 2021, pushing river levels to historic lows. A World Bank report estimates Iraq will need $233 billion in development-focused investments by 2040—roughly 6% of its GDP annually—to pursue greener, more inclusive growth.
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Town 'exhausted' by building fears more homes
A planned housing development on protected land in a Barnsley town has prompted concern among residents. While no formal application has yet been submitted, developers Crest Nicholson have expressed intention to build an estate on land south of Pit Lane in Wombwell. Those living nearby fear it would not only devalue their homes and spoil their vista, but negatively impact wildlife and the town's infrastructure. A spokesperson for Crest Nicholson said the development would deliver "much-needed" family homes and that local improvements would be discussed as part of the planning process. Residents in Windmill Road and Windmill Court, whose homes overlook the land, received leaflets about the proposal last week. The site, which is currently used for farming and is located opposite ancient woodland, frequently attracts wildlife including bats, foxes, pheasants, deer, skylarks and yellowhammers. The developer did not specify how many homes are proposed, but some suspect it could be up to 200. Pam Robinson and her husband Neil said they are worried that the development could impact traffic and services. "We already only have two GP surgeries in Wombwell, we worry there wouldn't be the infrastructure to support these extra houses," Mrs Robinson said. "We believe that Wombwell has been pretty much exhausted by the amount of building that's taken place so far and so far no further infrastructure to support that." Mr Robinson, who is retired, said when they moved to the area in 2003, the land was Green Belt, leading him to worry about maintaining green spaces for future generations. "I'm not thinking about myself at all, because by the time they start [building], I will not be here," he says. Mrs Robinson added: "We do want to move with the times, we are not stick-in-the-muds, but this is just not right." The fear of losing green spaces because of changes to planning rules is a growing concern across the UK as the pressure to deliver housing targets intensifies. The majority of the site is designated to be protected from development until 2033, according to Wombwell councillors Brenda Eastwood, Robert Frost and James Higginbottom. In a joint statement, they say: "We have serious concerns about safeguarded sites being developed during the current Local Plan period as this would potentially undermine the Local Plan as a whole." According to Barnsley Metropolitan Council's Local Plan, 21,546 new homes need to be built by 2033. Helen Smith, who lives in Windmill Court, said she understands the necessity of housing projects but hoped any development would carefully consider the environment. "Houses have to be built, I am not going to say 'not in my backyard'," the 58-year-old told the BBC. "I am sad for the loss of nature but people have got to live somewhere." Meanwhile, John Hoe, 68, has lived in Windmill Road for 29 years and said two attempts were previously made to build on the same land. Like many others, his main concern was whether it would spoil his view but he said he has already thought of a "solution". "[If they do], I'll just go upstairs and look out of my bedroom window." Wombwell councillors have stressed no planning application has been submitted and if there was one at a later stage, it would prompt a consultation process. A spokesperson for Crest Nicholson said: "The site south of Pit Lane, Wombwell, is currently going through the planning process, with proposals out for consultation. "The development aims to deliver much-needed family homes to the area, alongside new public open space and sustainable pedestrian and cycle connections." A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said all areas, including Yorkshire, "must play their part" to tackle the "worst housing crisis in living memory". They said plans to provide the housing needed would not come at the expense of the environment, adding: "Brownfield sites which people are desperate to see used will be developed first, and any Green Belt development will deliver the infrastructure and affordable housing which communities need." Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. Thousands of new homes needed over next decade Housebuilding plans forecast to boost economy by £6.8bn Plan to make it easier for councils to seize land for housing
