Latest news with #parishcouncil
BBC News
22-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Views sought in Dormansland on new plan to influence development
People living in a Surrey village have been offered the chance to give their views on a document that will influence future planning Dormansland Neighbourhood Plan is being put together by the village's parish council and Tandridge District Council.A public consultation opened on 18 July and will run until 26 plan will be part of the criteria by which future planning applications are judged. The parish council said it wants the village to retain its distinctive character, with new homes built to meet local needs, such as for young families or older people who wish to also wants to encourage cycling and walking, and support and increase local draft plan can be seen here.
Telegraph
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Cricket clubs' futures at risk after person hit by ball in car park
The Essex cricket ground controversially closed after a person was hit by a ball on the back of a leg in the car park will remain shut indefinitely. Two recent heated meetings failed to reach agreement on the return of cricket to the Dawson Memorial Field in Danbury. The parish council has been attacked for a lack of 'common sense' and 2,900 residents have signed a petition urging it to overturn its suspension of cricket, which has left three clubs – Danbury, Oaklands and Tuskers – unable to play home fixtures, placing their futures at risk. The council acted after a member of the public was hit by a ball as they were about to use the adjacent leisure centre. Last week, a public meeting was held at the village hall. This week a committee meeting discussed the closure. Rory Carlton, secretary of Danbury CC, claimed it was 'abundantly clear from attending both meetings that residents seem overwhelmingly in favour of cricket continuing in its current form'. Carlton said: 'It was terrific to see such overwhelming support for cricket in Danbury. Residents made some excellent points; they made it very clear that they felt the response to a single allegation was wholly disproportionate. Parallels were drawn with other activities such as football where a similar incident could easily be imagined. 'One alleged incident surely does not merit the prohibition of cricket which has been enjoyed by generations of villagers. That, in living memory, not a single member of the public has actually been injured. Aside from a few voices of reason, the council were not swayed from their course, insisting that 'process must be followed' whilst ignoring the fact that the entire premise of their argument was fundamentally flawed. 'It's terribly disappointing that a common-sense resolution couldn't be reached. Mistakes are made, as I said during the meeting; I'm sure the council believed they were acting in residents' best interests at the time, but it's very clear that their course of action was incorrect. 'The outcome we were hoping for – immediate resumption of cricket for the village – wasn't obtained. I genuinely fear the wider consequences, both for other activities that operate in Danbury which could fall foul of this approach or village teams up and down the country.' Carlton attacked the council's over-reliance upon a risk consultancy. He said: 'I and other residents made the point that advice is merely that. It can be followed, amended or discarded. Surely Danbury Parish Council are responsible for the governance of the village and not an appointed third-party consultancy?' When contacted by Telegraph Sport, Danbury Parish Council said that it was 'surprised at the low turnout' at the residents' meeting on June 19, saying that only 30 residents attended out of a population of 4,000. The council also reiterated that it hopes that the suspension of cricket will only be temporary and that representatives from the cricket teams and the parish council would meet as soon as possible to come up with reasonable solutions that would allow for the recommencement of cricket. In a statement, Danbury Parish Council said: 'The parish council has taken professional advice which will minimise the risks – the fact that there were at least two car windows, within the last year, smashed by cricket balls being hit into the adjacent car park, across a public footway, indicates that there is a risk to people who are accessing the facilities – and as such would be potentially invalidate its insurance cover and risk litigation if it were to totally ignore the advice that has been received. 'The parish council has set up the working party in good faith with representatives of the cricket team, in order that we can work together towards the re-commencement of cricket – we are waiting for the ball trajectory report that the Essex Cricket Board have recommended to both the cricket clubs and the parish council in order to determine the correct mitigation. The parish council remains committed to supporting sport in Danbury whilst ensuring that the many visitors and residents who enjoy the facilities on offer can access them in a safe manner.'
BBC News
19-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Elections cancelled due to lack of candidates
A dozen parish councils are unable to function due to a lack of candidates, stoking fears about the future of local near Lyneham in Wiltshire, is one of the areas affected, with Thursday's election cancelled because it failed to meet the minimum number of people councils represent the most local tier of government, with responsibilities for open spaces, street lighting and certain public amenities. Other areas affected in Wiltshire include Burbage, Ashton Keynes, and Vines, Dauntsey parish clerk, said it is a struggle to keep functioning. He added: "I'm holding the fort trying to make decisions on the council's behalf." Mr Vines added the parish is charged for each failed election and this was creating a financial a parish election to take place, the law states there must be at least three people standing. When asked, residents were divided on whether they would put their names council chair Ellen Blacker said that she was "really surprised that nobody ended up going for nomination".She added that if the situation continued she would probably nominate herself again, because she does not want to "see the village let down".Lucy Townsend, Wiltshire Council's returning officer, said that it was disappointing "there aren't more people that recognise what value they could add to their local communities"."We have to have town and parish councils that are able to function," she in Dauntsey are due to open again shortly, ahead of next month's election, as the community tries to elect a parish council for the third time in as many months. Uncontested parish council elections that were due to take place on Thursday are listed below: Ashton KeynesBurbageDauntseyGraftonHeywoodLattonLittle BedwynLydiard TregozeOakseyRedlynchStocktonWinterbourne Stoke
BBC News
05-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Bacton sandscaping saves £3 million in flood damage
Six years since a pioneering coastal defence project was implemented on the Norfolk coast, local people say their lives have been transformed with improvements to mental health, tourism and property prices. The £19m sandscaping project was designed to stop Bacton gas terminal from falling into the sea. Enough sand to half-fill Wembley Stadium was dredged and pumped ashore to rebuild the beach. A new study has found it has already prevented £3m of flood damage in the villages of Bacton and Walcott. 'The wind ruled our lives' In 2018, the future of the village of Walcott hung in the balance. With no beach left because of coastal erosion it was at risk of being swept away by the sea. Pauline Porter, chair of the parish council, says people left the village after 70 properties were damaged during a storm and tidal surge in December 2013. "The wind ruled our lives. If there were high tides you stayed close to the village in case your needed to rescue your pets or valuables. It was a way of life."There was no beach. You had a good drop of 12 to 14ft most of the time and as fast as the steps were made longer to reach the beach, the faster the beach disappeared."We used to have three to five flood evacuations a year, but since sandscaping we haven't had one. "Had it not been for sandscaping the village would have been lost under the sea." In 2019, two million cubic metres of sand were dredged and pumped ashore to raise beach levels by up to seven metres. The £19m project was mainly funded by the owners of Bacton gas terminal, which handles a third of the UK's natural gas supplies, with £5m coming from public funds. The sandscaping project has a 15 to 20 year design life. Six years on, the sand has moved up and down the coast as well as offshore, creating a small bar that dissipates the energy of the waves. 'I feared for the business' For years the Kingfisher Cafe could not get flood insurance. Since the sandscaping it can once again. Owner Graham French says he used to wonder if he was going to lose the business."If it had not been for the gas terminal we would not have benefitted from the sandscaping scheme."We now feel we can invest in the business and customers have been coming back." '£3 million of flood damage prevented' A draft report prepared for the Crown Estate has found that between 2019 and 2023 the sandscaping has prevented serious flooding in the villages on at least one occasion, saving £3m in damage to properties. It also concluded that it is likely to have prevented erosion of the B1159, the main access road to the gas terminal. A survey of residents carried out by the University of East Anglia found mental health and investor confidence in the area had improved. The project's designer says it has bought time. Jaap Flikweert from Royal HaskoningDHV says beaches from Mundesley to Happisburgh have built up more than they thought. "We expected the bulge of sand would erode quite rapidly but it has also moved elsewhere." He says the study for the Crown Estate has also put a value on the savings to the nation due to people not being out of work or needing to use the NHS services for poor mental health."In just a few years we estimate it has brought another £3-4m of benefit. It is really good to see that the scheme does its job." 'Nature-based solutions' The man who co-ordinated the project says it is not a solution for all communities fighting coastal erosion. Rob Goodliffe, who is coastal transition manager at North Norfolk District Council, says it has demonstrated the benefits of nature-based solutions to sea level rise."Any scheme has to stack up economically but you cannot necessarily pick this up and drop it into another area."The owners of Bacton gas terminal were approached by the BBC but declined to comment. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
A selection of recent Bradford planning application decisions
A number of planning application decisions were made by City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council last week, with a selection as follows. Steeton Football Ground, Summerhill Lane, Steeton With Eastburn, West Yorkshire. The parish council seeks to remove a large ash tree showing signs of ash dieback, which overhangs a road and football field, with a replacement tree to be planted. Ref. No: 25/01740/CPN | Validated: Tue 06 May 2025 | Status: Decided | Decision: Withdrawn 40 Station Road, Denholme, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD13 4BS. Non-material amendment to planning permission 24/02762/HOU to switch the proposed door to the side elevation and window to the front elevation. Ref. No: 24/02762/NMA01 | Validated: Thu 01 May 2025 | Status: Granted | Decision: Granted 1 Beck Lane, Bingley, West Yorkshire BD16 4EL. Tree works to crown lift a sycamore and horse chestnut to 4.2m above ground for driveway access, with cuts not exceeding 40mm on secondary laterals only. Ref. No: 25/01691/TPO | Validated: Thu 01 May 2025 | Status: Granted | Decision: Granted Fieldhead Cottage, Fieldhead, Oxenhope, Keighley, West Yorkshire BD22 0EJ. Construction of a single-storey rear extension with a 6m depth, 3m maximum height, and 3m to eaves. Ref. No: 25/01601/PNH | Validated: Tue 22 Apr 2025 | Status: Decided | Decision: Prior Approval Not Required All 44 Azealea Court, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD3 0SH. Construction of a single-storey rear extension with a 4.8m depth, 4m maximum height, and 3m to eaves. Ref. No: 25/01562/PNH | Validated: Thu 17 Apr 2025 | Status: Unknown | Decision: Prior Approval Not PD Planning Reqd All 31 Mitcham Drive, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD9 4SS. Construction of a single-storey rear extension with a 6m depth, 3.5m maximum height, and 2.3m to eaves. Ref. No: 25/01563/PNH | Validated: Thu 17 Apr 2025 | Status: Unknown | Decision: Prior Approval Not PD Planning Reqd All 10 Stirton Street, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD5 7NX. Construction of a single-storey rear extension with a 6m depth, 4m maximum height, and 3m to eaves. Ref. No: 25/01520/PNH | Validated: Wed 16 Apr 2025 | Status: Decided | Decision: Prior Approval Not Required All 35 Abingdon Street, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD8 8QJ. Construction of a single-storey rear extension with a 4.5m depth, 4m maximum height, and 2.7m to eaves. Ref. No: 25/01510/PNH | Validated: Tue 15 Apr 2025 | Status: Decided | Decision: Prior Approval Not Required All 23 Ghyll Wood, Ilkley, West Yorkshire LS29 9NR. Non-material amendment to planning permission 23/00976/HOU to modify the size and position of windows and doors and reposition a down pipe from the side to the front of the property. Ref. No: 23/00976/NMA01 | Validated: Mon 14 Apr 2025 | Status: Granted | Decision: Granted 18 The Copse, Burley In Wharfedale, Ilkley, West Yorkshire LS29 7QY. Tree works to reduce the upper canopy of a cypress by up to 5m, leaving 10m overall height, and remove a holly tree due to lack of space. Ref. No: 25/01421/TPO | Validated: Tue 08 Apr 2025 | Status: Decided | Decision: Part Grant Part Refusal of TPO Case
