4th November 2011

Buntings announce they will not Appeal

Buntings have announced that they are not going to appeal the decision of May 26th but are going to submit a new Application in due course. See press coverage on the Press page.

We have no idea what the new Application will look like but must speculate that Buntings will do all they can to make it conform to the Local Plan and the new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) when it is finally published. It is worth noting that the initial draft of this requires that Local Plans 'give great weight to protecting landscape and scenic beauty in National Parks, the Broads and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty...... Planning Permission should be refused for major developments in designated areas except in exceptional circumstances where it can be demonstrated that they are in the public interest.' We must hope that this is further strengthened in the final Bill to be presented to Parliament next year. The NPPF talks at length about the need for Planning Applications to be 'sustainable' and gives the definition 'sustainable means ensuring better that lives for ourselves don't mean worse lives for future generations.' What this will mean for Buntings,we have no idea!

We will have to react to the new Application as and when it is submitted.

 

27th May 201

Colchester Council say 'NO' to Horkesley Park

At the meeting on 26 May, the CBC Planning Committee supported their officer's recommendation for refusal.

Eleven to one against the application!

The Moot Hall was packed with around 170 SVAG supporters and 50 Bunting family members and employees. The Anchor was closed so that the staff could attend! The Hall was full to capacity and at least a further 50 SVAG supporters were unable to get in and turned away at the door.

There were 25 speakers in all, against and in favour of the Application. Those speaking against included Dr John Constable, representatives of the Dedham Vale Society, the Colne-Stour Association, the Suffolk Preservation Society, CPREssex, the Dedham Vale Project, Nayland and Wissington Conservation Society, Nayland and Little Horkesley Parish Councils, SVAG, and others. Speakers for the application included the Buntings' traffic, landscape, tourism and planning consultants, members of the Bunting family and other individuals. Stephen Bunting said that one and a half million pounds had been spent developing the project. His planning consultant Edward Gittins said that the planning officer's report was 'confusing and flawed', and legally 'unsafe', and asked for deferment. These charges were refuted point by point by CBC speakers.

Members of the committee spoke briefly before going to a vote. The issues that had influenced them most in ther decision appeared to be traffic, sustainability and the beauty of the landscape and the preservation of the tranquillity of the AONB. Some had been deeply influenced by seeing the landscape on their site visit on a beautiful May evening, some by Great Horkesley church. (Councillor Ford was impressed by the sense that this was a site that had experienced '700 years of tranquillity')

THE LANDSCAPE WAS ITS OWN BEST ARGUMENT, AND THE LANDSCAPE WON!

To everyone who has supported us in this long battle, we must say, well done, and thank you!