Red alert for Green Belt

Central Beds Council withdrew its draft Gypsy and Traveller Plan in October, so our Green Belt on the western edge of the village is reprieved from development for now. 

Well done Bartonians, all our hard work to keep out Green Belt paid off. However, this is not the end: Central Beds must come forward with a revised plan next year – this will probably be after the general election and they have launched a 'call for sites' that will close 9th February, see www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/sites  So we must remain ready to protest again if they propose to build on our Green Belt.

Rumour has it that Central Beds is preparing to roll back the Green Belt on the eastern edge of our village, behind Manor Road under cover of the local development plan. Whether and how quickly that would extend the full length of the eastern side of Barton-le-Clay from Hexton Road to Higham Road is unclear and an obvious risk.

This information emerged in October, when Barton parish council held two community consultation sessions on the Neighbourhood Plan as its spring 2014 housing survey has identified an alleged need for 14 affordable homes in Barton-le-Clay. These would be built in conjunction with an unspecified number of 'market' houses. Central Beds is said to want to use the local development plan to push back the Green Belt on the eastern side of the village. As CBC Cllr Young confirmed at a  meeting on 6 November with representatives of the BRAG group, one developer still wants to build 550 homes here – this would have to be on our Green Belt.

Once the Green Belt is breached, the roll-back may prove impossible to contain, especially if money to build youth or community facilities sweeten the deal, as happened with the Grange Farm estate and development of the football facilities here some 20 years ago. We need to be alert and prepared to act if we wish to safeguard our Green Belt. The Parish Council's steering group five key themes are on display in the library.

Pickles ignored in Green Belt battles

Central Beds Council is preparing to develop on Green Belt in direct contravention of planning guidance that this should only be allowed in exceptional circumstances - and none have been cited.

The Tory-led council is dismissive of recent utterances by Secretary of State Eric Pickles about the sanctity of Green Belt, pointing out that his planning inspectorate have effectively declared open season on Green Belt, as seen with their Three Mile Road site challenge of CBC now with the courts.

So the regulators call the shots. They interpret the law and use public funds to argue the toss with any who disagree with them, which in this case means public sector vs public sector. What a waste of resource.

So what next?

First, Mr Pickles should review what his planning inspectorate is getting up to, and make them accountable for heeding the spirit and the letter of the law his department stewards.

Second, Bartonians must write again to CBC objecting to its latest plan to build a 15-pitch gypsy and traveller encampment at site 16 on Green Belt in the Barton-le-Clay vale, overlooked by the National Trust's Sharpenhoe Clappers, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). CPRE and English Nature are already on the case.

February 17 to March 31 is when CBC will post its plan for consultation on-line at www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk and a hard copy will be available in Bedfordshire libraries.

Families, dog owners, hikers and hang-gliders come from all over Bedfordshire and beyond to enjoy the spectacular views from the hills over the vale at Barton-le-Clay. Other land can be found for development, if there's a will. We must ensure the planning inspector understands the real value of this land.