WDRA working for West Didsbury.....improving local amenities.....resisting overdevelopment.....protecting the character of our buildings.....planting trees.....protecting wildlife.....enhancing the street scene.....promoting the community.....keeping its heart beating! Join the WDRA and help us keep West Didsbury alive and well!

Our application for hanging baskets along Burton Road has been approved; they should be in place before the end of June.....Didsbury Open Gardens, 8th June ...click on 'News'...The Friends of Marie Louise Gardens website is now up and running - Click on www.marielouisegardens.org.uk..... The Manchester Tree Wardens Scheme: Learn about trees and become a Manchester Tree Warden - Phone Liz Edwards on 0161 220 1000.....If you are a member, and have not already done so, please send your current email address to WDRA@westdidsbury.org and we will add your name to our mailing list....Next Committee Meeting Monday 17th May at the Albert Club, Old Lansdowne Road, at 8 pm..... Click on 'Property Development' for the latest planning applications..... Would you like to grow your own fruit and veg here in West Didsbury? Phone Joan Phillips on 445 4353 for an allotment!.....A group of five Grey Herons sighted foraging in the waterlogged meadows behind Fielden Park.....The Great Spotted Woodpecker, several nuthatches and a pair of Bullfinches are visiting gardens in Old Lansdowne Road again!.....Sparrowhawk sighted in gardens on Stratford Avenue and Old Lansdowne Road - Click on 'Nature & Wildlife'..... For the latest on high-density development and the protection of our gardens, click on 'PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT.....Please take a minute to leave a message or comment in our guestbook.

An Appeal to Developers

For some years now, South Manchester has been a prime target for property development. During the sixties and seventies, the planning department abdicated responsibility for our Victorian heritage. A great deal of damage was done to our villas: porches were torn down, front entrances were bricked up to accommodate kitchens and bathrooms, gardens were turned into concrete car parks, and trees planted fifty years earlier were felled, never to be replaced. The architectural and spatial integrity of many of our nineteenth century terraces were destroyed, in the name of ‘development’. Property that was once a joy to behold became a blot on the landscape, and we now try to screen it from view with street trees.

Today, the situation has changed. Much of West Didsbury is a conservation area, and we have a planning department that takes its work seriously, both of which make it easier to resist unsuitable development. Many property developers consult the West Didsbury Residents Association before submitting planning proposals; some, still too few, realising that it is in their interest to work with the community, even contribute towards the cost of improving local amenities. Nevertheless, the situation is far from ideal. Overdevelopment, unsympathetic building design, and lip service to landscaping and wildlife protection remain a problem.

We appeal to property developers to take the Council’s advice and contact us before finalising their proposals. We are not experts, but we do have twenty-three years’ experience of development in our area, and we actively encourage investors who respect local needs. We can give you valuable advice and support.

Barry Aelion

Secretary

E-Mail: WDRA@westdidsbury.org

Planning Bill Released 27 Nov 07

In the last few hours Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has announced the release of the Planning Bill.

As anticipated in last weeks Policy Update many of the proposals from the Planning White Paper has passed through unchanged.

The main proposals in the Bill are:

• Ministers will set national priorities for infrastructure by drawing up national statements following consultation with the public.
• An independent planning commission to replace big planning inquiries and will streamline eight current planning regimes covering schemes like electricity generation, power lines, airports and reservoirs.
• Local councils will also be able to set charges on new developments in their areas to contribute to community infrastructure like roads, schools and hospitals.
• Developers will have a legal duty to consult the local community, local authorities and key stakeholders on their projects as they prepare them.
• It will be easier for homeowners to extend their homes. Planning permission will not be required for minor developments such as conservatories, small scale extensions where it is clear they have little or no impact on neighbouring properties.
• Householders will be allowed to install small-scale renewable technologies - such as solar panels and wind turbines - without planning permission subject to safeguards and standards to ensure there is little or no impact on neighbours.
• Local councils will be required to take action on climate change when preparing their local plans.
The Planning Bill will be found online at: http://services.parliament.uk/bills

Planning Coalition statement

Despite much mention of consultation the Coalition is still very concerned about the implications for local decision making and democracy that many of the proposals in this Bill have.

The coalition issues the following statement this afternoon.

Government backs big business over public opinion, on planning reform

A coalition of conservation, environmental and civic organisations representing more than five million people has condemned the Government’s Planning Reform Bill, published today (Tuesday 27th November).

As anticipated, the Bill makes no significant changes to the proposals set out in the Planning White Paper earlier in the summer, despite the 32,000 individual responses to that consultation. The vast majority of these were from ordinary members of the public, expressing their concerns that the proposals threaten local democracy, communities and the environment, and calling on the Government to think again.

A spokesperson for the coalition said: “Ministers’ decision to press ahead despite these concerns suggests that they are not interested in public opinion on planning – hardly encouraging when so much of the planning process should be about listening to the views of individuals and communities, and ensuring that all the evidence is fully considered.”

The coalition is calling on Ministers to revise their flawed proposals fundamentally, maintaining credible and democratic decision-making in the process, ensuring that development is truly sustainable, and guaranteeing meaningful opportunities for consultation, including a right for the public to be heard.

The coalition’s spokesperson said: “We hope that MPs will use the debates on the Bill to champion democracy, accountability and sustainable development, and reject proposals that sideline communities and the environment.”

Member organisation of the Coalition are:

The CPRE, Airportwatch, The Civic Trust, Friends of the Earth, The grasslands Trust, The Council for National Parks, The National Trust, The RSPB, The Ramblers Association, Enoughisenough, The Campaign for Better Transport, UKRIGS, The Wildlife Trusts, The Woodland Trust

Planning Applications

The Committee monitors all planning applications for West Didsbury at our monthly meetings. If you wish to view these applications or submit comments about them online, you can do so at: www.manchester.gov.uk/planning/publicaccess; you can also come along and discuss them at our next meeting on 21st January (see 'Calendar' for details). Applications will be added to the following list as we receive them from the Planning Department, and the list will be finalised before Saturday, 19th January.

No current applications have been received as at 29th December.

High-density Development

With effect from 30th September 2006, MCC will no longer support high-density development outside the city centre and its fringes, unless developers can produce compelling evidence that there is a specific need for it, such as the need for regeneration. Excellent news! It will be interesting to see how well this new policy is implemented...

Protection of Private Gardens

An isssue that is causing a lot of concern nationwide is the designation of all private gardens as brownfield land. Speculative builders are taking advantage of this classification to buy up old houses with large gardens and replace these with poorly situated flats that undermine the character of the area. This is becoming common practice here in West Didsbury, where we are fast losing the valuable amenity of our green spaces.

To tackle this issue, a private members bill has been introduced by Gregg Clark MP. This bill, the Protection of Private Gardens (Housing Development) Bill, seeks to stop the practice of designating private gardens as brownfield sites for planning purposes. The bill, which can be seen here:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/pabills/200506/protection_of_private_gardens_housing_development.htm

will have its second reading on 20th October 2006.

Barry Aelion 14/10/06