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BPARA

Bletchley Park Area Residents Association

BPARA AGM CHAIRMAN’S REPORT 2015

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BPARA – Hon. Chairman’s Report – 2015 AGM 

Welcome to the 2015 AGM, and it is good to see so many friends here tonight as we approach the 25th anniversary of the Association. Last year we were fortunate to have Iain Standen, the Trust Chief Executive, as our speaker. He will be here later with Helen Hupton, Clerk to West Bletchley Council, and they will be updating us on what is happening in the Bletchley Park Area after the refreshment break. During the break, we will be cutting our 25th birthday cake.

BPARA – 25 years

Before I report on what has been happening in the last year, we have put together some slides as a reminder of those 25 years (slide show). 

Back to what has been happening in the last 12 months:

Salden Chase

Yet again, I speak about the Salden Chase development, but, as reported last year, it now has a new name – the South West Milton Keynes Consortium. Since 2010, the spectre of a large scale development down the road in Aylesbury Vale has loomed over us. Although a new name, and a proposed smaller development, this would still put more pressure on our roads, emergency services, schools, hospital, drainage systems and so on, and it would be Aylesbury Vale who would benefit from the planning gain and council tax income – none of the affordable housing would be available to our young people trying to get on the housing ladder. We recognise that housing is required, but we must have I before E – infrastructure before expansion – in the form of roads, hospitals, schools etc. to support any development so as not to put undue pressure on neighbouring areas & existing facilities/services.

It has taken almost 2 years for The SWMK Consortium to submit their outline planning applications not only to Aylesbury Vale Council, but also to Milton Keynes Council as access to this new development would be via roads/roundabouts in our area, the A421 Standing Way between the Bottle Dump & Tattenhoe Roundabouts and Whaddon Road.

We are grateful to West Bletchley Council for coordinating opposition from neighbouring councils and organisations, for providing financial support to fight this application, and obtaining expert opinions to support their submission to oppose the application. Once a date is fixed for Aylesbury Vale to consider this application, West Bletchley Council’s Salden Chase Sub-Committee (which consists of councillors and local organisations including BPARA) will be galvanising members of the public to demonstrate their opposition. Five years ago, we spoke against the Salden Chase application at the Aylesbury Vale Council offices, and will do so again.

If the Consortium is successful this time, it will lead to further development later down the line.

Home Farm (ex-Serco) depot – Sherwood Drive 

Since last Summer, the Association has been very busy with matters relating to the re-development of this site. We welcomed the regeneration of a disused brownfield site and the provision of much needed housing in West Bletchley, but we were disappointed that MK Council sold the land rather than develop the site itself due to so-called prohibitive costs of removing asbestos and contamination – the legacy from MK Council and its former tenants.

Residents of Home Close, Sherwood Drive and Whalley Drive who are Association members and most affected by the development were advised of this planning application in late July, and only had until mid-August to provide any comments – this was insufficient time due to it being a peak holiday period.

These residents and this Association were united in opposition to the planning application to build 56 dwellings on this site for the following reasons:

  • High density of dwellings – 56 although the Local Plan Policy 8 recommends 40 for a site of this size (by comparison, the density of new housing next to Bletchley Park entrance is only 25 and average density for the Salden Chase application is 35)
  • The proximity of the new development which is predominately 2/3/4 storey buildings resulting in loss of privacy to existing homes which are bungalows or 2 storey dwellings.
  • Existing traffic congestion in West Bletchley – in 1990, MK Council’s Report for Bletchley Park reported that BP is accessed by roads not fully suited to the levels of traffic they carry and that the Buckingham Road/Sherwood Drive junction is operating close to capacity. 25 years later, we all know that traffic has increased due to the development of the BP Museum and surrounding housing estates, the enlargement of Bletchley College, more commuters (and even more when the East/West rail Link opens) in addition to increased local and through traffic.
  • In addition, parking is an issue in this area – many residents suffer inconvenience from commuters, businesses and students.
  • The impact of more housing on drainage and sewage removal systems– residents in Sherwood Drive have had been subject to sewage flooding their property in the past.

The Association made 3 submissions to MK Council between August and December, and spoke against the development at the November and December MK Council planning meetings. At the November meeting, we learnt that the planning department had been in disarray for some time, and had just been reorganised under a new Head of Planning (it was her first week in the role). The developer of the Serco site had experienced difficulties with the Planning Department over several months, had been wrongly advised on how to submit his application for the November meeting, and the deadline for the Council to consider his application had passed.

Sadly, MK Council approved the outline application at their December meeting, and also agreed to a ridiculously low contribution (known as S106 monies) towards services from the Developer. However, we ensured that the Reserve Matters – the actual detail of the development – should be subject to public consultation and approval by MK Planning Department.

We have also met with residents and the developer on a total of 4 occasions. Although the developer did address some of our concerns, we did make a submission regarding the Reserve Matters application considered at last night’s MK Council meeting. Our main areas of concern being:

  • the distance between the new dwellings and existing properties in Home Close,
  • a request for an independent assessment of the Developer’s Sewage & Waste Water Disposal to ensure that the waste from the new development does not overload the existing Home Close system.
  • the need for measures to ensure that only residents and their visitors are permitted to park on the new development. Elsewhere in West Bletchley, rail commuters, Bletchley Park visitors and Bletchley College students choose not to use the specified parking provided, and park for free in neighbouring housing developments
  • Hours for construction on site to be formally agreed..

As you are aware, in February the developer invited Association members to suggest a name for the new road – we passed on your suggestions but have not yet heard back from the developer.

We accept that MK Council has to raise revenue, however, the Association feels badly let down by MK Council and its decision to sell the land and permit this development on the basis approved by their Planning Department. 

COBRA (Consortium of Bletchley Resident Associations not the government committee to deal with emergencies)

Reg Edwards, now retired and former Bletchley/Fenny Stratford Town Councillor, has rallied local resident associations to revive COBRA. We have attended 2 meetings this year, which provided a good opportunity to enlist COBRA members’ support against the Salden Chase proposed development.

It is good forum for discussing issues which impact all residents in the wider Bletchley/Fenny Stratford area, including Newton Leys, and to lobby local councils when necessary.

Bletchley Transport Strategy Group

This group, jointly sponsored & led by Bletchley & Fenny Stratford Town Council & West Bletchley Council, seems to have folded since the last meeting in January 2014 when BPARA was excluded from that meeting. WBC was due to host the next meeting, but sadly there was no interest from parties other than BPARA. However, last June we forwarded items that need to be addressed to Helen Hupton which included:

  1. The need for a suitable footpath from Bletchley station to MK Dons stadium to accommodate large number of football/Rugby World Cup supporters who travel by train, Stadium traffic issues which worsen at peak times, even more so with the opening of the cinema is completed, and on match days – must impact on trading at retail park, especially around Christmas time.
  2. Speeding traffic between speed restrictions in Rickley Lane and the new mini roundabout with Church Green Road,(also in Shenley Road as reported at last NAG meeting)
  3. Adoption of roads – new houses on Bletchley Park (Colossus Way etc.)
  4. Why work undertaken at Bus Station when there is not an overall plan for regeneration of Bletchley Town Centre? West Bletchley residents pay council tax but do not appear to have any representation on the group that is involved in these plans.

The most suitable forum for raising such issues now seems to be the newly re-formed COBRA.

I will now hand over to Kathy (Other planning – Colossus Way, Church Green Road, Rickley Park, Splash Park, WBNAG, Bletchley Park Houses & G Block, Old Canteen, number of meetings/newsletters). Encourage members to sign up as friends of BP, to provide email to receive news as & when it arises.