MOORDOWN HISTORY

Here is a link to the official "Planning Portal" web page on the application process.

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/genera ... plyprocess

There are various local and central gov guidelines and objectives for Councils to deal with Town Planning application 'responses' (Approvals/Refusals) within a certain number of weeks.

You can sometimes hear a cynically worded response "oh, around five weeks, minimum" quoted in phone calls to the Town Planning office, followed by background laughter from those who've heard the address mentioned.

Others do take longer. Town Planning Approval for Christchurch Spiritualist Church's building on Barrack Road, for example (which we've all driven past hundreds of times) took five YEARS.

But it really wasn't all that long, compared with eternity

Here is the appropriate page from their very neat website, setting out the facts - http://www.christchurchsc.org.uk/

The agenda for the March meeting of the Planning Board is now online, but needless to say McWilliam Road does not appear. With reference to Philip's last post, if we have to wait for 5 years not only will the thatch have fallen off but the whole building could be a heap of ruins and Berni and I will be pushing up daisies!

Here is a little ditty to keep our spirits up!
THE RESTORATION RACE
We have have been chasing Councillor Dunlop
Who has been chasing Mr Hubbard
Who has been chasing Mr Stokes
The chase is still ongoing
After nearly seven months
If we don't reach the finishing line soon
The thatch on the cottage will collapse.
(Along with the two Old Biddies)

News at last - action by the Council! Perhaps our persistent enquiries have at last borne some fruit!
Tom Hubbard emailed us yesterday to let us know that there have been some amendments to the application. There are now proposals for only two properties on the site and the one under the big oak tree has been deleted.
However, he mentioned that the "yellow notices" will be going up next week, but on the website the expiry date for comments is 5 SEPT - only a few days to comment on the new plans. The application number remains the same -7-2015-13118-Q.

HI FOLKS! ADDITIONAL INFO. HAVING DRAWN THE EXPIRY DATE TO TOM HUBBARD'S ATTENTION, HE HAS NOW REPLIED THAT THERE WAS A MISTAKE AND THE EXPIRY DATE FOR COMMENTS IS 20 SEPT. SO GLAD WE CONTACTED HIM, DARE
WE HOPE FOR A HEARING IN OCTOBER!!!

Further to our meeting yesterday evening, this is a draft of the comment we propose to send to the Planning Department.
THE PLANNING BOARD ARE AWARE OF THE CONCERNS OF THE MOORDOWN LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY FOR THE PLIGHT OF MOORSIDE COTTAGE. THE OWNER OF THE LISTED BUILDING AND THE LAND ADJACENT (WHICH IS THE SUBJECT OF THE PLANNING APPLICATION) APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN UNWILLING OR UNABLE TO MAINTAIN THE COTTAGE IN ITS RIGHTFUL CONDITION. IN A LETTER FROM THEIR AGENTS, ECA, DATED 24 AUGUST 2015, THEY HAVE DECLARED THAT THE PROPOSED PLANS FOR THE ERECTION OF DWELLINGS ON THE LAND ADJACENT WOULD BE AN "ENABLING DEVELOPMENT" FOR THE RESTORATION OF THE COTTAGE. LIKE OUR FELLOW RESIDENTS AND NEIGHBOURS, WE HAVE RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND THE ACCESS IN PARTICULAR.
HOWEVER, ON THE CONDITION THAT A FIRM COMMITMENT FROM THE OWNER,WE FEEL THAT THE AMENDED PLANS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED FAVOURABLY BY THE PLANNING BOARD.
BUT at 2.30pm I received a reply from Tom Hubbard to the email sent last Monday 12TH.
I quote from the final paragraph of his letter ....................DESPITE WHAT THE APPLICANT OFFERS WE DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE ANY JUSTIFICATION TO REQUIRE IN A LEGAL DOCUMENT THAT THE PROCEEDS ARE LINKED TO THE RENOVATION OF THE LISTED BUILDING, AND i HAVE NO PLANS, PROPOSALS, OF SCHEDULE OF WORKS IN TERMS OF ANY REPAIRS TO THE LISTED BUILDING BEFORE ME EITHER. IF THE OWNER REQUIRES THE MONEY FROM THE DEVELOPMENT TO RENOVATE THE COTTAGE THEN HE MAY WELL HAVE GOOD INTENTIONS, BUT WE CANNOT REASONABLY TIE THIS DOWN IN TERMS OF PLANNING CONDITIONS AND HENCE THIS "OFFER" IN THE LETTER HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN FORWARD.
We had intended to send our Comment to the Planning department on next Monday, but we are now at a loss to know how to proceed - should we send it anyway - or has anyone got any other ideas? You can email Jill on granny_king@hotmail.co.uk or use the forum.Heigh-ho, here we go again!

As we have not had any response from members or indeed very little interest, this is the revised comment we are sending to the Planning Board.
THE PLANNING BOARD ARE AWARE OF THE CONCERN OF THE MOORDOWN LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY FOR THE PLIGHT OF MOORSIDE COTTAGE, HAVING PREVIOUSLY PRESENTED A PETITION AND MADE REPRESENTATIONS AT THEIR MEETINGS.LIKE OUR FELLOW RESIDENTS AND NEIGHBOURS, WE HAVE RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THE REVISED PLANS FOR DEVEOLPMENT ADJACENT TO THE COTTAGE AND THE ACCESS IN PARTICULAR. SOME INTERESTED PARTIES MAY BE UNAWARE THAT THE SEVERING OF COTTAGE GROUNDS FROM THE ADJOINING PLOT CHANGES THE LEGAL POSITION AS FAR AS PLANNING GOES.
THE DISPUTE OVER ANY PLANS FOR DEVELOPMENT AROUND MOORSIDE COTTAGE HAS NOW DRAGGED ON FOR 40 ODD YEARS AND WE FEEL THAT SOME COMPROMISE MUST BE REACHED. ULTIMATELY , THE FATE OF THE COTTAGE LIES IN THE HANDS OF THE OWNERS AND NOT THE PLANNING BOARD

I DON'T BELIEVE IT!!! The application is on the agenda for the Planning Board meeting on FEB 20TH at "pm at the Town Hall. The recommendation is to GRANT. Must sit down now and have a cuppa - or something stronger.

BIG DISAPPOINTMENT ON TWO FRONTS AT THE PLANNING BOARD MEETING.
1) DECISION DEFERRED
2) WE WERE THE ONLY REPRESENTATIVES OF MLHS AND THE NEIGHBOURS.--WITH 40 COMMENTS ON WEBSITE,WHERE WERE YOU ALL?

Last night, Monday 16 October 2017, Bournemouth Planning Board granted the application to build 2 properties on the land adjoining Moorside Cottage. It was passed by 4 votes to 3 with 2 abstentions - a close call.