Belinda Irons, Clerk to Braughing Parish Council, 14 Crawley End, Chrishall, Nr. Royston, Herts. SG8 8QL  Tel: 01763-838732 email: parishclerk@braughing.org.uk

Councillors: Andrew Peat (Chairman), David Williamson (Vice-Chairman), Peter Boylan, Mary Cockburn, Sue Landon, Graham Frary, Graham Purse.

Meetings: The Parish Council meets in the Old Boy’s School on the second Thursday of the month at 8.00pm.  The room is open and Councillors are present at 7.30pm for any parishioners who have issues they would like to discuss before the meeting.  There is an Adjournment for Public Discussion towards the end of the meeting where parishioners may speak and offer their opinion on issues which concern them.
The minutes and agendas are posted on the parish notice boards and on the Braughing web site.

Parish Council meeting dates: 8th May PC AGM; 12th June; 10th July; 11th September; 9th October; 13th November

Stansted Airport Planning Application:  BAA has now submitted its planning application for the second runway. If you wish to view the application documentation, go to the Stop Stansted Expansion website for links through to BAA. You may wish to comment on the application to Uttlesford District Council via their website, or write directly to them.

Extract from the Draft April Minutes:  Mr Kevin Steptoe from East Herts District Council spoke to the Parish Council meeting regarding planning in the future. Here is a summary of his presentation:

Mr Steptoe commented that planning issues were of paramount importance in Local and Central Government. Many people have views which are not in agreement with Central Government policies.

Current Central Government aspirations are for the construction of large numbers of houses. Policy statements indicate how many and where they are to be built, and indicates the quality and quantity of infrastructure services and facilities to support them. Historically, County Councils in partnership with District Councils have had responsibility for Regional policy and delivery of Central Government policy, but this is now the responsibility of the East of England Regional Assembly, which will shortly be dissolved and replaced by the East of England Development Agency, whose remit is to increase development.

Currently, 300 new houses are to be built in the villages across the District, with Category 1 villages (which Braughing has been classified as) expected to take more than villages without services. Any area within the planning envelope of a village may be considered suitable for building.

Braughing is naturally divided by the river into two sections, each with its own envelope for planning. Any area within the planning envelopes, in principle, may be deemed suitable for new build.

Whilst there is an emphasis on building on brown field sites, Central Government has reclassified the term and what has traditionally been thought of as green field, may now be brown field if it falls within the planning envelope.

Changes to the planning envelope by the Planning Inspector cannot be reversed. The District Council used to set the boundary, but it is now the Planning Inspectorate and there is no third party right of appeal on the decision.

Whilst Braughing has seen a substantial amount of new build, and permission for more, as a Category 1 village, it will take proportionally more new build than village without the requisite infrastructure.

Mr Steptoe commented that Government messages were conflicting. There is a Government directive that the density of the new build should be between 30 and 50 per hectare, it has changed to 30 plus. Some environments have historically very high density build levels, whilst others have a lower density. There is no policy in place which states one area has had enough new building. Therefore, any new build proposals must be considered if that proposal comes within the confines of the planning envelope.

Dog Waste Bags:  The bags will be available from the Post Office.

Bishops Stortford Minibus Trust: has a community bus which is for use by elderly, disabled, and youth organisations within a ten mile radius of Bishops Stortford.  If you are involved in one of these organisations and need transportation, or if you would like to be a volunteer driver, please telephone Bishops Stortford Town Clerk, Mr John Ingham on 01279-652274.

Any Issues? do you have something you want resolved? Anything we can help with? Please email, write or telephone me or a councillor and we will do our best to get an answer for you.