Just a quick update on what happened re the green space (at Sallins Pier/Sallins Wharf). The residents mounted quite a battle (a copy our petition is here) and we turned it around from majority of the area committee (4 to 1) ready to back residential zoning at start of the week to majority on the area committee (the same 4) in favour of reaching a compromise which is what happened in the end.
We would have liked to secure full amenity but the argument given by councillors (across all parties) against doing that was the threat of a compensation claim by the developer. The detail of this is still not clear but it does seem there were some technicalities around the zoning. As the land was always zoned residential (up to and including last Monday) to zone it full amenity as per the residents wishes (and county managers) would have constituted a ‘down-zoning’. That is the land is less valuable. Now since the 2000 planning act this is permissible but the condition is that the land be idle for at least 5 years (undeveloped). It was a “use it or lose it” clause brought in (by an FF govt in fact) to prevent speculation artificially driving up price of land.
The land in our case was idle for over 5 years but the builder would maintain (with strong case) that it was only so because the council had reserved it for the bypass for 3 of those 5 years. So not cut and dried.
Anyhow between the compensation threat, the builders lobbying and the residents lobbying, by the meeting on Monday a compromise was being pieced together on the area committee. The end result was that 3 acres would go amenity (a change in zoning) and 2 would remain residential. There are still open questions and we’d like him to finish the old estates before he starts a new one but the full planning process will still have to be followed in any event. I’d like to thank anyone who participated in the campaign and thank those councillors across the spectrum who took time to listen and consider residents concerns. If I do make the chamber next year I’ll have a few working relationships on all sides the house already!