“The Thoughts Of An Old Bishopstoke Boy”

  I have been a resident of Bishopstoke (Stoke Common) for 47 years, and during that time have been Chairman of The Stoke Residents Association for some 30 years. During that time we have objected against development upon the Stoke Park Farm site, on no less that 5 occasions. On 5 separate occasions the Planning Application has gone to Inspectors Appeal, and on every single occasion in the past the Inspectors have rejected the application for Planning on the grounds of “unacceptable, excessive intrusion into the rural countryside” surrounding the beautiful Parish of Bishopstoke. 

Yet again the residents of Bishopstoke are faced with yet another ‘assault’ upon the precious rural areas which surround the ancient Parish of Bishopstoke. Yet again the incompetence of the Planners of the Borough of Eastleigh has left this beautiful Parish vulnerable to exploitation and over development, by greedy land owners, contriving developers, and “Politically Motivated” Ward councilors. 

So having vented my spleen, so to speak, may I back my comments with hard facts. The Government, in their infinite wisdom, has stated that the Borough of Eastleigh, like all others in the land, have to have an established New Build plan in place by 2015 to accommodate an additional 9613 dwellings within the Eastleigh Borough Plan up to 2029. The Borough Planners of Eastleigh: not always the quickest to establish and confirm forward planning policy, thought in 2011 that they had met the criteria, until suddenly, but not so unexpectedly, the County Council refused them land at Hedge End, and as a consequence the Eastleigh Borough Plan fell short by some 1000 planned dwellings! The result of this dilemma? Planners running here there and everywhere: every single urban edge, spare back garden, ‘brown infill sites’, town, villages, allotments, and even old quarry infill sites, have been pushed forward by greedy landowners, and their Agents, for consideration and eventual development. The yardstick by which all consideration in these matters seems to be measured is simply FINANCIAL GAIN!  

The landowners/farmers obtaining an average of 2.7 million pounds per hectare for land with Outline Planning Permission, their agents reaping unbelievable retainer fees for “selling the whole idea to the ill informed local public”, the developers making millions from every approved development: (The Cemex proposed development at Breech Quarry, Bishopstoke is worth 20 Million alone!!), and lastly your local Borough and Ward Councillors:  the very people who the public elected at the last elections,  who when 106. infrastructure contribution fees are dangled in front of them by Developers: like bait for hungry fish, accept on average financial contributions into the local coffers of some £5000 for each and every dwelling upon every approved development: money which is supposed to be spent by our local political leaders upon the local Parish infrastructure? 

You cannot blame local Landowners for attempting to convert, often unproductive land which they own into huge sums of money. They can see that local Planning allocation within the Local Plan is in total disarray, and for them the incompetence of the local Authority, and the total  lack of representation and disregard  by local councilors for the views and considerations of  local residents, provides an unequalled opportunity for them to attempt to exploit Planning Law, and together with greedy appointed Developers,  they push their proposed developments within the Bishopstoke Parish way beyond that which is acceptable!

I am not against the building of new dwellings within Bishopstoke, but any new development does need to be very tightly controlled: should be in keeping with local surroundings, and always with the thought in mind of preserving our beautiful, surrounding countryside. The Parish and Borough recently approved The Mount Retirement Village: 200 Retirement homes with full support facilities, and I do believe that type of development within that particular site to be well shielded, balanced and appropriate. The Eastleigh Borough needed to find replacement building land for the 1000 dwelling originally planned for Hedge End, and in approving the Mount Village development, together with local infill and new builds, the Parish of Bishopstoke has already supplied nearly a third of that number for the whole of the Borough: Bishopstoke is not the only Parish in the Borough of Eastleigh? What has happened to the original Eastleigh Plan, where we were told to we would have to accept new dwellings in Bishopstoke to be built at the rate of 23.8 dwellings every year up until the year2029: when we are currently being expected to approve the building of nearly 150 dwellings in a single year between the Cemex & the Stoke Park Farm development proposals alone!! With a dangerous single track lane exiting the village to the north, and an already grid-locked exit south onto the Fair Oak/Bishopstoke road, with queues at peak times stretching back over more than 1 Kilometre in both direction, and back into the Village for a ¼ mile, Bishopstoke is already gridlocked: the highways simply cannot take any more loading. So I say: “Don’t Destroy & Don't Choke Bishopstoke!” 

So what should or could we do about this situation?

I would ask every single one of the resident in Bishopstoke to just simply take a few minutes of their time: to simply stand and appreciate the beautiful Parish in which they live. Admire the woodlands, the abundant  wild life, the fields, rivers, the peaceful byways, footpaths, even the peacefulness of the Stoke Common Cemetery. Simply stand in your gardens and absorb the tranquility of your surroundings that most of us have delighted in for many years past. Do you want to preserve this for your children, and your grandchildren, or do you want to see it simply eroded away, by greedy Landowners, Developers and Politically-motivated local Councilors?

Two weeks ago, on behalf of Bishopstoke Residents, we asked our Ward Councilor,  and Chairwoman of Bishopstoke Parish Council, just what her position was with regard to both the Stoke Park Farm , and the Cemex developments? Her reply: “...... I can’t possibly pass comment, as I am both head of the Parish Council and also upon the Borough Area Planning Committee!!!” Surely this is a totally unacceptable situation and a complete conflict of interest? How about local Councillors representing the majority views of the residents of Bishopstoke for a change?

We also asked Mike Thornton, our newly elected M.P., who lives in the Parish of Bishopstoke, what position he would be taking regarding both the Stoke Park  and the Cemex proposed developments. We produced a copy of his pre-election propaganda from which we quoted: "As your MP, I will put local people first and work hard every day to get the best deal for our area. I will be a strong voice standing up for our countryside, working to protect the vital green spaces between our towns and villages."  His response in writing: “I understand that that one bit of the proposed development (the field at Stoke Park Farm)  is in the draft local plan – I support this development as it would help provide much needed cemetery space and allotments, which are needed in our local area”!! So here we have a local M.P. totally ignoring the wishes of the majority of local residents, attempting to minimize the size of the likely development ( 60 new builds covering about 3 -4 acres) telling his constituents, a developer and land owner, that their application for development meets with local political approval, even before the developer has even submitted an outline planning application!!!!!  ..............clearly Mike Thornton is a true politician! 

Finally, at a recent open meeting with Eastleigh Planners regarding planning proposals for both developments, it was clearly conveyed to us by the Planners that both developments were virtually and simply, “a done deal”, regardless of the fact that at this point in time not even outline planning applications had been submitted for either proposed developments!!

“Revive your Stoke Residents Association”, we were  told, “and prepare for a fight with Landowners and Developers alike, but whatever you do, in the end they will simply ‘steam roller’ this lot through, but good luck to you for you will simply be wasting your time!!!!!"

Well, they clearly don’t understand the true mettle of us Bishopstoke Folk do they, anymore than they understand the true values of good Planning within the Parish of Bishopstoke!!!!!

I believe that the various authorities within the Parish and the Borough, have totally underestimated the strength of feeling, the anger  and the sheer determination of the residents of Bishopstoke against current planned building proposals within the Parish. It is time that our Councillors started representing the views of their constituents, and stopped doggedly following party political propaganda and  Government directives. Perhaps they should heed the following quotation:-

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Maya Angelou (born 1928)

I urge the residents of Bishopstoke, to get their Bishopstoke Resident Campaign Posters up into your windows, on the walls at the end of your gardens, in shops, and into every available prominent position in Bishopstoke. 

Get online to the Bishopstoke Residents Association web site, and register your views. http://www.bishopstokeresidents.com  

Where you can also download campaign posters.   http://www.bishopstokeresidents.com/Bishopstoke Exhibition posterV7a.pdf

Go onto the Bishopstoke Residents Association Facebook site at:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bishopstoke-Residents-Association/360428934060803
and again voice your comments and objections.

Bishopstoke is a place worth fighting for!

SAY NO!

“Don’t Let Them Destroy Or Choke Bishopstoke!!"

Brian L Glanville.  08/07/2013