Following the successful campaign to remove the proposed gypsy and traveller site in Spring Lane from the list of site options, attention has now turned to the situation regarding the “old market” site on the A1198.

The owner of that piece of land has indicated to South Cambridgeshire District Council that it might be made available for a gypsy and traveller site. The district council has decided to undertake an assessment of the site after which it will be decided whether to take the opportunity further, including a public consultation. It is by no means certain that the site will proceed but it is nevertheless essential to take action now.

The current leaders of the Action Group called a meeting last week in the United Reform Church in South End Bassingbourn with the purpose of updating residents and identifying what actions were needed. Residents living in the vicinity of the site were informed about the meeting and invited to attend. Mike Hallett, Chairman of the Parish Council, chaired the meeting which was attended by around 80 residents and supported by our elected district councillors.

As was expected, it was a lively meeting. There was a clear demonstration from those attending that if the proposal to establish pitches on the “old market “ site were to go ahead it would have a detrimental effect on the residents not only of Kneesworth but the wider village of Bassingbourn. It was clear that an action group was needed to head up a campaign and that the best people to do this are those living near the site. Nine people came forward to form the nucleus of a group and they are getting together to determine the way forward.

Mike, Jill and John who led the Action Group in the Spring Lane campaign are standing down to allow the new group complete freedom to tackle this latest development. They will continue to give support and advice where called for.

This website will remain in existence and updates will be posted by the new group.

As we sign off we wish to express our thanks to everyone in Bassingbourn-cum Kneesworth for the amazing support and commitment given throughout the campaign. We are, of course delighted, that it resulted in a successful outcome.

WATCH OUT FOR UPDATES POSTED BY THE ACTION GROUP AS THE NEW PROPOSAL IS TACKLED.

Whilst this is very good news, it must be tempered by a recommendation, also to be considered at the meeting on 14th December, that new sites put forward in the consultation process in 2009 should be given further consideration. This includes a potential site, the market/car boot land on the A1198 which was suggested in representations, possibly by the land owner.

The current position with this is that the site has been subjected to initial testing by officers who recommend that it is worthy of further exploration to identify whether suitable deliverable options could be delivered. It is stated that this exploration will include discussions with the landowner(s), local Parish Council and other key stakeholders, and if it is found to be a possible new option, will be subject to sustainability appraisal and public consultation at the next stage of the plan making process.

It is unlikely that any action will be taken by the District Council until after the Government Localism Bill is passed into legislation because this will potentially set the direction for local planning decisions and establish additional powers for local communities in planning matters. However, this should not be taken as a signal to do nothing, should residents wish to oppose this site. If this is the case proper preparations must be made to lobby against the adoption of the “market site” on the A 1198 at every step of the process. The Parish Council would have a vital role to play in this from the outset.

With this in mind members of the Bassingbourn Action Group would be interested to know your reactions to this news.

The group will endeavour to give up to date information as it becomes available and co-ordinate meetings and actions.

Please make contact on any of the following:

• ssusie@live.co.uk
• johnsld@live.co.uk
• Write: Bassingbourn Action Group c/o 31 Brook Road, Bassingbourn SG8 5NR

The report to the New Communities Portfolio Holders Meeting scheduled for 14^thDecember recommends that the proposed site in Spring Lane, Bassingbourn, is no longer a site option.

In effect this means that the proposal to develop a gypsy and traveller site in Spring Lane is now scrapped.

The process by which South Cambridgeshire District Council is required to provide sites for gypsies and travellers will now be deferred until the Government issues new directives on the role of district councils and communities in this process.

Our thanks go to everyone who has helped with the campaign. This result is due reward for the efforts made by the whole of the village.

We will contact you again as soon as we have further news.

A Promise of Progress – At Last

It is now over 12 months since the public consultation on Issues and Options 2 was closed. South Cambridgeshire District Council has taken all this time to capture, review and consider the representations, objections and comments. We understand there were some 5,000 responses and it undoubtedly takes resources and time to process these, but the lack of real progress and communication to the public has caused anxiety and frustration for residents of Bassingbourn cum Kneesworth.

However, at last we have promises that, if fulfilled, will bring the current phase of the issue to a close. We are told:

• Processing the responses and considering them is nearing an end
• A report is due to be published on 6^th December 2010
• Representations submitted during the consultation should also be published on 6^th December
• A decision on which sites will be taken forward to the next phase, and which will not, is due to be made at a meeting of the New Communities Portfolio Holder (Cllr Dr David Bard) scheduled for 14^th December. We will attend that meeting.

We are at a key point in the whole process and what we do next is very dependant on the decision to be taken on 14^th December. We cannot be complacent because we do not know whether the Spring Lane site will be dropped or whether it will go forward to the next phase.

The action group remain confident that the village not only put forward very strong and valid arguments but importantly also expressed its opposition in the strongest possible way through the meetings, coverage in the press and on television and through the massive petition. Since the closure of the consultation we have continued to keep those objections alive through meetings and letters to the Councillors, MPs, Ministers in the Coalition Government and through our district councillors and the parish council.

We are expecting to hold a final meeting with Cllr Dr David Bard in the next ten days.

It would be foolhardy to assume that the Spring Lane site will be dropped and for this reason we will be putting in place plans and actions to be implemented if the proposed site is taken forward to the next phase. Should that happen we want to be ready to get total support from the village to respond quickly and effectively.

We have considered whether we should mount another campaign before the decision is taken but feel that on balance this would be counter productive. We will, of course, do everything possible to ensure that the decision is made on a proper basis and takes proper account of the arguments made by this village.

We are told you will be able to view the material being presented to Cllr Bard, on which he has to base his decision, by going to the South Cambridgeshire District Council website www.scambs.gov.uk on or after 6^th December, 2010. Please do this as we would welcome your comments.

We will post another update just as soon as additional information is available.

SCDC’s official website offers the following information on progress to date.

“The comments submitted on Issues and Options 2 (this is the formal consultation held between June and October 2009) are now being processed by the Council. Once all the comments have been processed they will be available to view on the Council’s online consultation website and acknowledgement letters and emails will be issued.

Additional sites that were proposed during the Issues and Options 2 consultation are being tested using the same criteria that were used to identify the initial site options. Any new sites meeting the criteria will be included in a further Issues and Options 3 consultation in autumn 2010. All 3 consultations (this includes the one undertaken is 2006) will help us to prepare a final draft plan for consultation in 2011, ahead of independent public examination.”

In response to a separate enquiry made to SCDC we have been informed that the representations should all be processed by June 2010 and that a report is scheduled to be discussed at the portfolio holders meeting on 13^th July 2010. We will be keeping a close eye on these projected dates and actions. We will, of course, attend the meeting on 13^th July.

Other actions we are taking include:-

1. During the consultation period last year we were encouraged to learn that the Conservatives intended to abolish the East of England Regional Authority and to legislate to cancel their policies including the policy that required SCDC to establish 88 additional gypsy and traveller pitches in the period 2011 to 2021. In the event we do not have a Conservative Government and pre-election manifesto statements may be changed in the coalition. Nevertheless it is difficult to see the new Government retaining the Regional Assemblies or their successors as saving cost is central to current Government actions. We are writing to Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government seeking an assurance that this is the Government’s intention. It has been announced this week that the provision of housing is to be based on local policies and needs rather than regional policies and needs. It seems logical therefore that the provision of gypsy and traveller accommodation should be similarly determined.

1. We are writing to Andrew Lansley seeking confirmation that he continues to be opposed to the proposals consulted on last year.
2. We are lobbying both the Conservative and Labour District Councillors representing the village to press SCDC to affirm their opposition to the policy that gypsy and traveller sites should the established in accordance with the directive of regional government. We want the councillors to confirm they would welcome any change of policy that relieves the Council of providing sites in accordance with regional policies.
3. Since there have been changes to the responsibilities of certain SCDC Officers we are seeking information about which officers and which councillors are now responsible for the gypsy and traveller proposals.
4. Depending on the replies we receive to the above enquiries we are preparing plans to take whatever further actions are necessary. We will be ready to reinvigorate the “campaign” of last year should there be indications that the Spring Lane or other sites in Bassingbourn-cum-Kneesworth are favoured or appear to be favoured by SCDC

Please do not hesitate to contact either John Penny  johnsld@live.co.uk or Mike and Jill Reeve ssusie@live.co.uk if  you have any observations, questions or want to suggest  other actions you think we should now be considering.

A full slideshow of photos taken on the day is here

There is also a video on YouTube:

The last hurdle, the ultimate lap, the final run in!! With less than 5 days to go your final chance to send in at least one last response form.

Meantime a chance to bring you up to date with some encouraging news.

Both Whaddon and Litlington Parish Councils intend making representations opposing the proposed site in Bassingbourn, as is our own Parish Council.

Donations: We are well over half way to our target of £2000. If you haven’t made a donation and can afford an amount, however small, please make cheques payable to Bassingbourn cum Kneesworth Action Group and send to Mike and Jill Reeve, 80 Spring Lane.

Main petition: Please add your name to the petition if you haven’t already done so. (forms in the Book Cafe, Bassingbourn Garage and Hill View Farm Shop or call in at 80 Spring Lane.) Over 1200 signatures obtained and still climbing. The petition will close at 5pm on 7^th October.

Mini petition: In order to secure a 3 minute speaking slot at the Cambridgeshire County Council ‘Cabinet’ meeting at the Shire Hall on Tuesday 29^th September, it was necessary to collect and submit a minimum of 50 signatures requiring a frantic dash round the village on the preceding Wednesday. You will not be surprised to learn John put forward a powerful and detailed argument focusing on potential site costs in an effort to sway Cambridgeshire County Council’s own response to the SCDC i.e. not to make the site land available either to them or to a private developer.

Delivering the petition: The Action Group have made arrangements for the petition to be handed over to the SCDC Officers at their Cambourne Headquarters on Thursday 8^th October at 11:00am. We hope to make it a media event with both press and possible TV coverage for maximum publicity and to put added pressure upon the Council. A 70 seater coach is being laid on to provide free travel to residents wishing to give support to the Action Group and to add to the occasion. If you would like to be a part of what promises to be a memorable and culminating moment of the campaign please give Mike Reeve a ring on 241515 to book a seat. (Of course everyone is welcome to use their own transport if preferred).

Action Group Representations: At the time of writing the Action Group’s response forms are nearing completion and may eventually number between 20 and 30 representations. These have been well researched highlighting inconsistencies and contradictions in the SCDC documentation. We are also putting serious challenges to the way the selection of the Spring Lane site breaches a number of the Council’s own planning policies. With the guidance of a planning consultant, wider issues have also been considered, taking into account concerns over why some of the Government’s guidelines appeared to have been ignored. Attention is also drawn to geographical anomalies. The Representations prepared by the Action Group will be handed over at the same time as the petition.

For the moment all that remains is for the Action Group to thank those volunteers who have given of their time in so many ways over the last four months. THANK YOU ALL.

Action Group Committee

The expression of public opposition is an important element of the strategy to get the proposal dropped using the consultation process set down by the District Council.  South Cambridgeshire prides itself on being a “listening council” so we will base an element of our response to the consultation on this.  The residents have spoken and we now expect the council to live up to their mission to listen.  They should not ignore everyone who has turned out to the meetings, the Exhibition and the Spring Lane walk.

Whilst all this has been going on we have been working to establish the Action Group and set up the plans for the next phase of the campaign.  The Action Group has the backing of the Parish Council, has established a constitution and structure which has also enabled us to open a bank account.  At the same time residents with specialised skills have been working on gathering evidence to support the planning and technical representations that the Action Group will submit in response to the consultation invited by South Cambridgeshire District Council.  These will take the form of a number of objections, each representing its own theme.  Planning consultants have also been engaged to provide advice as well as submit professional arguments against the proposals.  All the activities in this second phase of the campaign will be closely co-ordinated in order to achieve the maximum impact.  We believe that when this is added to the strong public message that has been established we will have a well evidenced and argued case for the proposal to be scrapped.  These representations will be submitted during the first week in October to arrive just before the formal consultation period ends on 9th October.  We are also thinking about the best way to submit the petition which now has well over 1000 signatures and is therefore on the way to achieving the 1500 target set.

What help do we now need?

1.  If you have not already done so, please add your name to the petition.  There are copies in Bassingbourn Garage in the High Street and the Book Cafe.  If you need someone to bring the petition to your home please send an e-mail to johnsld@live.co.uk and we will call during the last week in September to obtain your signature.

2.  Send in your responses to the consultation.  If you do this by post please be sure to sign and date the form at the bottom of the first page. You can go on line at www.scambs.gov.uk and complete the form there.

3.  Keep talking with neighbours, friends and people you meet about the opposition to the proposals.  There is a great buzz in the village and we need to keep this alive.

4.  As you might expect, the Action Group has spent some money on things like printing, stationery and postage and this has been paid for by members of the Action Group out of their own pockets.  To date this amounts to come £450.  Additionally, we are committed to spending £1,000 on the planning consultant’s fees.  We estimate that £2,000 will be needed to cover these and other expenditure that will arise before 9th October when the consultation period ends.

We will issue an acknowledgement to everyone who makes a donation and for this reason the most practical way to donate is to send a cheque payable to Bassingbourn-cum-Kneesworth Action Group to

Mike and Jill Reeve
80 Spring Lane
Bassingbourn
SG8 5HT

If you prefer to make a donation direct to the bank account, the details are:-

Lloyds TSB Bank, The Cross, Royston
Sort Code: 30-97-16
Account Name: Bassingbourn-cum-Kneesworth Action Group
Account Number: 0865290

(If you make the donation on-line abbreviate the account name to BCK Action Group). Please be sure to include your name as the reference for the payment so we can let you have an acknowledgement.

If you want a copy of the Action Group Constitution or have any questions about making a donation please call me on 07710277212 or send an email to johnsld@live.co.uk

A number of people took some great photographs of the Spring lane Walk and a selection of these can be seen on this website.

Thank you for your support.  We still need to fight hard, but we are optimistic that your continued support will make a big impact.

John Penny

If you have a slow connection, you may prefer to view the photos individually using this link