News: CPC promises greater transparency

Tony Ewer, Chair of Chilbolton Parish Council (CPC), has promised greater transparency in material from the Strategy Working Group (SWG). Reports that had been made to Parish Council meetings would be added to the SWG’s new page online. He also proposed topic-based discussion groups on the proposed housing development in the Village Hall.

In a packed room at the Parish Council meeting on 6 January, he admitted that the SWG team had tried to put too much into their presentation on 5 December and that previously residents had to “scratch around” online to find out information about the SWG’s progress.

He said that he had met with James Painter, the owner of the land proposed for development. Mr Painter will be revising the housing density estimate on the Strategic Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (SHELAA) lodged with TVBC. CPC’s estimate is for 120 homes.

There will also have to be a legal agreement between CPC, James Painter and the proposed Community Land Trust. CPC are going to put Heads of Agreement to the Painter family later this month. These would be designed to ensure that nobody other than CPC and the CLT could build on the land in question. Each phase of development would be subject to the same appraisal process as the first. The land would be placed outside of the settlement boundary prevent commercial developers applying to build on it.

Mr Ewer said that the full tally of 120 new homes was expected to be fulfilled over a period of 50 to 75 years. He estimated that the appraisal for phase 2 might take place in 2038.

On the status of Upper Drove Road as a bridleway, he said that CPC would approach Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC) suggesting that it be upgraded to a Byway Open to All Traffic (BOAT).

The Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981 defines a BOAT as “a highway over which the public have a right of way for vehicular and all other kinds of traffic, but which is used by the public mainly for the purposes for which footpaths and bridleways are so used”. Redesignation of Upper Drove Road as a BOAT would formalise its informal use since the second world war for vehicular traffic. This would be important since it is identified as the sole route for construction traffic for the proposed development of 25 houses.

In addition to this redesignation, CPC would also investigate whether a new footpath, parallel to Upper Drove Road might be sited on land owned by Chilbolton Observatory.

Mr Ewer also said that a Freedom of Information Request had been made in respective of the work of the SWG. CPC was consulting with a King’s Council and also the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). He said that the requester would be asked to pay £450 which would pay for “18 hours of work, after which no more, and we don’t start work until we get the money”.