Council Meeting 24th January 2008

The planning extension was considered by the council. Claire and Peter were allowed to address the committee for which we have a lot to thank them for their time and commitment. In summary the following decisions were taken

• A two year extension (from October 2008) has been granted with conditions
• The reversing "lorry beepers" are to be replaced with quiet "white noise" alarms
• Work may only take place Monday to Friday 7.30am to 6pm and Saturday 8am to 2pm
• The work is to be phased with landscaping after each phase
• Noise, dust and mud-on-road to be controlled

The concerns of residents has been an important consideration. The council has agreed to monitor the site and ensure the conditions are met.

A full report of the meeting and all conditions can be found on the council web site here.

If the above link fails you should be able to locate the report from this web site: http://www.bedscc.gov.uk and clicking on the following links

1. Council and democracy
2. Committees and panels
3. Calendar of meetings
4. Select January 2008
5. January 24th select the link: Development Control Committee 24/01
6. Item number 6 regarding the Cople Golf Course

Three Counties Radio 13/11/07

Claire Boardman took part in a Three Counties local radio item about the Golf Course.

Claire informs me that further issues were raised including the removal of trees, barn-owl protection and person(s) living on site.

Claire's synopsis...

I was live on the Breakfast Show with Roberto Perrone and Katherine Boyle at 7.30 am on Tuesday 13th November 2007.

They asked me about the problems we face : noise, dust, mud on the road, early start times.

They asked me if it was irritating and said that it was a huge difference between a golf course on your doorstep and a waste dump.

They asked Mr. Moore if he still intended to build a golf course, he said "yes." They asked if I believed him. I said "no" as there was nothing to indicate that a golf course would be built.

A listener rang in to say that a similar case had happened near St. Albans. They feared it has now had contaminated waste dumped on it and he said it is a mess with no golf course ever being built.

They then interviewed Richard Watts, Deputy Director of the Environment at Beds County Council.

He was asked about the history of the site. He said that waste material had to be imported to create a golf course.

Katherine asked him if re-landscaping normally takes this long. He did not know why it was taking this long and stated that the company has asked to extend the life of the permission.

Mr. Watts said that the application goes to Committee on January 24th. He was asked to reassure the residents of Cople that there will be a golf course. He said that he couldn't pre- empt the decision of the Committee. He said that the County Council have to control the importation of the waste material but if the company decides not to go ahead with the commercial operation that is out of planning control. He has no idea whether the company will create a golf course.

Katherine asked him if this is a landfill site by stealth in that the residents of Cople were never given the option to object.

Roberto said that it was interesting that the company do not have to carry out the promise of a golf course as a condition. He then asked what protection do the people of Cople have. Mr. Watts replied that the local people have raised interesting points as to noise, dust, hours of operation and the behaviour of the company and this would all be considered at the committee meeting.

Katherine asked if the company was in the golf business. Mr. Watts replied they were G. Moore Haulage Ltd and Katherine replied, that doesn't sound very 'golfy' to me.

Roberto said that the company has applied for planning for a golf course but they don't actually have to deliver a golf course. Surely a flaw in the planning law. Mr. Watts said they would expect the developer to bring forward a golf course. The Council's job is to make sure a golf course is laid out.

Another listener rang in to say that a haulage company applying to make a golf course is clearly a wolf in sheep's clothing. He said that the Council should hang their heads in shame.

My thoughts are that at the moment there are no detailed golf course plans and that there doesn't seem to be a reference to the amount of waste [400,000 cubic metres] in the original planning application, only the new one. Surely one goes with the other and how can the Council therefore ensure the layout of a golf course.

Private Eye 9/11/07

The magazine Private Eye, issue 1197, page 12, Rotten Boroughs, reports on a number of "golf courses" that are being built or re-landscaped using a large quantity of landfill. Apparently classifying a site as "construction for recreational facilities" avoids landfill tax, profit £100 per load.

Update

Received from C Boardman, 06/11/2007

Clarification from David Peachey,Principal Enforcement Officer at the County Council.

On 29th October the County Council served a temporary stop notice and breach of condition notice on the operator, G. Moore Haulage Ltd.

The purpose of the temporary stop notice is to impose an immediate ban on any activity taking place, including use of the access by HGVs, before the permitted start time of 0730 hours. A site notice and a copy of the temporary stop notice are displayed at the entrance to the A603 in order to warn persons other than the operating company of the consequences of contravening the temporary stop notice. The temporary stop notice will expire after 28 days [ i.e. on 26th November ], to be superseded by the breach of condition notice which will take effect the same day. The breach of condition to 'bite' thereafter until such time as it is withdrawn or overridden by a grant of permission.

David Peachey asks that anyone observing or suspecting any further breaches to contact him on 01234 228728. He recently visited the site and found the dust emissions were found to be unacceptable so he is writing to the operator to warn him about that also.

The County Council are doing everything they can to enforce the original planning conditions set by the Borough Council but their hands are tied to those conditions.

We now wait until the new planning application goes to Committee probably in January.

Correspondence

From C Boardman, 02/10/2007

Subject: Golf Course planning application
 
I detail below some of the key points regarding the Golf Course development.
 
1) Cople residents, even those living close to the new Golf Course development, have not received any notification of any of the planning applications even though it is affecting them. I have only become aware of it because I have complained to the Borough Council about the noise and pollution, particularly during the Summer.
 
2) Planning application has been made for an extension of 3 years (ie 2011) to allow the owner to complete landfill works to raise the level of the site to 5 metres.
 
3) In order to do the landfill, they have asked to be allowed to continue to deliver waste materials from 7.30 am to 6.00pm for 6 days per week.
 
4) Our experience is that they are not adhering to these times and during the Summer have started as early as 6.00am causing a nuisance to those living around the site (Rye Crescent, Willington Road and Grange Lane) but being heard as far away as Woodlands. There are constant dust clouds again causing nuisance and pollution to Cople residents.
 
5) There seems to be no guarantee that we will end up with a golf course for which planning was approved in 1999 and all that is assured, if the application is approved, is that we will have 3 more years of disruption while the landfill is increased in height.
 
We need to act now as objections have to be in by 10 October 2007 [this was subsequently extended to 31st October]. Further details can be found at www.bedfordshire.gov.uk found under the following links> Environment and Planning> Planning applications> Weekly Planning Application and Appeals List> September 2007.