Welcome to BVPS
Working together with the Northern Arc Action Group and Crowthorne Village Action Group.
At the September meeting of the Bracknell Forest Executive the Site Allocations Development Plan Document was reviewed and it was agreed by the members of the Executive which is led by Mr Bettison who represents the Sandhurst Ward, that the Document be submitted to the Secretary of State. From the Secretary of State it would go to an Independent Inspector to be formally examined in public.
The Document had been on the BFC website for five days before the meeting on Tuesday, 13th September. First reading of the Document found no changes to the original SADPOD, first published for public consultation in October 2010, and closed on the 17th January 2011 having received, it is understood, nearly 800 responses.
Before the Document is submitted to the Secretary of State there will be a six-week period of public consultation to prove that the policies submitted are sound. This is due to start on (or about) the 16th January and, as said, will run for six weeks.
By the end of November it was known that the publication and submission of the SADPD would be discussed in Full Council and the whip would be on to ensure that the proposal to submit the document to the Secretary of State would be carried. Eight Borough Councillor s including Councillors Harrison and Leake (Binfield) and Councillor McLean (Warfield), together with five other like minded Borough Councillors voted against the motion.
Before Agenda Item 7 was addressed the three pressure groups, BVPS, NAAG and CVAG submitted a Deputation under Council Procedure Rule 9. The speaker to the Deputation, Andy Holley, CVAG, also presented a Petition of over 2,000 signatures which was based on the itemized concerns of everyone, as written in the Deputation. Both items should get a formal reply at the next Council Meeting in January.
Presenting the Deputation in the allotted 3 minutes (the maximum allowed!!) was not the easiest of tasks and Andy has a big thank you from all of us for performing this demanding task.
NAAG are planning to take the Petition forward to gather more signatures from other parts of the Borough. Look on their new website www.narcag.co.uk for more up-to-date information.
Many members of Binfield Village Protection Society joined with NAAG members, Crowthorne Village Action members and for the first time residents of Warfield, in a 200 strong placards carrying, public protest outside Easthampstead House.
Singing from the protestors could be heard all the way up in the Council Chamber on the 4th Floor. The protestors were making the best of a bitterly cold night.
Meanwhile, 35 members from all three pressure groups were
able to get a seat in the Council Chamber. No members of the
public were allowed to put questions but we cheered the
Binfield and Warfield Councillors who spoke eloquently on
our behalf. It is understood that they lost the whip over
this rebellion together with five others who voted against
the motion.
Not the best of nights to be part of but useful to see the
Bracknell Forest Full Council at work and somewhat uplifting
to hear Binfield Borough Council representatives at work,
when faced with the battle ahead in 2012 over inappropriate
development in the village.
Happy New Year and best of luck to us all in the work
ahead over this excessive development.
Margaret Foster
bvpsChair.