TMSTH Area Forum Meeting - 15th February 2018
Item 1: AGM for TMSTH Area Forum, with presentation of Accounts.
Item 2: Talk by John Barker, President of Bournemouth Civic Society.
Item 3: Talk by Wendy Sharp of Holdenhurst Village Parish Meeting, regarding Bournemouth Council's proposed A338/Wessex Fields road and office developments.
Item 4: Other local issues and updates including the Throop and Muscliff Council election, and Townsend Together news.
Opportunities to talk with your local Councillors
Chair: Ray O’Luby
Minutes Conor O’Luby
Attending: 30 people present inc Cllrs Adams, Clarke, Wilson and Trickett
Item 1 - Confirmation of accounts by Cllr Clarke
Ray reads out figures
Call for volunteers:
Q. What does a Forum volunteer do? A. Not too onerous, arrange meetings/speakers
Q. What's the aim of the forum?
Set up over 10 years ago to discuss local issues and allow local people to talk to councillors. Explains the Forum areas.
Item 2 - Civic society talk
Speaker not able to come tonight. Ray talks about what they do, reading out material provided.
Audience member Beryl Parker - also from the Civic Society - says that Ray's covered the Civic Society section well.
Chris Collinge, Bournemouth in Bloom: The civic society's a very important body, as are the forums.
Item 3 - A338-Wessex Fields Link proposals
Ray reads out the Civic Society's objections to the proposals (they say that the barn is listed, which it isn't any more)
Wendy Sharp, Chair of Holdenhurst Village Parish Meeting gives a presentation, followed by Q and A
Sarah Fisher: Why did the Council buy the land? For speculative gain?
Wendy: £2.25m spent in advance of planning permission. Not clear where Cllr Clarke stands. Very many objections, statutory consultees as well.
Cllr Clarke: we need to look to future, especially as regards jobs creation.
Cllr Adams: Originally it was supposed to be access for hospital, but it's not about that. Local councillors not kept informed about the business park development.
I am on the side of the residents, am furious about development. We must protect the Green Belt. Had a debate about gypsy settlements on the Green Belt, many other councillors think the scheme is fine. Wishes that he and local people had been informed about this much earlier.
Sarah Fisher: Why weren’t you consulted?
Cllr Adams: I'm going against the Council. Austerity is an issue as well. Why spend this money that we don't have?
Q: Any lobbying from developers going on? Who stands to gain?
Cllr Trickett: Local ward councillors don't get easy access to cabinet discussions. Councils have seen budgets cut over last ten years. Bournemouth knew that funding was going down (much spent on adult social care). They are now using 'entrepreneurial' methods to try and meet these needs. About 80% now spent on social care. So they are investing in land, promoting development. You can build infrastructure - i.e. road - on Green belt (NPPF). There is the HVCA and the barn. Spoke to officer about why they couldn't move the road and not destroy the barn. Told because it would make the scheme less economically viable.
If you keep increasing the population, the budget cannot be sustained. If this was a business, you would realise you'd have to consolidate your position. I'm against this scheme, in part for this reason.
Wendy: Not against jobs, but offices should be near transport hub, Lansdowne. There are also spaces at Hurn.
If the junction goes into green belt, there are two large landowners planning to go into the the area around Townsend/Throop.
Chris Colledge, Bournemouth in Bloom: Possible way forward is to have a history of Holdenhurst museum. Expansion of hospital is a major issue, lots have been said about the fears of the development. But how will this be resolved?
Cllr Adams: We must keep to planning issues. We don't want planners to say we haven't got material grounds for objection.
Ray: the amount of traffic is going to increase significantly, council's own figures.
Alan Sharp: If we join with other councils, what about the other areas across the borough for office space?
Cllr Clarke: A decision on the amalgamation may be made in the next few weeks. To start with, planning will stay in separate areas, but eventually join up. Can’t say for sure if it's going ahead, but if it goes ahead it'll be going ahead in April 2019.
Q: What about Tobias Ellwood (Bournemouth East MP)?
Wendy Sharp and Rosie Gardner: Still going through a negotiation with Tobias, so don't want to say more at the moment.
The businesses don't exist. Where are the plans?
Cllr Clarke: Can we talk about other things? People have come for other reasons.
Cllr Wilson: I'd like to thank Conor, we came down to Riverside avenue as a group to protest against the scheme.
Q: Cllr Clarke, do you support the proposals?
Cllr Clarke: Yes.
Ray: Everyone's entitled to their views. Objections or support to go in by 28th Feb.
Cllr Trickett: Mid-March or April for the Planning Board meeting. In the directly affected wards of Strouden and Littledown, the council leader has to allowed those ward councillors of his own party to speak their mind. I respect Cllr Clarke's view, but I will seek to have the planning application turned down.
Roads come and go, they fill up and whilst doing it will destroy a 500 year old barn our heritage.
Cllr Adams: the 'Welcome to Bournemouth' sign will be coming down temporarily.
Cllr Wilson: Had a meeting yesterday about Hicks Farm. The project might not go ahead for three years, but a company has just won the contract to repair the barn.
Q: Can we get a better microphone, it keeps crackling.
Ray: I’ll ask the school about it.