HAXBY TOWN COUNCIL
The Memorial Hall, The Village, Haxby YO32 3HT
Minutes of a meeting to discuss the ST9 Development held on Thursday 23rd March at 7.30pm in the Oaken Grove Youth and Community Centre, Haxby
In attendance: members of the public, members of the Neighbourhood Plan Committee, Wiggington Parish Councill and Haxby Town Cllrs Ian Craven, Mark Guildford, Neil Wyatt, Thomas Carmichael, Jessie Secker, Ruth Pearson (Vice-Chairman), Locum Clerk (Vanessa Voysey)
- Apologies for absence
There were apologies from Cllrs Grant Cockburn, Ed Pearson, Mike Harrison, and Wiggington Parish Clerk.
2. Declarations of Interest.
There were no declarations of pecuniary interest
- ST9 Development North of Haxby Moor Lane Development
Members of Haxby Town Council, Members of Wigginton Parish Council, Members of Haxby Neighbourhood Plan and members of the public considered and discussed the ST9 Development North of Haxby Moor Lane development in view of submitting a response to be submitted to York City Council about the application for 800 houses.
The Vice-Chairman, Cllr Ruth Pearson, noted that it was an informal meeting. Members of the public would be invited to speak. Cllr Denton (Wiggington) noted that Wiggington Councillors would not be able to make a decision on behalf of the Council and that those who spoke would be doing so as individual councillors. Cllr Pearson said that the purpose of the meeting was to work together towards submitting a letter of objection. It was about an exchange of ideas.
Points raised by attendees including the following:
- Concerns about the true environmental impact of the plans
- The documents in the plans downplay the environmental and transport impact. It may be accessible to walk into the centre of Haxby but doesn’t consider that residents may be able to walk in but might not be able to walk back with bags of shopping
- Councils need professional help on the traffic implications
- The Neighbourhood Plan looked at transport routes, bus routes need to be considered
- Air pollution and the health of the community is very important, the traffic issues are not just about inconvenience. Traffic will be close to schools and elderly people.
Wiggington Parish Councillors suggested that Haxby Town Council might consider instructing a Planning Consultant. Neighbourhood Plan funds might be made available for this purpose.
Cllr Ruth Pearson reminded those present that there had been two public meetings discussing the plans, and that the main purpose of this meeting is to solidify what should be done and to move forward with a letter of response.
Cllr Neil Wyatt raised 5G and radiation as being something that should not be ignored, however, there was some disagreement on the relevance of this to the plans and the availability of peer-assessed scientific research.
Wiggington Parish Councillors said that the objection letter compiled by Wiggington Parish Clerk was a substantial document outlining planning concerns. Cllr Ruth Pearson said that it might be useful to use it as a basis of a response by Haxby Town Council to the plans. It was agreed to work through this document page-by-page and to add in any additional comments. The following comments were made:
- Green Belt – the Local Plan has not been adopted, the land is still Green Belt. An exception reason for development has not been established.
- Lack of Consultation – it was agreed by Haxby Town Councillors present that there had been a lack of consultation. It was noted that the developers had been invited to the Annual Parish Meeting in April but had declined the offer.
- Cemetery – the need for cemetery spaces of equal relevance for Haxby as it is for Wiggington. Lack of space for cemetery expansion is a serious concern
- Environmental impact – habitat and environmental assessments should be provided by the developer
- Open Space Provision – there are too many houses crammed into the space. City of York Council has acknowledged that there is an under-provision of open spaces in Haxby, the plans only exacerbate this problem.
- Impact on Transport Networks – the location of the train station will result in a traffic impact on Haxby that differs from that of Wigginton. Traffic will be drawn to a route to and from the train station that will affect a care home and a school, this is a safety issue. It will also affect the historic core of Haxby. A third way out of the development should be built into the plan. Ingress and egress needs to be suitable for the size of the proposed development.
- Lack of facilities – there is no provision for a school in the plans. Schools in the area are at full capacity, and the walking distance to the nearest Primary School is along a busy main road. There is no provision for additional G.P services, putting a strain on the existing G.P resources.
- Biodiversity - the biodiversity report needs updating with reference to moths, birds, and trees as habitats. An archeological assessment should also be requested as Roman artefacts have been found on the site.
- Drainage –Maintenance of the existing drainage system is already problematic. Ethel Ward drains are broken. Surface water levels and ground water run-off issues will be exacerbated by additional housing. This will impact on the cemetery.
- Housing Design – the plans indicate that show homes will be at the front of the development and affordable homes further back. Environmental sustainability should be demonstrated in the designs.
- Planning Design – the map is inaccurate. It doesn’t have enough houses compared to the proposed number of 800 and is misleading.
- Crime and safety – the safety of the designed space should come into consideration, including surveillance of foopaths and play areas.
- Construction traffic – the length of time of the proposed construction would create a significant impact on the population of Haxby.