CPRE Herefordshire Annual Report October 2012

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A ROUND-UP OF CURRENT LOCAL CONCERNS Hereford By-pass 1 HCPRE has consistently responded to consultations on the proposed Hereford relief road by arguing that the case for the road is ‘unproven’. We will continue to have serious concerns on the road until: a It can be shown that the road would achieve its stated objective of reducing congestion in the city centre and the surrounding approach roads, b The impact on the surrounding landscape is clearly known, i.e. when a preferred route is identified, and HCPRE is able to consider the balance between the impacts and the benefits, c It is clear that expenditure on the road will not impact on other budget priorities 2 Our position is based on the fact that: a Herefordshire Council have not tested or consulted on a ‘no road’ option since 2008 and did not include this question in its Shaping our Place 2026 questionnaire b Congestions forecasts have not been updated including other options that would contribute to congestion reduction c Because the road is linked with planned housing growth in the city Herefordshire Council’s own studies show that it will not reduce congestion in the city d The studies “do not incorporate much discussion about the impacts on the route through the city centre. The significance of this omission is that there is no importance placed upon the impact on the city centre of any particular option”. Independent Review of Hereford Relief Road Technical Studies July 2011 e The Council’s current Root and Branch review is aimed at cutting cost by 20% by 2014 and by 30% by 2017 but does not include the relief road proposal, f Serious environmental impacts have not been adequately assessed including the substantial loss of Grade 1 agricultural land. 3 HCPRE’s objective is to protect the landscape. The independent Review (see 2d above) noted that the proposals are very damaging to the landscape in that they... a Are at considerable variance with the landform, scale and pattern of the landscape. b Are visually intrusive and would disrupt fine and valued views of the area and are likely to degrade, diminish or even destroy the integrity of a range of characteristic features and elements and their setting. c Will be substantially damaging to a high quality or highly vulnerable landscape causing it to change and be considerably diminished in quality that cannot be adequately mitigated. 4 Our concerns relate to all the route options including the suggested eastern route. HCPRE’s position is that these issues must be addressed before adopting the Hereford Relief Road as a core strategy of the LDF. More roads Leominster southern By-pass The Council wishes to build a new road round Leominster from the B4361 Hereford road to the A44 south of Baron’s Cross. HCPRE believes it takes in far too much land, which will then be vulnerable to further development. HCPRE believes that this proposed route for the road would be an environmentally damaging encroachment on open countryside and is opposing it. It would be possible to mark out a route for the road that does not go far from the existing settlement boundary. Industrialised Farming Recent disputes about milk prices have thrown into focus the future of farming in the UK. According to a recent survey by CPRE, less than a fifth of people want a more industrialised farming sector and an overwhelming 78% would like farmers to receive more support for adopting environmentally sustainable farming practices. At a local level, HCPRE continues to resist the encroachment of polytunnels on the landscape. Added to this, we are seeing a new challenge with the first solar farms in the county (one with a 'solar array' i.e., photovoltaic panels covering an 11 hectare field adjacent to an AONB) and the ever-present threat of wind turbines. However, these are on a small scale compared with the future possibility of ‘mega’ farms’ such as those found in America. The president of the National Farmers Union believes the UK needs more and bigger ‘super farms’ to keep food prices from rising too high and to maintain high animal welfare standards... One to watch! Wind Turbines Very few so far in Herefordshire but as our 2011 report noted, a report for Herefordshire Council stated that: Herefordshire by virtue of being a relatively sparsely developed county with a diverse geographical range has the potential to harness good levels of wind energy. Levels of practically accessible wind resources equates to approximately 174 2.3MW turbines (Editors note: i.e., up to 98 metres high), after unsuitable areas for large wind farm development have been identified and ruled out. This potentially makes large-scale wind energy a high priority in the short-, mediumand long-term in relation to planning policy. CPRE national has produced policy guidance on our approach to wind turbines, which is summarised below: Decisions made today will have a lasting effect on the countryside. In pursuing our national carbon reduction and renewable energy targets, we must not ignore other important and established environmental objectives, particularly the protection of valued landscapes from damaging development. CPRE has done a considerable amount of work to analyse what impact different kinds of development have on the countryside in terms of their intrusion and impact on beautiful places. Experiencing 6
tranquillity in beautiful landscapes is beneficial to human health and well-being, which is one reason why millions of people visit the countryside every year. The quality of this experience is threatened by poorly conceived and located development of whatever kind. It is clear that onshore wind development, unless appropriately sited, can have a significant detrimental impact on the quality of the landscape.* CPRE believes that the Government must set a clear framework which helps local communities reconcile the potentially conflicting environmental benefits of landscape protection and climate change mitigation. If this is done, unacceptable damage both to the landscape and to public support for the country’s renewable energy targets can be avoided. With open and transparent dialogue, which effectively involves local communities, we can choose the right mix of renewable energy technologies to help tackle climate change as well as protecting our precious landscapes. To enable local communities and the planning system to protect the environment from damaging development and climate change, we call on the Government to: • Provide more clarity about the total number of onshore wind turbines it expects to see built and where these might be located; • Develop a strategic plan-led approach that recognises landscape capacity, including cumulative impacts of onshore wind turbines; • Ensure local planning authorities seek to protect landscape character through their local plans and in planning decisions; • Instruct the Planning Inspectorate to give significant weight when making decisions on development proposals to any local plans which have attempted to identify appropriate and inappropriate areas for onshore wind development; and • Require the onshore wind industry to take legal and financial responsibility for decommissioning onshore wind turbines and restoring the landscape once they stop working or when they reach the end of their useful life. Finally, one to aim for! A consultation on new Government guidance for local authorities includes proposals for use of 40 mph zones on minor rural roads, particularly in scenic areas. Herefordshire has the highest road casualty rate out of all neighbouring English authorities. Speeding traffic blights many villages and has led to numerous collisions and fatalities. Fatal car crashes occur most frequently on rural roads and speeding traffic has a significant impact on people’s quality of life. HCPRE will campaign to protect the character and tranquillity of the countryside from traffic. * Generating light on landscape impacts: How to accommodate onshore wind while protecting the countryside. CPRE April 2012a Become a volunteer! You can help support CPRE’s work in your local community by volunteering at one of our district, branch or regional groups. As a CPRE volunteer, you could... Respond to planning applications... If you know about the planning process, you could help assess local planning applications. If you don’t know how, we’d be happy to teach you. Produce publicity... You could write news releases or organise photo opportunities, create newsletters, websites and campaign materials for your local group. Lobby... We need volunteers who are willing to speak to councillors, MPs and local authority officers about CPRE’s campaigns on behalf of your local group. Raise funds... Help fundraising efforts in your local area or use your skills to develop the fundraising potential of your local group. Help at local events... Local groups are always in need of people who can give a few hours at stalls at local shows and events or use their co-ordination skills to set up an event for us. Distribute leaflets... Deliver campaign leaflets to local homes Help in the office... Provide assistance with our filing, mailings, accounts or letter writing at your local branch. If you would like to volunteer, email us at contactus@cpreherefordshire.org.uk or call Bob Widdowson on 01544 230 050 or David Phelps on 01432 279 185 7
Page 1 and 2: ISSUE 6 OCTOBER 2012 ANNUAL REPORT
Page 3 and 4: NPPF AT A GLANCE... GREEN Improved/
Page 5: A CASE STUDY HCPRE recently challen
Page 9 and 10: CHAIRMAN’S REPORT N THE LAST YEAR
Page 11 and 12: Our planning watchdogs! Members of

CPRE Herefordshire Annual Report October 2012

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