WAG Members with the Petition

A petition of nearly 1000 signatures signed by residents of Wesham, was handed over today to Andrew Stell, Fylde Borough Council’s Senior Planning Officer. Members of Wesham Action Group (WAG), meeting in St Annes Town Hall on Thursday March 22, gave the petition objecting to the proposed development of 100 homes on countryside north of Mowbreck Lane in Wesham.

This petition contains 50% more names than on the first WAG petition in 2009 when the Group successfully campaigned against 264 homes being built on the same area of countryside. They fought and won the battle after a lengthy enquiry that went to the top of government for a final decision, and then a High Court pro- nouncement in summer 2011.

Metacre, the sites land-owner, came back after the rejection with a revised plan in November 2011 to develop 100 homes on approximately one third of the old site.

WAG believe that this petition once again provides a clear and even stronger local rejection of Metacre’s continued plan to develop land in countryside which is out- side Wesham’s present urban boundary and should be given serious consideration when the application is debated by FBC’s Development Control Committee. It is expected to be heard on April 11.

WAG Members handing the petition signed by Wesham Residents over to Planning Officer Andrew Stell

Local residents have commented that the implications of this being approved would leave the rest of the original site subject to further planning applications, bringing the number back to the original 264 houses.

WESHAM DOES NOT NEED OR WANT ANY MORE HOUSES!

Please come along to to the public meeting . Wesham Town Councillors and Members of WAG will be there to answer any questions you may have.

We need your support

A  local resident commented that the implications of this being approved would leave the the rest of the original site subject to further planning applications to bring the number back to the orignal 264 houses.

Wesham Action Group are opposed to the application  and will be actively fighting against it.

• Housing should not be built on Agricultural land when other alternative brownfield sites are available.
• The site was outside of the local designated settlement  boundaries of Wesham
• Until Fylde BC decide on appropriate level of future housing provision, it would be wrong to approve the application until these requirements are known.

The applicant Metacre on behalf of Trevor Hemmings now have six weeks to mount a legal challenge.

Wesham Action Group would like to thank all of its supporters for all of there help support and advice we have received over the past two years.

We would like to thank all the residents of Wesham who turned up and either spoke out against the proposal or came along to  support the Action Group.  If you want to read a day by day account of the appeal you can find it here at Counterbalance

What Happens Next?

The appeal inspector  will make a report to the Secretary of State, Eric Pickles. Mr Pickles will review the inspectors report and make a decision. This could take several months depending on the Governments workload.

The land owner has appealed against Fylde Borough Council’s decision to  reject  the planning application for the 264 Houses on the Land North of Mowbreck Lane.

The Appeal will now go before a Government Inspector to to make the final decision.

Come along and find out what we all can do to win this Appeal.

Practical tips will be be given and your concerns and questions answered – if we all work together we can win again

Organised by Wesham Action Group and supported by Wesham Town Council.

In the public meeting held at Lowther Pavilion.  Twenty one objectors many of them from Wesham Action Group (WAG) and residents of Wesham.  spoke out against the proposal which had originally been recommended by the planning officer for Approval. The meeting had been proceeded by a visit by the DCC to the Mowbreck Lane site.

WAG produced a logical and sound set of arguments as to why the development should not go ahead. The proposal went against 34 planning policies and one Regional Spatial Strategy policy.

The DCC  then voted on the proposal and rejected it by 13 votes AGAINST the proposal and ZERO votes FOR

A Wesham action Group spokesperson said that

“this was a victory for Common Sense and the people of Wesham, the proposal would have destroyed many acres of  Prime Agricultural Land,  the Biological Heritage Marsh and one of  Wesham’s best assets.  We would like to thank the public of Wesham, Councillor Linda Nulty  and Wesham Town Council   for all their support they have given us over the last 14 months. ”

However Metacre are likely to  appeal against this decision and put it before a Government Planning Inspector,  so this is only the  first part of the battle that has been won.  However this was a key decision because if this stage  had been lost WAG  would have had no right of appeal.

So the battle continues……………….

WESHAM DOES NOT NEED OR WANT ANY MORE HOUSES!

Please come along to to the public meeting and the DCC meeting. Wesham Town Councillors and Members of WAG will be there to answer any questions you have.

For many months Wesham Action Group have worked tirelessly to campaign against 264 houses being built on the outskirts of Wesham, which will affect our town in many serious ways. YOU can help stop this by:

• Attending the Meeting.
• Writing to members of the DCC

The full contact list of the DCC can be viewed HERE.

The meeting will take place:

17th March 2010 at Lowther Pavillion, Lytham.

Time – 1300

This is a special meeting. Application N0. 08/1072 (Land North of Mowbreck Lane) has caused so much public interest that Fylde Borough Council have opted to have this meeting in a large venue. WAG wants as many residents there to show solidarity against the willfull destruction of  our countryside.

PLEASE SHOW YOUR SUPPORT IN ANY WAY YOU CAN

The meeting is being held to bring the public up to date with the application submitted by Metacre to build 264 houses on land north of Mowbreck Lane.

Members of Wesham Action Group and Wesham Town Council will be on hand to answer any questions you may have. Please come and show your support, there are still many ways YOU can stop this development from destroying our countryside.