WyeWye withwith HinxhillHinxhill Parish Council Newsletter 71 (print summary) November 2020

What has happened?

I am writing to inform you about an urgent Telereal Trillium has lodged three planning planning matter in Wye, and how the Parish appeals against ABC on grounds of non- Council is responding to this opportunity. determination. In essence, TT claims that To recap, I advised you in November 2019 ABC failed to reach decisions on three that the Parish Council had challenged Ash- WYE3 applications within the time set by ford Borough Council (ABC) with a judicial Government. These sites are the Wye Col- review of the flawed and unacceptable lege listed buildings (40 dwellings), Occu- WYE3 Masterplan process. In short, ABC pation Road (40 houses), and at ADAS, allowed Telereal Trillium (TT) to undermine Road (20 houses, outside the vil- the Wye Neighbourhood Plan. However, the lage envelope). By appealing to the Plan- Parish Council's challenge stopped ABC’s ning Inspectorate TT has taken the deci- adoption process, and consequently TT’s sions away from ABC’s Planners. ABC will WYE3 Draft Masterplan remains in limbo. defend itself and is likely to argue that TT

The three designated housing development sites in Wye: WYE1, WYE2 and WYE3

WYE3 is the large brown area of land (15 times the size of Churchfield Green), in 3 blocks (Wye College listed buildings, the land on both sides of Olantigh Road and Withersdane Hall). Imperial College sold WYE3 (except Withersdane) to Telereal Trillium in 2015. ABC’s sites map also shows WYE1 (Ramsfield) WYE2 (land off Little Chequers); flood risk land (blue hatching); the AONB (green hatching); the Wye Conservation Area boundary (brown line, around historic Wye); the River Stour Local Wildlife Site, and green spaces e.g. Churchfield Green. proposed too many houses for ADAS and that no piecemeal development should take Occupation Road. As their design and lay- place before the Masterplan is agreed. In out is poor quality, this would harm the 2017 TT ignored this policy and applied to AONB. Regarding the impasse with the for- convert the former Wye College listed mer College buildings, ABC will contend buildings for residential use, as an exclu- that TT has not been willing to reach a sat- sive gated development in all but name. isfactory arrangement to enable community Why is the WYE3 Masterplan essential? use of the Grade I listed Latin School. Nor has TT agreed to make a contribution from WYE3 is an extraordinarily complex 44 acre its profits to pay for extra school places, or site protected by national and international new community facilities like green spaces, designations. These include: two acres of sports pitches and play equipment. Grade I, II* and II listed buildings; a sched- uled ancient monument and a conservation Why is this so urgent? area. WYE3 is close to the Wye Downs Na- The Planning Inspectorate (PINS) has ap- tional Nature Reserve (NNR). This is also a pointed David Prentis to manage this in- Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and quiry. He is an experienced senior inspec- internationally important as a Special Area tor, and he will decide the final outcome. of Conservation (SAC). All of WYE3 is in an PINS has accepted Wye Parish Council as a Area of Outstanding National Beauty Rule 6 (third party) participant at the in- (AONB), and contains a protected arbore- quiry. This means that the Parish Council’s tum. It also abuts Olantigh, a Grade II listed barrister can challenge TT’s case in front of historic park. WYE3 contains residential ar- the inspector, present our own evidence eas, small business units, covenanted land, and cross examine TT’s expert witnesses. Grade 2 agricultural land, brownfield land, and Wye School, with 600 students. Olan- The Parish Council proposed that the three tigh Road is Roman in origin and beneath separate appeals should be ‘conjoined’ into WYE3 is some 2,000 years of archaeology. one, for reasons of efficiency and transpar- ency. The inspector soon agreed, so the Wye’s great landscape and history attracts appeal will take the form of a single 6-day thousands of walkers who cross WYE3 on public inquiry, starting 28 January 2021. the Way - and their trade helps to keep our shops and pubs open. PINS has also accepted WyeCRAG (Wye Clearly we live in a special place. WYE3 is College Regeneration Action Group) as a also home to dormice, a legally protected Rule 6 party. WyeCRAG seeks to pre- species in rapid decline. Dormice are an serve the most historic parts of the Wye important bio-indicator species as they are College buildings for community use, particularly sensitive to habitat and popula- and will present its own case. tion fragmentation, so their presence today To comply with COVID-19 restrictions PINS in Wye indicates good habitat integrity. will hold the public inquiry virtually for Wye’s Neighbourhood Plan acknowledges safety reasons, via Microsoft Teams. the necessity of more housing in Wye. How- What is the Council’s main concern? ever, the WYE3 site policy calls for balanced and managed development for the benefit Central to the Parish Council’s case is the of the village, with a judicious mix of regu- Wye Neighbourhood Development Plan, lar housing, affordable and local needs passed by public referendum in 2016 (with housing, and space for local businesses, 94.72% of votes cast in favour). ABC adopt- community infrastructure and wildlife. ed it as part of its own statutory Local Plan. This calls for a Masterplan to address the Therefore, given all the constraints and whole WYE3 area, and crucially, it states complexities of the WYE3 site, it needs a Masterplan in place to coordinate develop- cost needs to be added to the investment ment and ensure that development is sus- in the Neighbourhood Plan, and the many tainable, phased, sensitive and appropriate. volunteer hours given by councillors and the Planning Working Group, over 50 Patch- All take and no give workers, and over 800 Wye residents who From the outset, Telereal Trillium disre- took part in surveys and workshops, and garded the balanced WYE3 site policy and then voted in the 2016 parish referendum. instead proposed open market housing, and only token community access. As the This enormous investment in years of three appeal sites only represent about 40% volunteer time and money could become of the total WYE3 area, there is much more worthless unless the Parish Council development to come. Clearly, TT intends makes its case as strongly as possible at to either sell or develop it piecemeal. This the inquiry. The representation costs for tactic maximises TT’s profits and avoid lia- our solicitor, barrister, historian and a bility for affordable housing provision, and planning expert, will cost around £40,000. many other developer contributions under Can we afford it? Section 106. Piecemeal development will enable TT to evade responsibility for the Yes we can, and the Parish Council can significant incremental burdens of develop- meet the cost from reserves - without need- ment on traffic, parking and sewer capaci- ing to reduce services to the village, or in- ty, and the environmental impact on Wye’s crease the precept. We have reinforced the precious AONB landscape and wildlife. reserves in recent years in readiness. We also budgeted money this year for projects How can Wye benefit? which are currently on hold because of the A developer stands to make millions of pandemic, and we can return to these next pounds of profits on WYE3. But if develop- year. We are confident that representation ment viability on WYE3 is assessed objec- is vital in the interest of the long term fu- tively, and as a whole, then the parish ture of the village and its heritage and envi- should also gain some affordable housing, ronment, and in defence of our hard won as the Wye Neighbourhood Plan directs. Neighbourhood Plan. In time, the returns should exceed the legal costs significantly. The number of new houses on WYE3 will depend on the outcome of the appeal in- At last, a way forward quiry. If PINS requires TT to contribute This is not to say that the planning inspec- an estimated £15,500 per dwelling in tor will agree to everything that we want for s.106 for community facilities, then 50 Wye. But if our aspirations are well present- new houses at this rate would generate ed and fairly judged alongside the acknowl- £775,500 for the future benefit of Wye. edged pressures on housing and in accord- ance with planning policies, then I believe The Parish Council will put this money into we can deliver to the village a fair and local projects to the benefit of residents, workable compromise. Nearly 15 years af- but it is clear that we will have to fight for ter the Wye Park 'vision' first crashed into these facilities. The Parish Council is also our lives in December 2005, the start of a seeking to protect and enhance the resolution to the future WYE3 is now in Downs AONB, and Wye's amazing natural sight. I will continue to keep you informed. and built heritage for future generations. With best wishes, and please stay safe. What will taking part cost? Chairman, The stakes are high, and defending the Wye with Hinxhill Parish Council future of the village comes at a cost. This [email protected] Key points to note and Dennes Mill Close. To help to jog your memory please look out for CCTV images Residents and the Parish Council engaged of these men in the next email newsletter. fully in Telereal Trillium's WYE3 Masterplan process, but it did not take account of local comments. The draft at the end was virtual- WyeCRAG crowdfunder launch ly the same as the draft at the beginning. The Wye College Regeneration Group is Consequently, the Parish Council is disap- presenting its case as a Rule 6 party at the pointed at the lack of ambition in the Tele- public inquiry. WyeCRAG is crowdfunding real Masterplan and the three schemes. TT this through the Save Wye Heritage Appeal disregarded the unique opportunities of- Fund. Over 4,200 residents and alumni and fered by the Wye College Campus to pro- others have signed the WyeCRAG petition. mote the economic and social vitality and Find out more at www.wyecrag.org.uk viability of Wye and to sustain the special character of the village. Instead, TT has just put forward essentially three big, bland and Poppy Appeal 2020 run-of-the-mill residential developments. For COVID-19 reasons the Royal The Wye Neighbourhood Plan states that: British Legion asked everyone to support the 99th Poppy Appeal, and take part in '...It is essential that the WYE3 site is con- remembrance remotely, but could not allow sidered as a whole and that its redevelop- any traditional door-to door collections. In- ment is the subject of an inclusive master- plan approach in the first instance and is stead, as a safe, quick and easy alternative compliant with Policy WNP11. Piecemeal to cash, the Poppy Appeal will be very applications should not come forward if grateful to receive your donation direct by they will prejudice an integrated solution text. Just add 70545 as a contact number, for what is the major site for develop- then send a text for the sum in round ment in the village. Policy WNP11 ad- pounds that you wish to donate. To give £2 dresses the overall redevelopment of the text POPPY2 or £5 text POPPY5 or £10 campus landholding’... text POPPY10 etc to 70545. Or to donate by phone call the Royal British Legion fund-

As there is no adopted WYE3 Masterplan: raising freephone number: 0845 845 1945

TT’s planning applications are premature.

With thanks from the Wye & District Poppy Crime in Wye Appeal to all donors, our volunteer sup- Police would like to speak to two men con- porters and to Chris Irwin and staff at cerning criminal damage in August to over the Kings Head, for use of the carriage arch 50 cars in Bridge Street, Churchfield Way in Church Street as a pop-up Poppy Shop.

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Contact the Parish Council Unit 2B, Briar Close Bramble Lane Wye Ashford TN25 5HB As the Parish Council's office must remain closed Tel: 01233 812 459 (answerphone) during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Clerk and Deputy Clerk are working from home, but you [email protected] can reach them by email, post or telephone. All Parish Council meetings are held online. www.wyeparishcouncil.gov.uk