MINUTES – MEETING NO. 39

24th July 2018, 7.00pm – 9.00pm

Priory House, Room PH14

Members Clive Beckett – Chair (CB) Tom Chevalier (TC) Louis Upton (LU) Tony Welch (TW) Pauline Hey (PH) John Mardle (JM) Andy Knight (AK) David Simkins (DS)

Secretariat Philippa Moon - Central Council

Apologies Cllr Paul Castleman (Cllr PC) Caroline Nash - (Caroline N)

Observers Howard Hughes (HH) Keith Dove (KD) Adam Maciejewski – (AMJ) Jack Bowers (JB)

Member Absent Cllr Ian Dalgarno (Cllr ID) Mario Costa-Sa – (MC)

Action points shown in italics and bold ACTION

1. Apologies, Welcomes & Introductions All

Apologies were received from Caroline N and Cllr. Castleman

2 Public Questions

Energy from waste incinerator that is proposed to be built by All/David Barr Emsrayne at East Hyde, between Luton and Harpenden?

Concern regarding Incinerator proposal which is at planning stage and open to comments. Luton aware of proposal and would comment on environmental issues. The proposed Lea Bank Energy Park is near New Mill and railway line along Harpenden Road by sewerage works. Harpenden Road second

Page 1 of 6 Not protected busiest road in . Very close to National Cycle Network route 6. The waste will be processed 24 hours a day 7 days a week in 12-hour shifts, 100m from where the chimney is proposed to go up is green belt land. JLAF will view impact on ROW and Cycleways and make a comment on the developer website www.lbep.uk. Comments to CB and PM for feedback to website. HH to explore how this affects his area and to ascertain if Lisa White is aware of the proposal. David Barr to keep PM posted on developments.

Subsequent Note: At Luton Borough Executive meeting held at Luton Town Hall on the 23rd August 2018 the Council unanimously objected to the proposal and CBC will be notified accordingly.

3. Minutes of Previous Meeting a. Approval

Minutes of the April meeting were approved

b. Points of Action

AM to contact CN regarding progress on repositioning barriers and Lane clearance. AM

Noted that ROW groups are included in P3 training and Steve Halton still co-ordinates P3.

Noted that comments have not been sent to the developer regarding HRN1 and 2

4. Membership

Equestrian – Alison Balfour Lynn has agreed to be a member of the Forum.

Land ownership –. Caroline Shaw has agreed to be a landowner member.

Facebook – MCS will liaise with JB on the best way to attract new members. JB to redesign the website and maybe change the JB / MCS wording on the application page.

Discussion regarding authority required to appoint new members. CB clarified the wording in the ToR which states :-

"Forum members will be appointed by a selection panel that will assess if applicants have sufficient experience and interest in outdoor access issues

within Bedfordshire and Luton to be able to make an informed and constructive contribution to improving access provision. This assessment will be based on the application form and selection criteria. The selection process will aim to ensure a

Page 2 of 6 reasonable balance between the number of members representing the interests in paragraph 7.3(a) above, and those representing the interests in 7.3(b)"

Based on this members agreed that as the full Forum meeting had PM discussed both nominees there was no need for a selection panel and then agreed both Alison and Caroline being appointed to the Forum. PM to notify the two new members and include both on the JLAF circulation list.

CB to re-circulate latest ToR to members and officers including JB. CB

5. Forward Plan

Noted that several items planned for this meeting have now been put back to the October meeting.

TC questioned what was happening regarding the Bedford to Milton Keynes Waterway. Noted that further work still required on the economic HH/AK/PM case to raise money and there are changes where the canal meets the motorway and the new A421 intersection which may affect viability of scheme. TC asked who was dealing with the project on behalf of CBC. CB advised that previously Countryside Access and Planning co- ordinated CBC input. HH will investigate who at CBC is now leading on the project and will feedback JLAF's concerns regarding the

failure to accommodate the waterway as part of A421 improvement works. PM will also write to appropriate contact expressing JLAF's concerns. AK to invite someone from the Bedford to Milton Keynes Waterways Trust to attend the next meeting to provide an update on the scheme. Trust website -www.b-mcwaterway.org.uk

KD advised that there are likely to be developments on the East West PM Rail improvements in the Autumn and that it would be sensible to have someone from Planning at the next meeting to provide an update. PM to arrange.

6. North of Luton Plan - Working Group

TW will keep Forum abreast of developments arising from the TW group. Noted that invites were sent out late, and therefore TC was unable to attend. TC will liaise with TW regarding what was discussed and date of next meeting.

7. Marston Vale Plan

CB sent response to planners and PM should formalise this by PM sending on headed paper.

8. Farm Estate Strategy

CB prepared draft reply which was circulated to members. Forum PM

Page 3 of 6 agreed reply and PM to send to Property Services on headed paper.

DS pleased to see that land is still being acquired for small farmers and the strategy should not just be geared to securing land for future development

9. LAF Regional Meeting

CB had previously circulated his notes and the minutes from the Regional Meeting and advised that the meeting was very useful. PH noted that attendance was down on previous meetings. No further comments were made on this item.

10. Luton RoWIP and the status of the Definitive Map and Statement

KD– Improvement plan not yet published on website due to staffing and IT issues. The Plan has been amended to take account of discussion at Executive but format just needs tidying up before being published. KD KD will send latest draft. Definitive Map published in electronic version but not currently on Luton website. All information to put Definitive Map Statement together has been received but we haven’t complied that yet. In relation to the Excluded Area (EA), a developer who has permitted development to convert an industrial unit in the Park Town area to residential has raised an issue in relation to former Rights of Way in the vicinity, which is within the EA. The developer has been liaising with the Council about this over the last 4-5 months, and has provided historic documentary evidence of the existence of former Rights of Way in that area. Luton has taken Counsel’s opinion on this matter; further to recent discussions with our Corporate Director about how the Council best deals with that, intention is to take a report to our Administration and Regulation Committee in late September.

11. M1 - A6 Link road north of Luton

CBC have sent a letter about the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Scoping Opinion to various parties, including the JLAF, and have started holding a number of local drop-in sessions about the scheme in Caroline N nearby areas. Chapter 12 is about walking and cycling and chapter 13 is about Transport. At this stage the EIA scoping document is more about the process to be followed in assessing the impacts of the scheme rather than the scheme and its impacts. The Transport Assessment will follow in due course. TC reiterated JLAF's strategic vision of at least three 'Green Corridors' between both Luton and the Link Road that were not even mentioned or identified on any part of the 'new plan'. CB stated that the extension of the corridors northwards from the Link Road were not shown as green corridors and only one shown as an equestrian/cyceway crossing of the road. The 'new plan' did not provide enough detail around schools, play areas, park and ride facilities that were on previous plans and therefore JLAF cannot determine with any accuracy the access routes, footpaths etc. They suggest 'opportunities' which have yet to be detailed and

Page 4 of 6 clarification is necessary on how any linkages between the new roads,footpaths, cycle ways with North Luton Infrastructure will occur....particularly as mention is made to links to Railway Station and Luton via such routes. The map does not show any widening of the A6 road between Streatley roundabout and the proposed roundabout at New Farm yet traffic , cyclists and walkers need accommodating under the 'old plans' re. the new schools, park and ride as previously revealed.

Caroline N to feedback JLAF's comments and discuss further at a future meeting.

12. Landfill Site

Pick up when Alison attends next meeting. AM is going to have a look Alison Balfour at the landfill site on 26 July 2018. Lynn/AM

13. Rerouting Proposals

- Footpath no.24

Combined 2 different application: one to the north west which seeks to AM divert the footpath from running across the football pitch to going along the eastern side of the pitches to connect to the nearby school. The south eastern application crosses CBC land and would move the path slightly westwards to run alongside the rear gardens to the adjacent properties. AM to use Highways Act rather than Town and Country Planning Act due to outline planning application at this stage.

- Biggleswade Bridleway No. 28

A larger A3 plan of proposed diversion of a series of connected bridleways was displayed around Sunderland Hall Farm. The route would go from predominantly farm track to a route through a wood (Dunton Fen) and then alongside a stream. A query was raised about how boggy the land in the wood is after rain. AM or a colleague should go down to the river and woodland to check conditions after rain.

15. ToR - re-elect the Chair and Vice Chair All

Re-elected CB for Chairman and LU for Vice Chair.

16. Any other notified business

Caroline Nash asked for comments inrespect of proposals to improve the A507/A6 junction, . CBC have applied to DfT for NPI Funding to remodel this junction to reduce congestion. Are there any improvements Caroline N for walking, cycling and horse-riding the JLAF would like to see incorporated in the vicinity of the junction? Although comments were made unfortunately these were not recorded.

Oxford-Cambridge Expressway: Jacobs are developing this scheme for

Page 5 of 6 Highways and are planning to hold a walking, cycling and horse- Caroline N riding stakeholder workshop in Milton Keynes in September. JLAF to be invited to the workshop.

17. Dates of future meetings All

Next meeting October 2nd 2018 – Incuba - 6.30pm for refreshments and 7pm for start of meeting.

Contact: Philippa Moon - JLAF Secretary Telephone: 0300 300 6787 E-mail: [email protected]

Page 6 of 6