Yeah - we're not going to stand for any nonsense

We've managed to make it into Private Eye - check out Private Eye this edition in their Rotten Burroughs section

10 Downing Street Petition Online

The petition to save the trees in the leafiest part of Cambridge is online.
See:

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/savetrees/

Finally!!!!

Crest Nicholson's Contaminated Land

Walking Away. Crest Nicholson Directors.
So are we building new homes at any price? Even cancer for our children? And on a wider note, just how much contaminated land is Crest Nicholson sitting on? From what I can see from the letters (hereby attached) the Secretary of State was only told half the story by Crest. When writing to waive the requirement for an EIA no evidence was submitted of the site’s contamination, its TPH contaminated groundwater, or its proximity to Hobson’s brook. Oversight? Perhaps...

The Januarys Letter 21/10/2005 (prepared for Crest Nicholson) states: “With regards to regulation 6(1)(d) we would invite the Secretary of State to agree that the likely impacts of the proposed development are not so significant that they necessitate the submission of an Environmental Statement. They are all matters that are capable of being dealt with pursuant to the imposition of planning conditions and at the detailed design stage in the context of a Reserved Matters Application.”

Evidence about traffic impact, the air quality management area (the site is right next to it) and a copy of a section 106 agreement to provide land for the Guided Bus Way were appended. No third party information relating to groundwater contamination, to environmental or health risks of water run-off, or to the development’s potential impact on Hobson’s Conduit, a delicate ecosystem housing species protected under Schedule 5 (animals which are protected) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1985, was submitted.

It is questionable how relevant details of the section 106 agreement were to the Secretary of State’s determination of whether or not there should be an Environmental Impact Assessment? In the context of best practice it is also worrying Crest Nicholson wished to dispense with the requirement. Data relating to soil and water contamination and from the Environment Agency concerning this should have been appended to the request for waiving the EIA. .

Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH), a List 1 hazard, in some samples is in excess of 2% or 20,000 mg/kg and sampling methods and sizes are in about a tenth of what they should be according to the Environment Agency. But no information relating to soil pollution was provided to the Secretary of State.

Further, due to neighbouring resident complaints about site-specific symptoms consistent with TPH contamination, the Residents Association is exploring, in liaison with Mr Michael Nunns of the Environment Agency, whether there may already be a pollutant linkage to a source pathway receptor as outlined in Part 2a of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The link may be through air, water run off, dust, or drinking water. Drinking water has been tested for TPH contamination and we are awaiting the results.
For background I have put all the letters in question online (pdfs):

Developers letter to Secretary of State
http://www.rendsworld.com/files/CrestNicholsonEIALetterJanuarys.pdf

Secretary of State's Reply - No need to bother with an environmental impact assessment mate .... (cynical) This (section 106 agreement) will do nicely, Sir! :-)
http://www.rendsworld.com/files/SecretaryofStateLetter.pdf

Environment Agency letter to developer about contamination on the site dated October 2006
http://www.rendsworld.com/files/Environment%20Agency%20Letter%20October%202006.pdf

Enjoy! And feel free to comment!

New Petition to Number 10 Downing Street

Today we submitted a petition to the Prime Minister Tony Blair via Number 10 Downing Street Petitions

Our petition reads:

"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to support us in
our campaign to save the mature trees from being uprooted and
historic cottages from demolition on Fitzwilliam Road in
Cambridge"

More details:

"We can show how the developer of the land on Fitzwilliam Road
can build an equal number of homes without uprooting our mature
trees or destroying our historic cottages that contribute to
residential amenity in the historic and outstandingly beautiful
City of Cambridge. We call on the Prime Minister to prevent the
trees and cottages being destroyed on Fitzwilliam Road in
Cambridge and more widely to support our campaign of insisting
no citizen of this country should be forced to choose between
(1) our natural and heritage environment and (2) new housing
where we can and should have both."

We have been told that there is a queue for the petitions to be considered and accepted or rejected and that they are not currently meeting their targets of reviewing petitions within five days. If you would like to support this petition please email us your contact details and I will email you as soon as the petition goes live. Feel free in the meantime to sign the earlier petition, it will do no harm. But I'd urge everyone to sign the 10 Downing Street Petition when it goes up and forward it to all their friends so the Prime Minister gets the message loud and clear, enough is enough, we're determined to have some say in planning decisions around us.

Calling All Supporters

There is enormous and increasing pressure from central government to build new homes. We feel that building these new homes is important, but must we sacrifice heritage and the environment for homes, or can we have both? We believe we need to protect our historic built architecture from demolition, and our mature trees that keep the air we breath clean from being uprooted. We want to have a say in what is going on around us, feel that we are being ignored, and want to join forces with people all around the country who feel the same. Unfortunately, we do not think we are alone. This campaign has started in response to a high density development and concerns of our Resident's Association that the trees and buildings we have grown so fond of will be destroyed to make way for blocks of flats. We welcome your support, if you are experiencing similar difficulties where you live, make contact with our campaign and share your experiences and best practice tips, and if you are a political representative let your electorate know how important you think their say should be in planning applications and that you are committed to a planning policy that is sustainable and protective of the environment.

Please get in touch with us now on ukfrra@googlemail.com. Residents Rule OK?

Campaigning to Save Mature Trees in Cambridge

This campaign, that we can see broadening beyond its original remit has been started by Fitzwilliam Road Residents Association in response to a planning appeal by a developer who was refused permission for a high density development that would have profound implications on loss of mature trees and historic buildings around the Brookland's Avenue conservation area in Cambridge.