Wrea Green Under Attack – from Developers
A report by Save Wrea Green Action Group (SWAG)
The SWAG website has been inoperable for quite a period of time and attempts to resolve problems have not been successful. With agreement, SWAG news and updates will shortly be added to the Wrea Green Village Website and maintained there in future.
Many of you will be aware of applications for development on fields behind Richmond Avenue (access approved by FBC Planning in October 2012) and the Football Stadium at Greenlands Farm (refused by FBC Planning).
Some of you may be aware of the application for 25 houses at Bryning Lane
(refused by FBC Planning) and for 50 houses at Moss Side Lane (recommended for refusal by FBC Planning).
Some of you will be aware of potential applications on land in two other areas of Wrea Green. A few will even know about a forthcoming application for 32 houses elsewhere on the Village boundaries (details to follow)
To date the only approved application is for access on the fields behind Richmond Avenue initially for 55 houses and now reduced to 53 houses. A “reserved matters” application 13/0097 has just been submitted for the houses and layout of the site. This has been done without any of the required resident/Parish Council consultation.
SWAG are doing their utmost to protect the Village, but without –
The Neighbourhood Plan in place (probably not available until July 2014, because of all the hoops to jump through),
A five year housing land supply (+20% because of past shortfalls) not being available on the Fylde,
An up to date Local Plan for the Fylde (still under consideration).The Neighbourhood Plan must not be contrary to this plan, or vice versa, by my understanding),
We are very vulnerable, particularly given the housing land availability on the SHLAA (Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment) which shows land for over 1000 houses available in/around Wrea Green.
SWAG consists of an executive of 5 but with a day to day operational team of just two, the volume of work is now becoming excessive. Hence we are looking for dedicated residents, who can communicate well and work to tight deadlines, to work with the operational team in our aims to prevent inappropriate development. We would warn you that, at times, this has currently meant working (unpaid) for up to 12 hours a day in support of residents and the work is no respecter of weekends or evenings.
You will need to be both computer literate and have access to a computer/the Internet and printer, preferably (but not essentially) you will have a knowledge of planning matters and an ability to read and assimilate the content of sometimes lengthy documents and to provide an assessment (with help, initially).
If you believe you are in a position to offer your assistance, perhaps by providing some detailed work on individual applications, please contact SWAG via myself on email address [email protected].
John Rowson
CEO, Save Wrea Green Action Group.