Broughtonlocal

Two fields offered to Kepplewray

Last updated at 15:06, Thursday, 15 September 2011

TRAFFIC calming, land for allotments and the future of popular woodland were all up for debate at a community drop-in session.

COUNCILLOR JOSS CURWEN REF: 50019550B006

The session, organised by Cumbria County Council, gave updates on five council projects in Broughton.

Cumbria County Council owns a large amount of land in the market town which was left to them by Sir Robert Rankin as part of the Broughton TowerEstate.

The estate included Broughton Tower Wood, Greenslack Farm and several acres of land.

Carol Last, community engagement officer for Cumbria County Council, said: “The main aim of the event is to engage with the community.

“It’s a chance for the public to come along and view the information we’ve put together on various projects over the past 18 months.”

Residents were able to see council proposals and give their feedback.

The council has offered two fields to Kepplewray as part of their expansion plans.

It also responded to public complaints about the proposed felling of Broughton Tower Wood by placing a preservation order which will prevent anyone felling the trees if the wood is sold.

Plans have also been put in place to lease a piece of land to Duddon Parish Council to provide allotments for residents as well as providing space should the Kepplewray Project wish to expand – subject to planning permission.

Councillor Clare Salisbury, who represents the area on Cumbria County Council, said: “The event is aimed at getting feedback on what the county council has planned.

“The thing is you can only produce this sort of thing if people come and in Broughton people do take a real interest in their community.”

Stephanie Townsend, of Foxfield, said: “I am involved in the traffic calming scheme.

“I’ve come to have a look at what is happening, just out of interest really.”

Councillor Joss Curwen said: “I think these events are important but I don’t think the council should sell Greenslack. That place would have been ideal for a young man who wanted to start up but couldn’t afford the land and it was left for that reason.”

First published at 13:18, Thursday, 15 September 2011
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk

Have your say

Firstly, this proposed allotment site is covered in bog grass and has standing water on it for long periods of the year. It is essentially one step removed from the marshy bog it once was and is totally unsuited to this purpose. This was never going to be a sustainable project.
Secondly, this proposed allotment site can only currently be accessed by a private dirt track that has no public rights existing over it. If you look at the planning website you will see that the lease the Parish Council has signed acknowledges this difficulty. NERC and RTA legislation mean that motor car access to the site is not going to be lawful, and pedestrian access would have to be by permission of the private owners. The definitive map, which I know the Council has copies of, clearly indicates this. Way before this allotment issue was raised Duddon Parish Council were already aware of the private status of this track MANY TIMES OVER. The evidence for this is overwhelming, but to be very brief....In 2004 This council got expert legal advice confirming this was the case for this track in writing from County Solicitors when plans were submitted and refused for a doctor's surgery. I have subsequently reminded the Council of this letter in 2009. The whole council was retrained in 2008/09 after a complaint was made about a Councillor's actions over this issue and yet another Councillor was found guilty at a Standards Board hearing over a later, further act to do with this very same issue. One of my nieghbours who has the misfortune to own part of this track has had to spend thousands on legal fees to stop this Parish Council and Broughton Information Centre from incorporating his private land into various proposed planning developments against his express wishes. (The Parish Council is now led by a Director of BIC.) The issue and the repeated attempts to compromise my neighbours' property rights has caused immense acrimony in the village.
In the full knowledge of all the above this Parish Council has now submitted a planning application to take an access to a proposed car park at this allotment site along this private track. Nobody in the area was consulted and I have spoken to two private owners' of the track who were effected by this application. They told me they own the ground. They confirm there are no public rights of access across it. They say they were never asked and both said they would refuse permission. I am led to believe there are other folk in the same position.
I hold a very firm view as to why this application has been submitted, but I will leave folk to make their own minds up about the possible motives behind these persistent attempts to force public access across this private land.
I firmly believe that Councillors have a duty of care to the people they serve, and in this, and in many other recent episodes this Parish Council has singularly failed in that duty of care which they owe to these small private property owners.

Posted by Bill Chapman on 20 August 2012 at 12:57