Planning Minutes August 2025
Cherry Willingham Parish Council
Minutes of Cherry Willingham Parish Council’s Planning Committee held on Tuesday 12th August 2025 at 19:00 in the Millenium Hall
Present: Cllr. Bates, Cllr. Houghton, Cllr. Moore (from 8pm), Cllr. Burge, Dr. Ian Lacy
-
To note and record apologies and absences
Diane Pitchford, Paul Moore (will be late)
-
To receive any declarations of interest in accordance with the Localism Act 2011 and consider any requests for dispensations in relation to Disclosable Pecuniary Interests or other interests as outlined in the Council’s Code of Conduct.
None received.
-
To receive the notes of the last meeting held on Tuesday 12th June 2025 and agree for them to be signed as a true record.
Unanimously so agreed.
-
Neighbourhood Plan
-
Results of the Focus Groups meetings.
The Open Spaces group identified at the first meeting additional and new areas of green spaces. Some query about the ownership of the old airfield and whether any land might be available. However it was felt at this meeting that the Rudgard development went right up to the boundary, leaving no spaces apart from one strip of land from Lady Meers where planning was previously refused. The area between Cherry Willingham and Little Cherry should be maintained as fields. Ian Lacy is to re-draw the boundaries of the built-up areas. There are 3 of the 4 focus group findings almost ready to go to Steve for his responses. Housing and Heritage, Business and Facilities and the Open Spaces will be in draft form to be sent to the Consultant. Ian Lacy reported that he had some further heritage assets to add (suggested by Ann Welbourn). There are no notes available as yet from the transport group. The draft documents should also go to the members of the focus groups in case anything has been left off.
-
Complete the questions for the Facilities and Trade focus groups. Following initial meeting + meeting on 23rd July Ian Lacy has re-written the relevant section of the NP. He will check the notes that SB made to ensure he has everything.
-
Responses from the NP Questionnaire. It was felt that we could not get any further with this without SK. Several of the committee had been unable to open the Google document which the assistant clerk had sent out with the responses collated.
-
Establish the programme to complete the NP. Ian Lacy to collate what we have by the end of September and this will then be circulated to the Focus Groups and SK. We may need to add bits as the process continues. IL has attended an online training course re reviewing NPs.(There are other sessions in the pipeline, for example, how to spend CIL money). Apparently we may not need to have a referendum, depending on how much has been altered. However we have no changes to boundaries or overall strategy. We will need to make reference to the Local Plan and we will have to produce a summary of changes and the reasons behind them. Also, we may be able to make up the funding gap with CIL money. The Housing Assessment in the Local Plan is an extremely complex document done on a large scale and we can rely on this for our Housing Needs Assessment. We need to make contact with the Environment Agency to check what their plans are for the south side of Fiskerton Road. The Marina site will need advice for wildlife provision. Chair has made contact with the Wildlife Trust at the Gala so that we can have discussions with them re ‘re-fenlanding’ more areas. At the moment there is nothing for our area. Ian and Ron will between them do the new photos. Re the Design Code, we will have to take into account net zero, tighten up extension requirements, character assessment and local materials and styles.
After the documents have been circulated, along with the questionnaires we will be able to produce a draft NP. Responses from the Focus Groups and Steve should have a two week deadline. Hopefully by mid October we should have the whole draft ready. Paul arrived just after 8pm and a brief synopsis of the meeting so far was given. Paul will write up his ‘copious’ notes from the Transport Focus Group. How should we incorporate the questionnaire results into the NP: in the appendix? Or as a supporting document?
-
To discuss and resolve any responses to the following planning application
WL/2025/00765 Wenlock, 4a Hawthorn Road. No comments or objections. Ian had a list of the last several planning applications that we had discussed and the decisions. The 4 units at Cherry Paddocks are still pending, 4, Rudgard has been refused, the infill at Green Lane has been withdrawn. All others were granted including the first section of the Rudgard development with 144 houses.
-
Any matter for report and notice of items to be included in the next agenda.
None.
-
To confirm the date of the next meeting.
Move from 7th October (in calendar) to 21st October
Next NP working party meeting is Tuesday September 30th 10am.
-
Any matter for report and notice of items to be included in the next agenda.
Have a look at the 2024 planning refusals and acceptances.
Would it be possible to have a Google document drop box?
-
Date of next meeting
Take out 8th July and replace with 12th August at 19:00 Millenium Hall
Meeting closed 20:15