SN6000, Land north of Chapel Street, Barford

One of the main items discussed at the Extraordinary Meeting of the Parish Council on 19th December, were the details of two new housing development proposals that have been submitted to South Norfolk Council to be considered as part of their Village Clusters Housing Allocations Plan. One of these proposals (SN6000, Land north of Chapel Street, Barford) affects the land on which the Village Hall and playing field stands, and the recently refurbished children’s play area. Details of the proposed developments recently published by South Norfolk have been posted by Parish Councillor Mary Dorrell on the Village Facebook page and a presentation about the two new housing proposals was given by the Developers at the meeting.

Although the village hall building belongs to us, the land on which the village hall, playing field and play area stands, still belongs to the landowner. As stated on this website: “…The land is owned by the Mackintosh Trust who gave it to the villages on a 99-year-old lease with a peppercorn rent of half a crown a year…” The lease (which still has 37 years left to run) sets out the terms and conditions. FW Properties, acting on behalf of the Mackintosh landowners, are currently proposing that a replacement village hall and playing field be relocated to the north of the proposed development. This proposal would leave the play area where it is in its current location, no longer adjacent to the playing field or village hall.

As was stated at the meeting on 19th December, these proposed developments are still at an early stage, are subject to much more consultation and discussion, and may not even be adopted or approved by South Norfolk Council to be included as part of the Village Clusters Housing Allocations Plan. Details have only recently been published by South Norfolk Council and the Extraordinary Meeting of the Parish Council has thus been the first opportunity for most residents of Barford and Wramplingham to be made aware of the proposals.

As far as the proposed development affecting the village hall and playing field is concerned, the Village Hall Committee were first made aware of this a few months ago before it had been submitted to South Norfolk. At this early stage, the landowner proposed that a replacement building and playing field would be provided, but the land would still belong to the Mackintosh Trust and a new lease drawn up renewable every year. At that time, the plans shown were different with only one section of the field to the north of the proposed development allocated for a new playing field/football pitch (comprising 1.12 acres) and the relocated village hall in the top left hand corner of the proposed housing development. This proposal was unanimously rejected by the Committee.

On 7th October the Chair of the Village Hall Committee received an email from the Principal Planning Officer of South Norfolk Council with details of a proposed housing development that had been submitted to them to be considered as part of their Village Clusters Housing Allocations Plan. (This revised proposal is similar to the one that has now been published by South Norfolk and discussed at the meeting on 19th December.) The Committee were asked to respond, as early as possible, with their views. The Village Hall Committee promptly held an extraordinary meeting on 8th October to discuss and formulate a response.

The minutes of the meeting on 8th October, record that: “The Village Hall Committee has as its overriding priority the availability and accessibility of the Village Hall and playing field for its stated, charitable purposes. Even though the Lease still has over 37 years before it expires, the intent of the landowner to want to develop the land on which it now stands makes this availability and accessibility seem somewhat vulnerable and tenuous.”

It was also agreed at that meeting that if the Village Hall Committee did agree to the proposed housing development (and at this stage no such agreement has been formally given) then it would need to be subject to the following conditions:

· That the land upon which the Village Hall and playing field would stand as per the proposed plan, be gifted by the landowner to the Village Hall Committee (representing the residents of Barford & Wramplingham) in perpetuity and free of any Lease;

· That the Village Hall Committee be fully involved in the design, layout and placement of the new Village Hall with a view to it being ecologically and environmentally friendly, accessible, fit for purpose and economically sustainable for the future;

· That the building of the new Village Hall takes priority in the proposed development, with access to the new Village Hall, and the playing field with football pitch, available before the old one is demolished;

· That any drainage/flooding issues relating to the top field where it is proposed the new Village Hall and playing field is located, are adequately identified and resolved with whatever mitigating actions are required.

The minutes also stated that if the landowner and developer disagreed with any or all of the conditions, then it was the unanimous wish of the Village Hall Committee that the existing Lease remain in place and the Village Hall and playing field remain where they are. An email response was sent by the Chair of the Village Hall Committee to the Council and conveyed as well to FW Properties and the landowner.

A positive email response was received on 20th October agreeing in principle to the conditions, with the proviso that there be a restrictive covenant placed upon the gifted land in favour of the Mackintosh family stating that the land will be used for community purposes only in perpetuity which will include the use as a village hall and the playing field.

Now that these proposed developments are in the public domain following the publication of the VCHAP and the Parish Council Extraordinary meeting, it is incumbent on all of us individually and collectively to have our say in the consultation process. The Village Hall Committee welcomes feedback and input into future consultation that takes place regarding this issue.