High density housing proposals by Newlands Road (again)

I feel sure that there will be a lot more to come on this topic in the near future; I shall provide a couple of links now for those who wish to do some reading.

During 2012 a company called Templeview Developments Limited (which is controlled by Mr S Doyle, who was also a key individual in forumlating the original 'Bushwood' proposals) submitted an application to Luton Borough Council to erect a significant number of flats/maisonettes plus a small number of houses on the strip of Land between Newlands Road and the M1 motorway.  The application was refused by Luton Borough Council, a decision which was unsuccessfully fought at appeal by the applicant.  The full 2013 appeal decision can be found here .


Sadly, it would seem that this is not the end of the story and a revised application has now been submitted.  Details are available via the planning portal on the Luton Borogh Council website and searching reference 14/00015/OUT.

Chiltern Green, New Mill End & Hyde

This afternoon brought wind, rain and even a little thunder but the morning had been pleasant and sunny; Richard and I took the opportunity to visit some of the quieter areas of our ward in the parish of Hyde.

It was good to say 'hello' to people and have the time to stop and talk about local issues.  It is more relaxed than during an election campaign and, in practical terms, a stronger opportunity to come away with action points that you can perhaps take practical action to help people with, whether that means prompt action required (fly-tipping) or perhaps an awareness of medium term plans which might benefit the area in future (such as flood alleviation).

Going past the former Holy Trinity Church brought back memories of occasional services attended there some years ago before its closure as a C.of.E church.  The building has now become St Charalambos Greek Orthodox Church; it is good to know that the building is once again in regular use as a place of worship.

Kensworth School

I was pleased to spend an hour today with Mrs Kentish and her team at Kensworth Lower School.  They are justifiably proud of their school and their contribution to the village.

The school has been present in Kensworth since 1853, and the latest chapter in their story is the change from Lower School to Primary School which will be implemented from September 2014 (year 5) and then fully operational (year 6 also) from September 2015.  I wish them every success in their new stage of life and plan to keep in touch with them in the future.

The children themselves deserve a special mention, being happy and polite in equal measure when greeting a visitor.  They are a credit to the school, and a positive endorsement of the educational experience available in Kensworth.

Slip End traffic & parking consultation

Slip End Parish Council have done a lot of work in recent times looking at traffic problems in the parish and discussing with the Police and Central Bedfordshire Highways what practical steps might be taken to alleviate the problem.  I was frustrated (but not particularly surprised) to hear from a traffic officer that speed survey results from Slip End were amongst the worst in the county.

There was a public exhibition and consultation earlier this month (see Cllr Stay's blog piece) at which Slip End residents were invited to view the displays and comment upon possible solutions; as is the way of the world, each solution carries a financial cost.

Tonight saw an extraordinary meeting of the Parish Council which featured a report back on the summarised replies.  Some proposals had clear support from residents whereas others divided opinion.  The ultimate decision as to which parts of the scheme to take forward fell to the councillors to decide, but they were able to discuss each area and then cast their votes based on a fair assessment of residents' wishes.

Credit is also due to my predecessor, Cllr Ruth Gammons, in helping to secure grant funding to bolster the action fund. There is still some way to go in delivering a comprehensive solution but, with firm plans in place, the agreed scheme is a realistic goal and one which Richard and I will support wherever possible.