Rossington Park Alarm - Hadfield's Very Own Cannabis Farm!

News reached yours truly last Friday from various local sources that there had been a major drugs sting down in the park - Rossington Park, that is! First wind that something was amiss came from local delivery people, who had noticed lots of police activity in the area. Fortunately it was my day off so I got out the old bike and had a nose on down. I found a solitary police car guarding the premises, as you can see from the photo below.

(For those of you who don't recognise the whereabouts of this particular tin shed, it's on the left as you enter the monstrosity known as Rossington Park, via the infuriatingly off-centre roundabout that unnecessarily impedes motorists. The road that leads into the park has been named in keeping with the wretchedness of the place as Graphite Way.)

Then followed an unsubstantiated rumour that nine Chinese men had been arrested for growing cannabis plants looking something like this:


Further 'news' claimed that people had been living in these sheds on a fairly permanent basis. Sleeping facilities, a T.V. set and various other home comforts were alleged to have been seen removed from the building during the bust, along with an entire lighting system.

I cannot substantiate these details but what I can say for certain is that the early rumour of a raid on a cannabis growing factory on Rossington Park has definitely proved to be true and has indeed now been confirmed as such on the Advertiser's website. They state however, that only two arrests have been made to date.

The photo below which I also took at the scene is quite interesting and mildly amusing. It suggests that CCTV is in operation 24 hours a day. So how come it failed to pick up footage of people entering and leaving the premises, along with the truckload of baggage and belongings that comes with permanent residence and the operation of a wholescale agribusiness?!

Dare I suggest that CCTV in this instance stands for Cannabis Cultivation Treatment Vacinity!

Notice when you read the Advertiser story that the Police were alerted to the incident as a result of "vital information from the community" and NOT from CCTV footage, which one suspects, does not exist.

People will have their own views as to the pros and cons of growing the cannabis weed but the real issue here is all about the dopes in planning who have never had any control over this sprawling mess known as Rossington Park and who continue to have no control. We have always argued that the site has been uncontrolled and unregulated from the start and continues to be.

From the beginnng S.C.C. were allowed to dump hundreds of concrete pods on the opposite bank of the river for the best part of two years without any planning permission and in the teeth of local opposition.

Then the supposed live-in workshops, (passed in planning on the basis that they would provide local jobs to reduce commuting) are now being marketed not as workshops but as Rossington Homes... a luxury riverside development.

A modern day scandal of monumental proportions if ever there was one, were it not for the fact that this is the free for all known as Rossington Park where anything goes, so long as HPBC gets a revenue from it!

When planning rules and regulation have been flouted from the start, when the voices of local people don't count for one jot, where monitoring procedures do not exist and when actual planning permissions are simply ignored or blatently flouted, is anyone really all that surprised that this can happen and go unnoticed for so long?

The only real surprise is that the incompetence of our planning officials has been tolerated for so long and that our councillors have simply turned a blind eye to what's going on here. Questions have to be asked and heads need to roll over this one.

Tintwistle and Hadfield Residents Association meet at the New Lamp, Bankbotton, Hadfield, the first Monday in every month at 8.00pm. As today(6th) is the first Monday in the month you are welcome to join us. This month will be an open forum without a structured Agenda so it will be an opportunity for anyone to come along and raise an issue. No doubt one or two of you may want to raise this particular story as a discussion item!

VICTORY OVER BROOKSIDE BUNGALOW PROPOSALS

A large but very sweet and delicious slice of humble pie was served up to yours truly at last night's planning meeting where proposals to build 20 two bedroom flats on Back Lambgates, the current site of a single bungalow (see picure above) were discussed.

In yesterdays post I was very downbeat about the prospects of the Development and Control Committee overturning Adrian Fisher's recommendation to give plans the green light. The prognosis was based on previous high profile cases of major developments in the area, most notably S.C.C. and the Rossington sheds, which had zero local support, indeed massive opposition but were rubber stamped by the Committee regardless.

What was particularly pleasing is that not only was it defeated but it was rejected unanimously, a decision which dovetailed neatly with the outcome of our own vote to object at this month's meeting. So what were the factors involved in this massive defeat inflicted on Adrian Fisher and his planning cohorts who supported the application and recommended its approval?

Without doubt the efforts of Jo Osborn and other local residents who objected in strength and further raised the profile of the campaign through numerous letters to the Press, was a significant, probably the most significant factor. It highlighted the fact that this ought not to be a simple straight forward rubber stamping job and that there were lots issues surrounding the case. Many of these were detailed in our own letter of objection, which can be read in the previous blog here but suffice to say that it gave the Committee food for thought and plenty of grounds on which to hang their concerns.

The other important ingredient was a hired brief in the name on Andrew Moorhouse who made good use of his three minutes to summarise the detailed objections. He noted that the plans flouted no less than three policies of the local plan and that the density of the flats worked out at a huge 160 dwellings per hectare, meaning that levels of amenity would be very low and asked why these residents should have less amenity than anyone else?

He also made the point well, which though obvious needed to be said, that the proposed structure had no local distinctiveness and showed no sympathy to the area. Indeed the whole question of design and sensitivity had been brutally ignored. In essence this was an urban structure in a semi-rural setting, inappropriate and out of character - echoes of Rossington Park - a point that Cllr. Kay went on to make, stating that it would be a scar on the landscape.

The area is actually within the boundary of Cllr. Kay's constituency and he was first to speak in the ensuing debate. During his comments it emerged that Committee members had earlier been on a perilous site visit which entailed a minibus journey along Back Lambgates. It revealed to them the truth that this was indeed a track and not a road, illustrating not only the poor vehicular access but also that it was well used by pedestrians.

He made further incisive points, particularly with regard to the alleged need for these type of affordable homes, noting that there were similar existing properties, currently unoccupied because local people want houses not flats. Also that there were two mills in Glossop full of available flats! After asserting the fact that there is a shortage of public space in Hadfield and that the loss of parkland would reduce that still further, he put forward a motion to reject the application.

A worried look came over Fisher's face and he visibly blanched. He was right to. For Chris Pearson (Chinley) picked up on the loss of amenity and open spaces, suggesting that any problems of anti-social behaviour should be dealt with in a positive way rather than simply taking away green spaces.

Whilst he thought it was the right kind of development, he shared the opinion that it was in the wrong place, speaking about fire hazards with regard to getting emergency vehicles down the unadopted track, along with a lack of parking for tradesmen and visitors. He added that the money would be better spent on brownfield sites and went on to second Cllr. Kay's motion to reject the application.

From this point onwards Fisher started to hedge his bets and was quickly back peddling. As Cllr. after Cllr. started to wade in with different reasons to overthrow the application...overbearing development, traffic safety, safe route to school, inadequate parking, should not fulfill quotas at any cost..etc he conceded that were some good grounds on which refusal could be hung.

Local Cllrs. Cynthia Mitchell and Bob Mc Keown also chipped in to good effect and by the end of the debate it was a question of, on which grounds to quash the application, rather than any doubt as to the outcome of the vote. In the end there were unanimous votes to turn it down due it being an overbearing development and an unacceptable loss of amenity.

Chris Pearson wanted to go further and add inadequate access but there was a fear that doing so might aid any appeal from Johnny Johnson who are now as popular as Dr Shipman in these parts.

In summary, an excellent, if unexpected outcome. The flannel of Fisher and the seeming inability to question or overrule anything that comes with his recommendation, has finally been overcome.

Hopefully the DCC committee have found their feet and their confidence. Let's hope this is the first defeat of many for Fisher and his ridiculous recommendations. That is the only thing that will stop the Planning Dept. supporting everything that comes their way regardless of its suitability for the area or local sensitivity.

KEEP HIGH PEAK GREEN

This is to let everyone know about a new group that has sprung up in the borough called Keep High Peak Green. They are a collection of campaigners and residents that have got together borough wide in order to fight "unnecessary development of Green places and spaces in the High Peak"and can be found here.

Whilst they are essentially trying to hold back greenbelt and greenfield developments they also point out that inappropriate usage of brownfield land can be of equal concern to residents of the borough and use the example of Rossington Park and S.C.C. Ltd at Bridge Mills, as a case in point:

"We have seen sites such as Rossington Park and Bridge Mills in Hadfield spring up, and although these were Brownfield sites, they are clear examples of types of development that are inappropriate and clearly not wanted by local people.

We are also opposed to the seemingly widespread policy of squeezing large housing developments into relatively small parcels of land. Such schemes are proliferating all over the Borough and need to be checked."

Their immediate priority is to encourage everyone to respond to the document 'Shaping The Future Of High Peak', which you can do in slightly different formats here or here . The deadline is this coming Friday 25th July, so please take a look and find time to respond.

I have mentioned the document in a previous blog, when it came up at an Area Forum which can be read here You can also link to the document using the blogroll at the right hand side of this blog. It isn't necessary to reply to every question or section - just fill in the questions you want to or the sections that you feel strongly about.

So why is this document so important? I will leave you with the words of Keep High Peak Green:

"The document is crucial as it will determine how High Peak decides to pursue development projects in future years. Those who love the unique character of the Borough need to respond to the consultation.

It needs to be made clear to the Authority that the designation of any more countryside, greenfield or garden sites for development in any future plan is unacceptable.

Furthermore, the Council should refuse to collude with any central or regional government objectives that cannot be achieved without violating this principle, irrespective of any financial carrots that are being dangled by central government to obtain its cooperation." Quite.

Letter from High Peak Borough Council re; Appeals by SCC Limited against Enforcement Notices

PLEASE CLICK ON IMAGE TO READ

SPOTTED A BLOT ON THE LANDSCAPE?

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CALL 08456 058 058

IF YOU'VE SPOTTED A BLOT ON OUR LANDSCAPE

The front page article of the most recent copy of Insight (Derbyshire County Council's own newspaper) encourages us to tackle 'green' crime by spotting blots on the landscape and reporting them. The article begins quite boldly by stating the plain fact that 'dumping rubbish is a crime.'

Quite right. So I'd like to report High Peak Borough Council and more specifically their 'Planning Department' for knowingly allowing hundreds of concrete pods to be dumped at Bridge Mills, Tintwistle, courtesy of SCC Ltd and allowing hideous tin sheds to be dumped on the opposite bank of the Etherow at Rossington Park

The article goes on to describe the effects of said rubbish : 'it looks horrible can damage our health and it costs a lot to clear it up' . Here, here. Consequently, DCC are prepared to go so far as to take finger-prints and DNA samples to track down the culprits.

Steady on. No need to go that far - we know who they are. Culprit No.1 is Adrian Fisher, Chief 'Planner' and Culprit No.2 is his sidekick and 'Regeneration Officer' his holiness the Dai Larner.

If anyone has pictures of these green criminals please send them and I will add them to the post. It should make it easier for those nice people at DCC to identify these environmental vandals, who face huge fines - up to £5,000 for individuals but up to £50,000 or 12 months in jail for businesses.

Come on Derbyshire County Council - bang them to rights and let's see some real justice. Justice for the hundreds of residents who fought HPBC and their rubbish tipping in this area, in the name of 'regeneration' and justice for the environment itself.

Remember this: DCC 'need your help to make it really work. We want you to report the crime' (haven't we already done that?!) twin blots on landscape

'So if you see someone dumping their rubbish...or...you've spotted a blot on our landscape that needs dealing with call us too'. 08456 058 058 is the magic number to call folks.

CLICK ON PHOTO BELOW TO SEE FULL SCREEN TECNICOLOUR GLORY

CALL 08456 058 058

IF YOU'VE SPOTTED A BLOT ON OUR LANDSCAPE