St Osyth Community

APPLICATION BY PRIORY OWNERS TO CUT A NEW ROADWAY ACROSS THE BURY. Tuesday 23rd October 2007. This is the third application in recent times that my Parish Council has opposed, all of which concern ground known as The Bury. The application is referred to on your agenda as ‘Relocation of unsafe access’ a reference designed to appear as a public spirited action on the part of the owners to remove a hazard, when in fact the ‘unsafe access’ has not been used much in the past, and at this moment could not be used at all - because it is behind the illegal ‘fencing off’ of the Bury. No! This development description is a smoke screen to cover the desire on the part of the owners to cut a new roadway across the ancient Bury to meet features in their previously defeated applications to fence off the Bury. There is currently a perfectly good road access to the gatehouse, which has served for previous Queen’s of England to use. Why do we need a new road access? The dangerous one can be shut off and grassed over without any need at all for a further entrance! This is all part of the owners attempt to so alter the Bury that its open use by the Village of their public rights, enjoyed for hundreds of years, is prevented. In August 2006 the application to fence off the Bury was rejected by your Committee, with your Officers recommending approval. In May 2007 the application to fence off the Bury and erect gates for vehicles and pedestrians was rejected by your Committee, with your Officers recommending approval. In July 2007 the government Planning Inspector supported your rejection of the first application and dismissed the owners appeal. Now in October 2007 you are asked to consider this application, which officers recommend you to approve, but I urge you to reject. The question of whether Permitted Development Rights exist was investigated by our Enforcement officer who says: "the Priory does not enjoy Permitted Development Rights for erection of walls, fences, gates and other means of enclosure without the benefit of planning permission on the Bury." The Bury remains fenced off with posts connected by a wire! A five bared gate for vehicle use and a pedestrian gate were erected a couple of weeks after you refused to allow Gates to be erected! There is nothing at all to stop the owners blocking up the dangerous entrance. There is no need at all for a new roadway to be cut across our ancient Bury, whilst a satisfactory entrance and exit currently exists. Finally let me say: The Parish Council is consulted on applications affecting the village and invited to respond. Our role is purely to make comment hoping that what we say will be considered, but your officers seem mesmerised by the Priory owner’s applications, as they have supported all those affecting the Bury. Fortunately the Inspector did not agree with them! We must therefore rely on each of you, members of this committee to support my village and reject this unnecessary new road cutting across our ancient Bury. Do not be misled by reference to the words ‘Relocation of unsafe access’. This is much more about developing, what my Council would claim, is a new and unnecessary road. Thank you.