Flood alleviation

Residents will be aware that the flood alleviation schemes to protect the urban areas around Nottingham and West Bridgford areas being undertaken by the Environment Agency will result in an increased flood risk for upstream and downstream villages, including BJ. The Environment Agency has undertaken to mitigate any additional risk caused by their work. They are currently still undertaking measurements of individual houses in the village and we hear they are seeking funding for the alleviation work. There is a list of measurements of individual houses undertaken already on our County Councillors’ website (www.carltoneastlabour.org). It’s not the most helpful information we’ve ever seen. If you can make sense of it – award yourself a prize; if not, you could try contacting the Environment Agency to see what it means for your house. But don’t hold your breath for a reply. We are still waiting for a reply to inquiries made in March despite several reminders!

Bulcote Farm: Planning application

Nottinghamshire County Council’s Planning and Licensing Committee has decided that Tarmac must resubmit its planning application by the end of August. If the application is resubmitted as requested, the public will be given only 4 weeks to examine the application and submit representations, so keep watching this site, BJRA’s folder in the library or the notice board at the Old School for information. For more information see the Bulcote Farm section on this site.

Another Minerals Plan

Even before the latest Minerals Plan was adopted by Nottinghamshire County Council in December 2005, work had started on yet another Minerals Plan. This time it combines the County’s Waste and Minerals Plans. To confuse us, it is not called a Plan now. Instead it is called “Nottinghamshire Minerals and Waste Development Framework." The first stage of the Framework is the creation of a “Statement of Community Involvement”. This began in February 2005, apparently, although we knew nothing about it until a chance observation in October 2005. Neither did Bulcote Conservation Trust or Gunthorpe Environmental and Flood Alleviation Group. This lack of communication with three community groups that had been continually in contact with the Environment Department since 2002 did not give us much confidence in the County Council’s ability to “consult the community”. BJRA has now made sure that our name is on the list of community groups being consulted and has responded to the second consultation document that emerged in November 2005. The third public consultation document is entitled “Statement of Community Involvement – Submission Draft, May 2006”. This is an important document as it sets out the terms on which the public will be consulted on Minerals and Waste Plans and planning applications for minerals extraction, waste disposal, schools, roads and other matters in the hands of the County Council in the future. The consultation document is now in the library. Anyone can submit comments on the document and suggest changes. BJRA will be submitting comments and welcomes views of members on the document by 21 July. (To Julie, please) The closing date for comments is 28 July 2006.

Other Useful Websites

• www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk - Nottinghamshire County Council

• www.gedling.gov.uk - Gedling Borough Council

• www.carltoneastlabour.org - Our County Councillors - John Clarke and James O'Riordan

• www.vernon-coaker-mp.co.uk - Our Member of Parliament - Vernon Coaker

Sand and Gravel Mining

Sand and gravel has been extracted from the Trent Valley for a very long time but most of the extraction has taken place in the past fifty years. Gravel extraction areas used to be restored for agricultural use but as the extent of extraction has increased and the availability of suitable filling materials failed to keep pace, extraction areas in the Trent Valley are now “restored to water”. “Restored” is a euphemism for meaning left to fill up with water – a much cheaper option for the extraction company than importing filling material. This means that the Trent Valley is now like a gorgonzola cheese – full of holes, but filled with water.

Yet more gravel extraction is sometimes promoted with the argument that afterwards, there will be enhanced opportunities for water activities, nature conservation areas and promises of public access. The reality is often very different. Very few of the water areas between Nottingham and Newark created as a result of gravel extraction in the past are available to the public. Just Colwick lakes and Netherfield ponds are accessible, all the rest are private. Some areas of water have been well restored and are well looked after as private fishing lakes, boating lakes or areas for nature conservation. Some have just been left to decay or recover on their own.

Today, after gravel extraction, the companies are supposed to restore the site as agreed as part of the planning permission granted. But can we rely on these companies to honour such agreements?

Gunthorpe Lakes is an example of a neglected site. Extraction was finished here in 1978, since then no restoration has taken place. The responsibility for restoration has now passed to the landowner, Severn Trent Water, and although the County Council had made orders requiring action to be taken to restore the area by certain dates, nothing has happened.

Some people like the lakes the way they are – nature taking over, doing its own thing. Others think it is a mess. There are, we understand, issues about the increased flood risk posed by the way the site has been left – which do need to be sorted out.

I must say that I like the lakes, except the biggest one at the bottom near the river. Wildlife people tell me that the steep sides prevent it from being useful for much wildlife, fisherman tell me that it has the biggest fish. Personally I find it very unattractive, it usually looks gloomy and I always call it the “big ugly pond at the bottom”. I hardly ever see any birds on it so I assume they feel the same about it as I do.

If more sand and gravel extraction is eventually permitted on the riverside, we shall not be left with delightful ponds like the existing smaller ones. Instead there will be two or three vast areas of water that will cover the whole area. Haven’t we got enough of those in the Trent Valley already?

Here’s some examples of past extraction area in the county to see what we could end up with.

Hoveringham Sixty years on?

Public access? A friendly welcome?

Rempstone

Bleasby Bleasby - open water

Cromwell Forty years on - restored or not – who can say?

Our Riverside

We have a beautiful riverside area which the locals know well. The landowner, Severn Trent Water, estimates that 50,000 people visit their Stoke Estate each year. Anglers, bird watchers, nature lovers, walkers, joggers, horse-riders, cyclists, dog-walkers, wheel-chair users – on your own or with a group - there’s something for everyone.

Which do you like best?

The River Trent

Loved by anglers, swimming dogs, canal barges, motor boats, gulls, swans and a multitude of geese, ducks and other birds.

The lakes

Designated as a Site of Interest to Nature Conservation because of its wide variety of overwintering birds, surrounded by willows, loved by quiet anglers, and perfect for spotting a wide variety of dragonflies, damselflies and carpets of blue coenagrion.

The dykes

Providing homes for water-voles, moorhens, mallard – with occasional visits from kingfishers and herons when the fish are plentiful.

The trees and hedgerows

Dominated by hawthorn and ash but with dozens of varieties of trees and bushes. A delight in May when the hawthorn blossom is at its best, or in the autumn when crab apples, hops, blackberries, elderberries, hawthorn, sloes, guelder rose berries all vie for your attention.

The fields

Ever-changing through the seasons. The corn is a great favourite as it grows rapidly from a small shoot to become big, strong and “as high as an elephant’s eye”.

The footpaths

The delightful sheltered ancient track known to some as Trent Lane, to others as Green Lane, with its wide variety of trees and hedges. The cross-field track from the car park down to the lakes and the river with its exceptional hedgerows and creaking willows popular with the local hedge birds.

Open vistas round the Burton Meadows loop - braving the winds on some days, welcoming the relief from the heat on others, with a fine view of Shelford and its church and another Site of Interest to Nature Conservation on the unspoiled river edges and typical riverbank flowers. One of the many permissive paths. The full monty - the big hike from Stoke Bardolph Lock along the river edge all the way to Gunthorpe Lock, and beyond, if you want to go further. Others may describe this walk as from the Ferry Boat Inn (Stoke Bardolph) via the Lord Nelson (Burton Joyce) to the Anchor or Unicorn (Gunthorpe).

Nottinghamshire Minerals Local Plan

In December 2005, Nottinghamshire County Council adopted the Replacement Nottinghamshire Minerals Local Plan. This Plan sets out the county's policy on extracting minerals to meet national and regional targets. It also identifies areas where different kinds of extraction will take place.

The "Gunthorpe" allocation shown on the map is mainly in Burton Joyce and Bulcote. This area has been allocated for the extraction of sand and gravel. The landowner - Severn Trent Water - proposed this site, which was supported and promoted throughout the Plan processes by Tarmac and Nottinghamshire County Council.

From July 2002 and December 2005, Burton Joyce Residents' Association fought a long, hard battle in co-operation with Bulcote Residents' Action Group (now Bulcote Conservation Trust) and Gunthorpe Environmental and Flood Alleviation Group to prevent this allocation being made. Our opposition was shared by more than eight hundred other objectors including:

• Our local MPs Vernon Coaker and Paddy Tipping
• Gedling Borough Council,
• Gunthorpe, Lowdham, Bulcote and Burton Joyce Parish Councils
• Burton Joyce Preservation Society
• Burton Joyce Local History Society
• Campaign to Protect Rural England
• Ramblers Association
• Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust

Plus over 800 individuals local residents who will be directly affected on a day-to-day basis and concerned visitors from other parts of the county or further afield.

We put forward our view that this site is not suitable for sand and gravel extraction because:

Risk of subsidence and ground slip as a result of extraction dewatering

There is already a history of subsidence and ground slip in the area which can only be made worse by open-cast mining if millions of gallons of water are drawn down from the adjacent steep banks and the surrounding area to the quarry to enable dry extraction of sand and gravel. This is likely to affect homes on the flood plain and on the adjoining clay bank in Bulcote, Burton Joyce and part of Lowdham.Dewatering is particularly likely to affect the Bulcote Conservation Area, where there are 27 listed buildings. The whole setting of the Conservation Area will be also harmed by an open-cast mine on two sides of the Area.

Flooding

There is a history of flooding in the area, most recently in 2000, which will be made worse. This primarily concerns Gunthorpe at present but could extend to Bulcote and Burton Joyce if Burton Meadows, near the river and in the active floodplain, is mined.

Water pollution

A major water pumping station, situated between Burton Joyce and Bulcote, serves the water needs of a large part of Nottinghamshire. There is a potential risk to these water supplies in view of the history of the site for sewage disposal for over a hundred years.

Loss of an extensively used leisure amenity area

An estimated 50,000 visitors a year come to walk, ride, fish, cycle, bird-watch and enjoy the tranquillity of the area. This amenity will be destroyed. The proposed site is also in the Green Belt and part of the Greenwood Community Forest, and as such should be protected from destruction.

Change in landscape

The current attractive and diverse landscape with its dykes, ponds, tree-lined lanes, and agricultural fields with wild-life encouraging edges would be destroyed and replaced by a flat landscape consisting of large masses of water.

Loss of wildlife

The wonderful variety of wildlife on the site would be obliterated. In particular, there is a thriving water vole population, described by a local water vole observer, as the best in the Trent Valley. Their habitat, which is protected by law, would be destroyed. In exchange, we would get an enormous increase in the numbers of Canada geese attracted by large new water masses, which will cause nuisance to nearby farmers. Other matters that concern us are:

There are many alternative sites

Many other sites were considered by Nottinghamshire County Council in preparing this Plan. None of the others has the potential to impact adversely on such a large population, their homes and their daily lives. There was, therefore, no need to allocate this particular site as plenty of alternatives were available.

Government planning policy guidances were ignored

The government issues a wide range of planning policy guidances which local authorities must follow but Nottinghamshire County Council chose to ignore many of these requirements including the need to explore fundamental issues such as ground stability, water pollution, flooding and impact on conservation areas before allocating a specific site in the Plan.

Misleading reports were made to Councillors

Reports prepared by the Environment Department to inform County Councillors at various times when they had to vote on the Plan were inaccurate and misleading. None of the reports advised the Councillors of the complexity of the issues relating to the site and the particular dangers posed to local residents and their homes.

Our County Councillors were banned from voting in crucial votes

The Council's Monitoring Officer advised Burton Joyce's two County Councillors that they should not be present at Council Meetings, take any part in discussions or vote on Minerals Plan issues because she judged them to have personal and prejudicial interests. Legal advisers we have consulted say that this advice was wrong. As a consequence of acting on the Monitoring Officer's advice, our two Councillors have not been able to participate in important Council meetings when the Minerals Plan was on the Agenda. Particular concern focused on the Council Meeting in June 2005 when a proposal to delete the Gunthorpe allocation from the Plan was lost by 2 votes.

Future action:

The Replacement Nottinghamshire Minerals Local Plan was adopted by Nottinghamshire County Council in December 2005 but this is not the end of the matter. We believe that Nottinghamshire County Council was wrong to include the Gunthorpe allocation in the Minerals Plan without adhering to proper procedures and government guidelines. In October 2006 we made a complaint about Nottinghamshire County Council's maladministration to the Local Government Ombudsman.

Bulcote Farm

Above: Tarmac’s planning application site - click for large version

Left: The planning application – the public are given four weeks to make their comments or objections.

In July 2002, Tarmac Central Ltd submitted a planning application to extract sand and gravel and to establish a sewage composting plant on the site shown in orange on the map. Since that time, Burton Joyce Residents' Association has worked in co-operation with Bulcote Residents’ Action Group (now Bulcote Conservation Trust) and Gunthorpe Environmental and Flood Alleviation Group to oppose this application for all the reasons given in the page on the Nottinghamshire Minerals Local Plan on this site. Following hundreds of objections to the application and issues raised by local organisations and residents, Nottinghamshire County Council wrote to the applicant in April 2003 setting out a range of issues that they must resolve before pursuing their application further. The applicant was asked to resubmit the application when all the issues have been resolved. So far the re-submission has not been made.

Throughout this time, the Environment Department has made occasional reports to Nottinghamshire County Council’s Planning and Licensing Committee. Reports always suggested that the applicant was on the verge of completing his explorations and was about the resubmit the application. At no time was this true. The reports never revealed the complexity of the problems relating to the site to Committee Members.

At its meeting in June 2006, the Planning and Licensing Committee unanimously approved a proposal that the applicant be directed to resubmit the application by 31 August 2006 – or the application will be determined on the data submitted in July 2002.

On 7 September 2006, Tarmac withdrew this application stating that they wished to review the proposed development with a view to resubmitting an application in the future.

Contact Us

For information about the Burton Joyce Residents’ Association contact:

Chair: David Prime Tel: 0115 911 8853

Secretary: Julie O'Neill Tel: 0115 931 2864

Or e-mail us at: info _@_ bjra_dot_org_dot_uk

Or please leave a comment below.