Response from Mrs Lyn Prescott, Lower Holker Parish Council
1. Mrs Lyn Prescott, Lower Holker Parish Council : 14 Oct 2012 13:53:00
Please add your response below: (Limit 3000 words)
Matter 15 – Flookburgh/Cark
Lower Holker Parish Council have considered the responses from South Lakeland District Council and would respond as follows:
To the Question
“15.4 Is third party land needed to access the land east of Winder Lane (R321M)? Is this site deliverable?
15.4.1 The County Council, in their representations, have expressed concern that there may be a strip of third party land that could prevent the development of this site (see Consultation Statement Appendices (SLA06) Flookburgh and Cark Appendix 8 page 5).
15.4.2 The site is made up of several gardens and all landowners have collectively confirmed the availability of their land and the fact that they believe the site has “good access” through a single agent. The Council have contacted the agent who has now checked with his clients and owners of adjacent land and has confirmed that there is no third party land that would prevent the development of the site.”
Lower Holker Parish Council have local knowledge on the matter and do not consider that 15.4.2 is correct as all the landowners are not now in agreement with the development of this site.
To the Question
"15.3 If there is a need to identify additional land, are there alternative sites which are appropriate and deliverable? Have they been subject to appropriate Sustainability Appraisal and Appropriate Assessment compatible with that for the DPD, and to public consultation?
15.3.1 It is considered there is no need to identify any additional land. As evidenced in response to matter 1.6, it is considered that the proposed allocations are the most appropriate, deliverable sites and there are no alternative sites considered more appropriate or deliverable."
A number of alternative deliverable sites were put forward and Lower Holker Parish Council held 3 Public meetings on 8 February 2011 (97 members of public attended), 22 February 2011 and 24 August 2011 (36 members of the public attended). The views from these meetings were collated by the Parish Council and presented to South Lakeland District Council (Lower Holker Parish Council Letters to South Lakeland District Council of 10 March 2011 and 2 September 2011).
South Lakeland District Council did not consider any of the alternative sites suggested suitable but chose R321M (for which there was a majority opposition at the Public Meetings) and sites R685 and R687 where there were concerns regarding safe access and the need for a footbridge over the railway to be put in place before either of these sites be developed.
In the final document, the views presented by the Parish Council on behalf of all the attendees at the public meetings were weighted the same as a single letter from a single correspondent. The Parish Council do not consider that there was sufficient recognition of the findings of the public consultation undertaken by the Parish Council.
