22 May 2023
Tithe Farm no stopping zone and another housing development.
Planning is one of the four main committees on the Town Council, which all other sub-committees and working groups all report back to. The Labour group with just 4 councillors (out of 14 on the Town Council) secured the chair of this committee and has two people on it, Cllr Emma Billington and Cllr Chris Slough (chair).
The CBC consult the Town Council on planning applications for the town and these are discussed by this committee. We are sometimes able to draw attention to problems or unforeseen consequences with applications, often based on local knowledge not available to the CBC. Occasionally we offer an objection to a proposal which influences its implementation.
On Monday 22, CBC asked us to give our view on a proposed no-stopping zone outside Tithe Farm Primary School. We had no hesitation in unanimously supporting this on the grounds of safety. The Headteacher, staff and governing body have campaigned for this measure for many years, and we can only say in response to the CBC - “about time”.
The housing development of 202 residential units in Linmere was a “Reserved Matter”. This means that outline planning permission has already been given but without the details now being considered which include accessibility, appearance, landscaping, layout and scale.
The agenda for council meetings can always be found on the HRTC website (www.houghtonregis.org.uk/council-meetings). It usefully includes links to the documents about each item of planning held by CBC. At some point soon after the meeting a recording is put on this website, and of course members of the public can join the meeting on line using a link on the agenda, or even turn up at the council offices where you will be most welcome.