COUNCILLORS MIKE BRYAN and JOHN DENNIS have launched a petition to enlist the support of local residents in opposing attempts to “close the gap” between Hull and South West Holderness as part of the East Riding Local Plan.
The two Ward Councillors, both Conservatives, along with their Independent colleague Councillor Ann Suggit recently issued a joint statement responding to the draft Local Plan, that opposes any moves to build on the Hedon Haven land (referred to as HAV2 in the Local Plan) or on land opposite Saltend (SEND2 and SEND3). The statement from the Councillors, says that these sites: “if accepted for inclusion in the Local Plan, would completely erode the green space between the eastern edge of the city of Hull, and the ancient market town of Hedon.”
Such developments they say would also increase the risks of flooding in the wider South Holderness area.
The Petition calls upon residents across South West Holderness to support the position adopted by the Ward Councillors, Hedon Town Council and the local Parish Councils.
Entitled Protect our communities from Hull’s Urban Sprawl and increased flood risk, it reads:
WE THE UNDERSIGNED being residents of South West Holderness, urge Forward Planning Officers at East Riding of Yorkshire Council to heed the representations made by our Ward Members and local Town and Parish Councils, and recommend for rejection those sites situated at each side of the A1033 between Hedon and Saltend, submitted for inclusion in the Local Plan.
The petition will be available to sign at the Conservative Councillors Street Surgery, and an online version is also available.
You can download a copy of the petition to print out and get others to sign;
or you can support the online petition yourself.
Printed copies of the petition need to be returned to the Councillors by Friday 26th April 2013.
Hallo Anna.
It’s refreshing to have a new voice on the Hedon Blog, I can’t recall seeing entries from you previously (certainly not in recent times) but taking account of the fact that you have submitted 9 out of the last 15 comments on here (3 of the other 6 were from Ray) I suspect we may be hearing much more from you in the future. And good luck to you in that.
I just read with interest your entry of April 28th at 9.45 am (see below), and thought I’d put you right on a couple of points.
Firstly Hedon is not and has never been a village. Just Google Hedon to find out the facts.
Secondly, again just so you have the facts, regarding my professional life, and the part I may have played in Hedon’s development. My firm is a small. family based local estate agency which, over the past 30+ years years has employed many Hedon people and which has been involved in a very small percentage of new developments, mainly by local builders constructing small developments, in turn providing employment for local tradesmen.
The developers that have contributed on a much larger scale to Hedon’s growth into a satellite town, and by doing so have put the town’s surface water drainage system under extreme pressure are the major local companies, and the nationals who have constructed the big housing estates on Hedon’s perimeter. For the record, such companies have their own on-site selling operations, and firms like mine do not get to be involved at all.
So, to claim that I ‘started the train’ is pure rubbish. I’ve extracted a few of your own words from the other blog-post upon which you have been commenting.
These are your words Anna – .
“I just take issue when people…. show their immaturity by making naive assumptions about me and backing them up with ill-judged and ill-mannered comments”.
I suggest you take your own advice before making niaive and unfounded accusations.
And I think that many bloggers will agree that I have taken the responsibility of trying to stop the runaway train, even though I didn’t start it!!
Much respect to you Mr Dennis for your forthright response. Blunt honesty is just what we need and good information as opposed to mis-information is a must. Like I said, in a democracy the views of the people must be heard and I fully support the idea of a petition and if the voice of the people of Hedon is a no then no it should be.
I consider myself “owned” as my grand-children would say as far as my comments you have extracted are concerned, I think in my day it was called fair play to you. I do believe that the electorate has a responsibility to be a critical friend to its elected representatives and as you have predicted you will be hearing much more from me in the future. I think the friendly way of putting it is called keeping you on your toes and an element of devil’s advocacy was at play here.
I look forward to the inevitable exchanges we will have in the future and hope they will be taken in the spirit they are intended – for the good of Hedon and its people.
Very fair response Anna. I appreciate that.
I think that’s fifteen – love! A good start to the week..
Next rally please.
JD
How ironic that a man who’s professional life as an estate agent contributed directly to transforming Hedon from a small, rural village to a satellite commuter town should now oppose development. You started the train Mr Dennis, you have to take some responsibility if it becomes a runaway!
We also need to acknowledge the fact that Hedon itself has “sprawled” towards Hull in the past quarter of a century.
Mrs McCarthy. You make a number of valid points.. The wild-life issue has certainly been brought to the Planners’ attention, during the representations we made as Ward Members, and by Hedon Town Council Planning Committee. The local authority have to consider all such things and will be consulting with relevant bodies about them in any case.(English Nature, Yorkshire Wildlife etc) It’s all part of this very long and involved process which has gone on for years already!
John Dennis
Cllr. E.R.Y.C.
Ward Member for S.W.Holderness
Chair of Planning Hedon Town Council
On such important matters the people must have their say if we want to call ourselves a democracy and a petition gives the people of Hedon a voice. I don’t necessarily agree with those people opposed to the proposed development but if the collective voice of the people of Hedon is a resounding no then so it should be.
Mrs McCarthy,
You make a very good point. I find your comment really interesting.
I query whether anyone has taken stock of the wild life on that piece of land and whether any is/are protected species such as the newts in the pond and the snakes that inhabit the area; also do the moorhens still swim in the ditch behind Princes Avenue and are they protected. In 2010 the European Commission published a list which is available on this website – it can be seen they work with other protection bodies such as English Heritage etc. :-
http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/regulation/wildlife/species/europeanprotectedspecies.aspx
Most of the land north of the Humber is a flood plain and as the Hull Authority has a very bad record of flood protection (infilling dykes and ditches, etc.) it has to be queried whether any tenants or owners on that piece of land would be able to insure their properties and if not – would the properties be sold or let?
Rena McCarthy (nee Crum)
Surely this is where the “localism bill” comes into its own? No landowner can ride roughshod over the wishes of the locals.
From Bulmer’s Directory 1892:
Wapentake of Holderness (Middle Division) – County Council Electoral Division of Hedon – Petty Sessional Division of Middle Holderness – Poor Law Union of Sculcoates – County Court District of Hedon – Rural Deanery of Hedon – Archdeaconry of the East Riding – Diocese of York.
This parish includes the townships of Preston and Lelley. The former contains 6,032 acres of land, and had, in 1891, 948 inhabitants. For rating purposes it is valued at £9,531. The soil is warp, clay, marl, and gravel, and the subsoil clay. The chief crops are wheat, beans, oats, and seeds.
The Racecourse of the East Riding Racing Company is situated in this parish, on the road from Hedon to Hull. It covers about 240 acres, and races are held three times a year. The first meeting was held in July, 1888
ALL YOU HEDON LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT ARE GIVEN ADVERTISING ON THIS BLOG OUGHT TO SPONSOR THE SITE IT WILL HELP TO KEEP IT GOING AND ITS VERY REASONABLE – MESSAGE RAY –
Fully agree with that sentiment Jackie, and I, for one, have provided sponsorship to Ray’s Blogs for a while now, by taking an advert for my Santander Agency.. I fully support the idea of ‘bloggery’, Keep up the good work Ray.
John Dennis.
Hi Ray, can I remind residents that the deadline for signing up to the petition is this weekend. It can be done online, just click the blue link in the article above, or pop into my office to sign the paper based one.
We’ve had a great response, but obviously the more the merrier!
John Dennis,
Cllr. E.R.Y.C.
Ward Member S.W.Holderness
Chair of Planning, Hedon Town Council
For far to long the separatist attitudes of Hull and the East Riding have held the area back. This year, and we are only just four months in, we have had positive moves coming from Guildhall. The push for City of Culture Status, the drive to obtain HMS illustrious, positive moves to build a cultural hotspot with museums and galleries at its centre in the old fruit market area to name but a few. The drive to establish the area as a Green Energy Hub continues. These are exciting times. Do we really want to stand in the way?
Hedon an the surrounding area will never be a Sutton. Sutton after all has been surrounded on all four sides. I believe Hedon will always retain green space to its east. Do we want to stand in the way of progression? We shouldn’t and we should grasp this chance for the whole area.
We need to stop thinking of Hull as being them and the East Riding being a separate area all together. Many do and that’s wrong. To achieve what this area needs, which is job prosperity, economic drive and an improvement in aspiration we all have to give a little and that includes South West Holderness. The area is a nice place to live but is that solely for its current residents? The area has always had to welcome new people into its communities. Every local village has from Paull and Ferryman Park to Hedon and Leaf Sail Farm the area has grown. I do believe that the infrastructure has to be improved. Schools and Doctors surgery’s have to be included as they have in the Kingswood development. The road situation in the area is crying out for a park and ride into the City of Hull. Careful drainage planning is needed to avoid flooding problems. This can be done. It is not impossible.
The need for industrial land, large and small, close to the docks is the first thing the area will have to deal with. Like it or not we have to grasp this opportunity. In my opinion we should be willing this Greenport development to get off the ground. To stand in the way is effectively accepting the status quo of high unemployment, social depravation, low aspiration and a slide in living standards and social activities.
The needs of the area should be addressed with combined thinking from Hull City Council, East Riding Council and the local councils. But I do not see that. I see resentment, suspicion and infighting. This includes the cross Humber co-operation. The quote ” fighting like rats in a sack” has been used recently. This is NOT good enough.
The area needs to pull in the same direction and not withdraw into what it knows best which is reject and stand in the way of progression and development.
I for one will not sign a petition which accepts that the current situation in which we live is ok. Because its not.
You make a lot of sense James.
Thanks for running this Ray, and as you could see at the street surgery this morning local residents were showing lots of interest in the petition, and signing up to it in large numbers.
Can I ask your bloggers to forward this page to all their friends and relations for them to read, and, hopefully, sign it.
Also, bloggers, why not print off a couple of copies and take them down the pub, or round the neighbours
The more support we can generate, the more likelihood there is of ERYC planners rejecting these very worrying proposals.
I managed to persuade the powers that be to grant us an extension of time to run this petition, so any sheets can come back to me or Mike Bryan, but by Friday 26th April at the latest.
Your help is greatly appreciated. We don’t relish the thought of being just another suburb of Hull, like Sutton!
John Dennis