Latest from CPRE Derbyshire

27 April 2010
- extract from report to CPRE East Midlands Regional Group

Activity
The Branch Development Officer also arranged three successful ‘Litter Picks' in line with the ‘Stop the Drop' campaign which attracted useful publicity but sadly did not provide any new members.

Planning
a) One of Derbyshire's districts (Erewash) is included in the Nottingham Housing Area and we have submitted our comments on the Aligned Core Strategies.
b) Most Districts are now producing their ‘Issues and Options' consultation documents although we still have no-one to cover the Derbyshire Dales and Amber Valley.
c) Elvaston Castle - We had a very useful meeting with the developer on site and were reassured that their proposal is probably the best outcome that is going to be practicable. The Parish Council is also in favour although there is a very virulent protest group which is largely driven by one person. A planning Application is expected in the autumn.
d) Toton Sidings - National Rail have sold a substantial area of land on either side of the tracks at Toton with the land on the West side being in Derbyshire. The land in Broxtowe has been designated for development at a later date as an Urban Extension and the land between Toton and Stapleford, including Toton Sidings has been identified as having the potential for over 1,000 houses. However, prior to this, the developer has felled a large area of trees which it is believed is so that they can recover clinker from the site, although they did not clear the designated Local Wildlife Site on the Derbyshire side. The Forestry Commission has now ruled that the felling was illegal and ordered the developer to replant.

AGM
The Branch AGM will be held at the Lion Hotel, Belper, on the 5th May at 7 pm. It will be followed by a talk by a local historian, Danny Wells, on ‘The English and Gardening - a social history of an English obsession'. A Branch News Letter was circulated to members with the Annual Report.

Local Transport Plan
During consultation for LTP3, the public were asked to rate the items listed... it came out rather differently to the Council's priorities. Economic development was well down the list compared to environment and wellbeing!

Edited by Fiona Cowan
5 May 2010