Dear All

Welcome to the third email newsletter from Babergh aimed at keeping local stakeholders, especially parish councils, up-to-date about the future of the former HMS Ganges site.

Babergh reiterates its guiding principles

Towards the end of last year, Babergh received a number of correspondences from Haylink . On 8 th February, Richard Watson, Babergh's Chief Planning Control Officer, replied in detail to the company. In his letter, Richard made it clear that Babergh expected Haylink to fully and properly consult with all stakeholders and to ensure that the pace at which Haylink drives forward their developments would take into account the needs of the local communities to digest information and so be able to respond in a considered manner.

In addition, the letter makes clear that the starting point for discussions must be the Secretary of State's letter of 27 th July 2006 and accepts that any solution is likely to involve a significant residential element – unless an alternative non-residential use can be justified.

Haylink's proposals

Late last year, Haylink wrote to Babergh outlining three options for developing the HMS Ganges site – in addition to the currently dormant application for 404 retirement dwellings. Commercial confidentiality means that Babergh is unable to present any detailed information at this stage, but we are able to summarise these initial proposals as follows:

• Option 1: General residential development
• Option 2: Retirement only properties
• Option 3: Mixed community development

Babergh believes that Haylink also discussed each of these options with Shotley Parish Council and others during their meeting last year.

Babergh's observations

Richard Watson's letter of 8 th February makes a number of key points with reference to all three new options, namely;

• there appears to be a greater emphasis placed on sustainability ( ie housing densities) than previously, which is encouraging.
• Babergh has repeated its belief that the densities should not be less than 23 dwellings per hectare – and that this figure should be achieved not by increasing the number of dwellings but through finding suitable other uses for the remainder of the site
• the impact on the local road network remains a key issue – especially since estimates indicate a higher level of peak hour traffic than that arising from the refused development
• however, Government proposals (via Planning Policy Statement 3 on Housing) suggests that there may be need to be a reduction in aspirations for higher densities and that there be a lessening in the presumption for local authorities to renew existing applications. Both of these potential changes could have an impact on HMS Ganges.

What happens next?

The ball is now in Haylink's court as the company needs to digest and respond to the contents of Richard's letter. Babergh is particularly hopeful that they have taken on board his points about the need to engage with local stakeholders at a pace suitable to them.

Rgds

Paul Simon

Paul Simon ACIPR

Communications & PR Manager

t: 01473 826634

f: 01473 825742

m: 0776 4195331