Stapleford letters and emails
Could you possibly pass on my huge thanks. I live in Stapleford and receive the Shelford & Stapleford electronic newsletters.
On Tuesday, 2nd January I went up to London to Moorfields Eye Hospital for a check up appointment following surgery in September’23. I spent all day at Moorfields before heading back to London Liverpool Street to catch the train back to Shelford. The weather was stormy and several trains were cancelled. I was nearly blown off my feet a couple of times walking from Moorfields.
I eventually got on a train to Shelford, only to find that it was terminating at Bishop Stortford due to flooding and debris on the lines. Unfortunately, Greater Anglian Trains weren’t able to give any guidance about what was happening or when our onward journey was likely to happen.
It was at this point that a kind gentleman called Nathan said that he was also going to Shelford and offered me a lift in the Uber taxi he was ordering. He wouldn’t hear of me contributing towards the costs and I was home by 7pm.
I really want to pass on my grateful thanks and gratitude to Nathan, he only moved to Shelford from London last September but travels to London for work.
I’m a widow and when my travel plans of getting from A to B go wrong, it throws me completely. It had been a long day, so I can’t tell you how appreciative I am of Nathan’s act of kindness on Tuesday evening. THANK YOU SO MUCH NATHAN.
Kind regards
Fiona
Posted Jan 23 2024
Emails and letters
From: The Shelfords and Stapleford Green Not Grey Group
Re: Proposed housing development on site off Mingle Lane Stapleford & Hinton Way, Great Shelford
Proposals have been published in the draft local plan, for a development of 100 houses on Green Belt land within Shelford/Stapleford. This proposal has been put forward by Greater Cambridge Shared Planning, which is sponsored by South Cambs District Council (SCDC). This matters to all residents of Shelford and Stapleford.
Prior to the publication of the draft plan, an initial call for sites resulted in house building proposals for virtually every single field around the villages. The land chosen in the draft local plan was previously assessed in the 2018 Local Plan, and dismissed as unsuitable for development.
The council has now reversed 2018’s decision, and is proposing construction of 100 homes on the site. This contradicts their own Greater Cambridge Green Belt Assessment Report, which comments that Green Belt:
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"prevents communities merging into one" and "prevents further coalescence of settlements" – the land sits directly on the border between Stapleford and Great Shelford parishes
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preserves "landscape that retains a strong rural character" – the development will concrete over 10 hectares of farmland and meadow.
The council itself refuses to commit to only 100 houses on the site. They have indicated they would prefer 300 homes, if additional road access can be obtained.
The land sits between the planned Busway and the villages, such that the proposed development will weaken the protection of this area and open it up for further extensive development. The resulting pressures on services and roads from hundreds of new homes will be considerable.
The ‘exceptional circumstance’ given by the council for this new proposal, is their assessment the biodiverse site will benefit from East-West rail and the Cambridge South Station; neither of which provide any direct advantage to the villages.
Given the councils willingness to reverse decisions made only recently, and ignore their own Green Belt assessment report, it is important that the community as a whole provides a strong voice to object to this sort of speculative and profit seeking development.
The formal consultation begins in November, but until then what can I do to register my objection? Contact:
SCDC Shelford/Stapleford Councillor Peter Fane: cllr.fane@scambs.gov.uk
SCDC Planning Lead Councillor Tumi Hawkins: cllr.hawkins@scambs.gov.uk
Shelford Parish Chair Malcolm Watson: malcolm.watson@greatshelfordparishcouncil.gov.uk
Stapleford Parish Chair Howard Kettle: hkettel@staplefordparishcouncil.gov.uk
Nick Hilliard, Great Shelford
If you are opposed to this planning precedent, there is a Facebook group where you can add your voice, as well as get access to important links, documents outlining issues with the plan, and a list councillors to contact.
Go to: https://www.facebook.com/groups/greennotgrey
Or email: sasgreennotgrey@gmail.com
Useful info: https://bit.ly/3Fr0oRc
Posted Oct 4 2021