Comments on any other Core Strategy matter

Comment

Representation ID: 19109

Received: 11/01/2009

Respondent: Ewhurst Parish Council

Ewhurst Parish Councl can find nothing within the 'Core Strategy: Consultation on Strategic Directions' document to merit concern.

Comment

Representation ID: 19134

Received: 26/01/2009

Respondent: Councillor David Vereker

I would like to see a shorter, more concise document, not trying to be all things to all men and being more understandable to the man in the street.

Comment

Representation ID: 19218

Received: 28/01/2009

Respondent: Salehurst & Robertsbridge Parish Council

Support Option 2 - Service Centre.

Robertsbridge is part of the Civil parish of Salehurst & Robertsbridge.
the Parish Council prefers to concentrate any enhancement of recreation/play areas at 'The Clappers Recreation Ground' which is central to and only a short walk from the three settlement areas of our parish, which comprises the three separate settlemenst of Robertsbridge, Northbridge Street and Salehurst. We do not recognise the designation 'West Robertsbridge' !

Comment

Representation ID: 19295

Received: 30/01/2009

Respondent: Ian Dunlop

Rother is uniquely placed in having such a stunning AONB ,combined with urban areas that need much renovation and re-invention of themselves to raise living standards.This requires a twin strategy of rigorous protection of the AONB by restricting all housing to the absolute minimum, whilst focussing housing/retail/tourism development within the urban areas.Rother need to increase pressure on the government to have the AONB declared a National Park. This will resolve development issues and allow focus to be directed to the urban areas which are truly in need it.

Comment

Representation ID: 19352

Received: 29/01/2009

Respondent: Country Land and Business Association - CLA

A wide range of comments were received by us providing general views on preferred approaches to the LDF process.

Object

Representation ID: 19500

Received: 24/02/2009

Respondent: Southern Water

Southern Water is committed to meeting the demand for water and wastewater services arising from new development.

Southern Water needs information on the location, scale and timing of development, particularly relating to wastewater services. The sewerage system operates mainly by gravity and is therefore inflexible, and it is split into many discrete catchments. The location of development is therefore critical as it determines which drainage catchment will receive the waste.

Southern Water will plan the investment required to serve Rother when this information is published and anticipates strategic sites will be included in the Core Strategy document to facilitate its planning.

Support

Representation ID: 19518

Received: 30/01/2009

Respondent: Guestling Parish Council

Comment on Plan as a whole: Your planning for the future will hopefully result in change that enhance the District as a place to live.

Comment

Representation ID: 19584

Received: 27/02/2009

Respondent: Ticehurst Parish Council

MOBILE PHONE MASTS.
There is strong opposition within the parish towards the erection and use of Mobile Phone masts within the parish. We feel that there should be a district wide position adopted within Rother core strategy proposals toward the use of this unproven technology

Comment

Representation ID: 19621

Received: 02/03/2009

Respondent: Messrs. Chishick, Commotto and Terry

The document addresses most of the challenges to the district that can reasonably be foreseen over such a long period and proposes strategies that are generally first rate. The emphasis throughout the document on conserving the countryside and undeveloped coast, particularly the distinctive landscape and settlement pattern of the High Weald, is very welcome. We therefore have no hesitation in supporting the document as a whole. Most of our comments are aimed at filling what we perceive to be the few gaps in the Core Strategy, and seeking greater emphasis on certain issues. However, we do have serious criticisms to make of the structure of the document, and some of the jargon, and have doubts about the genuine involvement of local communities (these are covered in separate submissions).

Object

Representation ID: 19648

Received: 02/03/2009

Respondent: Messrs. Chishick, Commotto and Terry

The approach to retailing in the document is unconvincing, in that it is limited to providing floorspace. Retailing problems in areas like Rye are much more complex than just floorspace. More incisive research is needed.

Comment

Representation ID: 19726

Received: 02/03/2009

Respondent: Messrs. Chishick, Commotto and Terry

The document appears to have most of the ingredients, but the recipe is very confused. We are concerned that the document is over- structured, making it unnecessarily long and complicated. This will make it inaccessible to the majority of members of the public who are unable or unwilling to devote a considerable amount of time to the document. The division into scope, issues, aims and objectives often seems strained, and has encouraged padding. There is too much overlap between the Strategy Directions and Preferred Strategies (they should be merged).

The over-elaborate structure also breaks up and disperses the content across the many sections and sub-sections, resulting in some duplication and incoherence (and requiring the repetition of some of our comments). The division into Scope, Issues, Aims and Objectives often seemed unnecessary. In reading through the document, we found ourselves highlighting what we believed to be gaps in strategy in certain chapters, only to find that the issues had been addressed later in the document. It was confusing and difficult to get a rounded view of many strategies.
We are also concerned that the important safeguards on the implementation of certain strategies were rather diminished by being separated into overview, geographic and thematic chapters. If this document is to be developed, it needs consolidation and rationalisation of the document into a simpler, more intuitive structure, and greater use of cross-referencing, particularly between the geographic and thematic chapters.

Object

Representation ID: 19728

Received: 02/03/2009

Respondent: Messrs. Chishick, Commotto and Terry

Jargon
The accessibility of the document is also obstructed by the unnecessary jargon. Context, Vision, Spatial Strategy, Strategy Themes, Scope, Issues, Aims and Objectives are MBA-speak that turns off most normal people. On the other hand, phrases such as "place-shaping" masquerade as plain language but are so vague as to be meaningless.

Comment

Representation ID: 19729

Received: 02/03/2009

Respondent: Messrs. Chishick, Commotto and Terry

Partnership
The document talks of a partnership in place-shaping. However, it assumes that small local communities have the capacity and inclination to be effective partners. Yet, there is much evidence that local democracy and civic life is not in the best of health in many villages. There are exceptions, but problems are evident in most parishes in the large numbers of co-opted councillors, infrequent elections, a skewed demography, and low attendance at meetings. As recent White Papers make clear, central government sees an urgent the need to reinvigorate political and civic engagement. There is also the problem that most parishes do not feel connected to Rother in any meaningful way and that consultations do not generally work. Part of the process of constructing the LDF should therefore include a review of local political structures and processes. The District Council has a Corporate Plan, which sets out its contribution to achieving the Community Strategy. What about the other partners, particularly parish councils? Is the district council genuine about partnerships?

Comment

Representation ID: 19821

Received: 04/02/2009

Respondent: Crowhurst Society

Rother councillors need to look after the people in Rother and leave worrying about 'elsewhere' to those elected to do so. Reliance upon drivers linked to other agencies/quangos diminishes the importance of this document.

The whole purpose of this document is about local consultation yet throughout comments are pre-empted by the 'needs' of other plans.

Comment

Representation ID: 19836

Received: 04/02/2009

Respondent: Crowhurst Society

I think it is vital that Parish Councils are included in the consultees at all levels of the plan development. 40% of the RDC population lives in rural areas and it is to the Parish Council that they owe first allegiance.

Comment

Representation ID: 19965

Received: 17/01/2009

Respondent: Rye Art Gallery

There should be greater emphasis on culture in the plan.

Comment

Representation ID: 19984

Received: 29/01/2009

Respondent: SEERA

The Assembly is of the view that the Submission Core Strategy DPD is in general conformity with RPG9 (and alterations).

Comment

Representation ID: 19991

Received: 29/01/2009

Respondent: SEERA

As the Secretary of State's Proposed Changes to the draft South East Plan represent the penultimate stage in reviewing the RSS before the final version is issued we would recommend that specific policy references within the South East Plan are updated to align with the Proposed Changes document.

Support

Representation ID: 20044

Received: 26/01/2009

Respondent: Playden Parish Council

The consultative document is considered to be comprehensive and of high quality and the majority of its recommendations are felt to be desirable in general terms for the District.

Object

Representation ID: 20054

Received: 29/01/2009

Respondent: Laurence Keeley

Shop rents are too high for new or small businesses to start, often not big enough to store goods that people require. Capital should be made available to enlarge shops. Councils could have some shops for rent at low cost. Shops should not try to sell everything, planning permission should be sought for all differing items intended to be sold in a shop, a florist for example would sell plants etc., a baker would stick to bread and cakes. Larger stores and superstores should not try to sell everything.

Object

Representation ID: 20055

Received: 29/01/2009

Respondent: Laurence Keeley

The Council could support agriculture within the strategy framework.

Create small farms that one can enjoy and create employment. Instead of paying set aside or countryside stewardship, the money could be used to help create new local produce i.e., cheese, a smokery, cutting room for meat, bakery, local pies etc. Local milk, dairy and egg suppliers, free range poultry for egg and meats, fruit storage, freezers for storage, energy crops should be grown.

It would be better for 10 farmers to have 40 cows each, than to have one farmer with a few hundred. Animals would have better care and attention.

Comment

Representation ID: 20063

Received: 21/01/2009

Respondent: Mr PETER VENN

Missed opportunity in the way the consultation documentation has been written. Should be more accessible to the general public.

Comment

Representation ID: 20129

Received: 30/01/2009

Respondent: Highways Agency

The HA would like to be kept informed on the development of these documents and be given the opportunity to comment on them.

The HA would also like to reiterate that sustainable travel and SRN transport implications should be considered within the SHLAA, and it is expected that modelling work, associated with the HBLATS, will be used to inform the Site Allocations DPD.

The HA look forward to continuing to work with Rother in the development of their Core Strategy. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any concerns about the comments set out above.

Comment

Representation ID: 20326

Received: 04/02/2009

Respondent: Fletcher Theatre (of Rye) Group

There is need for a cultural input into the Strategy especially where a town like Rye is concerned.