Stoke Climsland New Homes
Destroying the Character of a Village?
What's the Hurry

Why is the affordable homes project management committee so keen? Being keen is a great attribute, but not at the expense of the local community?

I was given the distinct impression that this affordable homes proposal is being driven through like a bulldozer, anything that gets in its way will be pushed aside!

Why do I think this? Well, some of the members of the Stoke Climsland affordable homes committee, seemed very agitated at any queries raised on the project that questioned their current proposals. One of these was the issue of time. Two firms have tendered to carry out a postal survey of the whole Parish of Stoke Climsland, on the need for affordable housing.

Great, a good move to find out the opinions of all the local residents. However, to ensure the survey is of good standing and that it portrays an accurate picture, the questions in the survey need to be unbiased and worded correctly. The time scales given to the tendering firms to carry out the survey was quoted as being very tight – Why?

It was exclaimed ‘we are already behind schedule’ – What schedule?

This survey needs to be properly conducted as the outcome could change the village for good!

• The questions need to be properly worded, unbiased and not leading questions. Therefore these need to be reviewed and properly agreed in an unbiased manner, before the survey is conducted.
• The time taken for the survey to be replied to and processed needs to be considered. Two weeks was suggested, should this be three in case people are away on holiday?
• Importantly, time needs to be given to promote and advertise the survey to the Stoke Climsland Parish residents, so that a good response is achieved and that the importance of it can be emphasized – It may change the village for good!

Why is there pressure of time when we need to do this right?

What is so important about the schedule? Is there a specific reason (hidden agenda) that it must be done by a certain date that we don’t know about yet?

Time is needed to ensure the residents are kept informed about what is going on, and that due notice is given for meetings and consultations.

It’s our village; this ain’t no sheep dog trial where we’re driven into a pen and the gate closed behind us!

Mandy.

Reply by anonymous:

The drivers of the affordable housing project, have been researching its possibility for more than 12  months, for more than 6 months, the Parish Council Chairman has been a member of The Team, it would therefore seem to be a reasonable assumption, that our local Gov't representatives have been fully informed.

Some criticism of The Public Meeting  may be justified, but who called it? The Project Team.
Since that meeting it was decided that a professionally conducted market research should be carried out in order to 1) assess the demand for affordable housing, and 2) the extent or otherwise for such housing in The Community.

The idea that you hire professionals to carry out research, but then tell them what questions they should pose is known as CEO research - it gives the answers that those paying for it require.
The concerns expressed by some bloggers of problems in other areas, might lead to a conclusion that small communities need a community wide organisation that can foster local needs, and present strenuous opposition to major developments.

One good example might be a Community Land Trust under the auspices of  a zw6gynot for profit coy. ltd by guarantee, with a parish wide membership. Exactly what The project eam seem to be suggesting.

Reply by Mandy:

Thank you for your comments. My reply follows:

• The general public got to know about the affordable housing project for the first time at a public meeting on the 22nd January. So by the sounds of it, the general public have been kept in the dark for 12 months or more?

• You seem to suggest that the Parish Council fully support the housing project because the Parish Council chairman is a member. The Parish Council have stated at their past two meetings that they haven't decided on their position yet. The Parish Councilors and their Chairman have been put in a difficult position by the 'self elected' housing project team, who seem ready to quote their backing when the Parish Council are clearly undecided!

• At the Affordable Housing Project Teams public meeting of the 22nd January. A vote was taken to investigate the topic further. This vote was not a proper vote, as it was not properly counted, and no note was taken of the number of abstentions. All of a sudden it was quoted that everyone was for the affordable housing; the vote was to investigate the subject further. I note that you do state “Some criticism of The Public Meeting may be justified”.

•“CEO research - it gives the answers that those paying for it require”. So those paying for it can manipulate the answers if they so desire?

•“Community Land Trust under the auspices of a zw6gynot for profit coy. ltd by guarantee, with a parish wide membership”. I’m afraid this appears to be gobbledygook, but it does sound good!

Reply by anonymous:

If, as I understand it, The original members of the project team have given 15 months of their time and energy to getting it off the ground they may well overestimate the need to move forward.
More recently interested bloggers, might like to consider putting their questions on The Stoke Climsland Parish web site, thus allowing the team to respond directly.

May I comment on an earlier comment re the need for strong local organisations to help preserve small communities from higher authority pressures. The problems regularly quoted, that nearby local councils are experiencing, point strongly to the fact that councils on their own are not  enough.

Reply by farthing:

I think anonymous is missing the point. We have a democratically elected parish council which is in place to represent us and we do not need an un-elected, self appointed body of people from outside the village trying to force their opinions on the village.

The last meeting, in view of all that occurred, was to say at the least, highly irregular, and even more striking was the vast number of people from the out lying hamlets voting in favour of the development. Normally parish meetings attract little attention.

Why their sudden interest in the village? Reports to the local paper gave the impression that the entire village was in favour of this development, inaccurate to say the least.
The members of the team may have given 15 months of their time and energy to this project, it is a pity they could not have involved the village at an earlier date, it might have saved them a lot of trouble.