Gypsy & Traveller Consultation
Questions asked on behalf of residents
Letter to David Ayre Head of Countryside & Business Development Dorset County Council, from County Councillor Janet Dover
Dear David,
I have received the following further questions from residents in respect of the finance from the Homes and Communities Agency in connection with the above and other associated issues,
Can you provide a copy of the correspondence that confirms that the grant is not site specific and is transferable; this should be a public document as the grant funding is public money.
If the grant is transferable,is this transferable within Dorset or only within East Dorset as they are the Authority that applied for the money and not Dorset as a whole?
Confirmation of other sites that will be included within the development plan within East Dorset.
Confirmation that the Grant is not a loan from the HCA and how this mechanism works.
Should a shortfall occur how will this be funded? DCC's capital programme or East Dorset's Capital Programme? Would/ could this have an effect upon the County/District budgets?
I look forward to hearing from you in respect of these latest residents questions in due course.
Best wishes,
Janet
Reply from David Ayre
Dear Janet
Many thanks for your e-mail with further questions from residents. I can respond as follows:-
1. We have now received two letters from the Homes and Communities Agency informing us of their proposal to contract with us to deliver a total of 25
pitches for £1.75m of funding from the HCA. I attach both letters, one of which you will have already seen. Both of the letters are not site specific and you will note that Uddens, nor any other site, is mentioned. The operating area is quoted as south and south-west and the scheme offer refers to Dorset. The second letter includes various website links, etc, which we will need to follow at subsequent stages of the application process. You will note that both letters refer to a HCA Contract Manager being in contact with us shortly. At the time of writing this e-mail we are still awaiting this contact. In summary,
therefore, you will see that both letters are not site specific and, subsequent to the original offer letter, I spoke to an officer from the HCA and they confirmed that this was the case and the grant could be transferable should a more suitable site emerge from the DPD consultation. As the Expression of Interest for funding was made by the County Council and not East Dorset District Council it should be easier for us to make a case for any transfer not to be restricted to the boundaries of East Dorset District Council.
2. I am afraid I am unable to confirm which sites will be included within the Development Plan within East Dorset as East Dorset District Council, as the
determining authority on the Development Plan, have yet to make any decision on which sites it would prefer to see at this stage. Following the end
of the public consultation on the Issues and Options Document the consultants have been processing the representations that have been made. I understand that this is still underway but there is likely to be a further alternative sites consultation on any additional sites that may have emerged as a result of the original public consultation.
Following this, all of the responses to the various consultations will be drawn together for the District, Borough and Unitary Councils to consider and to help inform their decisions on which sites they would prefer to see in their Development Plan Document.
3. You will see from the letters that we have received that it is a funding award and not a loan. You can also see from the second letter that we have received that all partners are required to enter into a Framework Delivery Agreement or Contract with the HCA covering the funding conditions and that we will be contacted by a designated HCA Contract Manager with further details. Clearly, this meeting needs to take place to agree the finer details of the application and claim process but my interpretation of the letter is that we will need to complete a formal application form to proceed to the next stage of the funding process. I hope we can delay this formal process until East Dorset District Council have agreed their preferred sites without the offer being withdrawn and we will be seeking this assurance from the HCA when their designated officer makes contact.
4. Should a shortfall occur this would have to be funded by Dorset County Council's Capital Programme, not East Dorset District Council's Capital
Programme. I am sure that the County Council's Cabinet would, therefore, need to be assured that any final scheme can be contained within the grant award.
I do hope that this is helpful in answering your residents' latest questions.
Kind regards,
Dave
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The following is a letter replying to previous questions Councillor Janet Dover asked on behalf of local residents -
From: Dave N Ayre
Sent: 08/03/2012 10:11 GMT
To: Janet Dover
Subject: Re: Uddens
Dear Janet
Many thanks. My response to the questions received from a number of residents is as follows:-
Although the bid for funding to the Homes and Communities Agency was based upon the Uddens site the grant offer itself is not site specific and the HCA have
confirmed that this would be transferable to another site should it emerge from the consultation on the Development Plan Document.
The funding from the HCA is a grant, not a loan, and there will be no requirement to pay it back unless, of course, the County Council is unable to develop any site, in which case the HCA will withdraw the offer and no doubt redistribute the funding to provide a Traveller site to another part of the country.
The grant offered is for the capital costs of acquiring/leasing the site and putting in place the site infrastructure. The revenue costs of operating the site and maintaining it will have to be borne by the County Council and funded from within the existing Gypsy and Traveller service's budget which will include any rent income from the site itself.
The original estimate for the construction of a site at Uddens is more than the grant that has been awarded. In theory, therefore, there is a shortfall.
The first step, therefore, is for officers to review the scheme to see whether it could still be delivered within the reduced funding available.
This will require further technical work by the relevant technical professions and I do not propose to commission this work until East Dorset District Council have decided on their preferred location for the transit site following the consultation on the Development Plan Document.
Suffice to say, every effort will be made to re-design a project which can be delivered within the funding available and were there still to be a shortfall this will be a matter for elected Members to decide whether or not the shortfall would be met from within the County Council's capital programme.
If a report is required to go to the relevant committees of the County Council for supplementary funding, I see no reason why it would not be a public report and
local Members and members of the community could make their representations to the committee and, as such, the decision will be included in the Forward Plan of the County Council's Cabinet.
I am not aware that there is any public advertisement for the Forward Plan but it is something that is available to the public through the dorsetforyou website.
I do hope your residents find this information helpful.
Kind regards,
Dave
From: Dave N Ayre
Sent: 08/03/2012 10:11 GMT
To: Janet Dover
Subject: Re: Uddens
Dear Janet
Many thanks. My response to the questions received from a number of residents is as follows:-
Although the bid for funding to the Homes and Communities Agency was based upon the Uddens site the grant offer itself is not site specific and the HCA have
confirmed that this would be transferable to another site should it emerge from the consultation on the Development Plan Document.
The funding from the HCA is a grant, not a loan, and there will be no requirement to pay it back unless, of course, the County Council is unable to develop any site, in which case the HCA will withdraw the offer and no doubt redistribute the funding to provide a Traveller site to another part of the country.
The grant offered is for the capital costs of acquiring/leasing the site and putting in place the site infrastructure. The revenue costs of operating the site and maintaining it will have to be borne by the County Council and funded from within the existing Gypsy and Traveller service's budget which will include any rent income from the site itself.
The original estimate for the construction of a site at Uddens is more than the grant that has been awarded. In theory, therefore, there is a shortfall.
The first step, therefore, is for officers to review the scheme to see whether it could still be delivered within the reduced funding available.
This will require further technical work by the relevant technical professions and I do not propose to commission this work until East Dorset District Council have decided on their preferred location for the transit site following the consultation on the Development Plan Document.
Suffice to say, every effort will be made to re-design a project which can be delivered within the funding available and were there still to be a shortfall this will be a matter for elected Members to decide whether or not the shortfall would be met from within the County Council's capital programme.
If a report is required to go to the relevant committees of the County Council for supplementary funding, I see no reason why it would not be a public report and
local Members and members of the community could make their representations to the committee and, as such, the decision will be included in the Forward Plan of the County Council's Cabinet.
I am not aware that there is any public advertisement for the Forward Plan but it is something that is available to the public through the dorsetforyou website.
I do hope your residents find this information helpful.
Kind regards,
Dave
Chris Chope MP asks a question of the Minister of State for DEFRA
Stapehill Objection LetterThe letter Janet Healy wrote on behalf of the Friends of Uddens Woodlands in Stapehill.
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Letters showing that Dorset County Council applied for funding for THIS site in April 2011 which was granted this January. All before the results of the public consultation!
The plans shown were part of the initial application.
PDF files (clearer copies) of the first two pictures above -
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Feasibility Estimates for Site (With and Without Utility Blocks)
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A Planning Consultant Recommends -
An outline for making representations about the proposed gypsy/traveller transit site at Uddens.
Preliminary points:
Do not rely on petitions or standard letters.
Representations have greatest impact if they are individually written and expressed in your own words. (Do not copy mine).
In relation to the proposal it is important to be objective in our analysis of the way it would impact on your well-being and your behaviour in relation to the
environment.
Critical points to make:
Loss of woodland, a well-used local amenity and loss of habitat for birds and animals.
It will effectively deter or stop your use of the Castleman Trailway.
There will be a need for you (with your dog/horse if appropriate) to find alternative places to walk. You walk here xxx times a week / month.
If you are more likely to walk on Ferndown Common, Holt Heath or any other designated heathland then it is important that you explain this.
For example if you are a dog walker or horse rider it is forseeable that you are likely to travel north up through the forestry plantation and use Holt Heath.
If the result is that you are likely to use your car more to get to places to walk, then this is also relevant.
East Dorset District Council has policies to improve the use of trailways, bridleways and footpaths, to protect heaths and reduce reliance on the motor
car and the proposal conflicts with the Council’s Local and Corporate Plan.
Mike Hirsch MRICS MRTPI
Planning Consultant
Intelligent Land
Preliminary points:
Do not rely on petitions or standard letters.
Representations have greatest impact if they are individually written and expressed in your own words. (Do not copy mine).
In relation to the proposal it is important to be objective in our analysis of the way it would impact on your well-being and your behaviour in relation to the
environment.
Critical points to make:
Loss of woodland, a well-used local amenity and loss of habitat for birds and animals.
It will effectively deter or stop your use of the Castleman Trailway.
There will be a need for you (with your dog/horse if appropriate) to find alternative places to walk. You walk here xxx times a week / month.
If you are more likely to walk on Ferndown Common, Holt Heath or any other designated heathland then it is important that you explain this.
For example if you are a dog walker or horse rider it is forseeable that you are likely to travel north up through the forestry plantation and use Holt Heath.
If the result is that you are likely to use your car more to get to places to walk, then this is also relevant.
East Dorset District Council has policies to improve the use of trailways, bridleways and footpaths, to protect heaths and reduce reliance on the motor
car and the proposal conflicts with the Council’s Local and Corporate Plan.
Mike Hirsch MRICS MRTPI
Planning Consultant
Intelligent Land
