Chairman's Message
As we end 2009 it is perhaps worth looking back at the achievements of SNUB in our inaugural year. More importantly perhaps it is also worth reflecting on what’s to come in the never-ending struggle to stop the creeping urbanisation of Norwich into the North East suburbs of the City.
SNUB started early in 2009 as a small group of residents from Rackheath and Salhouse who became concerned about the development plans for the Dakenham Hall Barn and the emerging plans for the proposed Eco town at Rackheath. We decided that we would have a much better chance of voicing our views if we formed a community group away from the political or indeed environmental lobbying. The name for Stop Norwich Urbanisation was quickly adopted and the acronym of SNUB seemed both appropriate and memorable.
We have come a long way in a short period of time as SNUB now has over 2,000 active supporters ie those people who have signed actual and virtual petitions agreeing with our Constitution. In addition we have around 100 active members and a hard core of 20 people who turn out for meetings and community gatherings to spread the word about SNUB. The vast majority of these people live in the Parishes that are threatened by this creeping urbanisation and they have indicated their desire for SNUB to continue to represent their views in the challenges ahead.
Of those hardy folk who started SNUB I’m pleased to report that the majority of them are very active and form the nucleus of the working committee that I chair. It is worth recording my heartfelt thanks for all of these supporters both active and passive who have been continuing sources of encouragement over the last year.
That year has flown by and our achievements have been considerable for a small local community group. The highlights are as follows:
All of these relationships confirm the need for such a group as SNUB to maintain pressure on local, regional and national politicians who seem hell bent on destroying prime agricultural land to build a false community of houses that only the well off will be able to afford and which is entirely inappropriate for a county like Norfolk.
Indeed other District Councils in the County have recognised this and selected the more appropriate dispersal option for their proposed future housing needs. SNUB has always recognised the need for new housing in Broadland however we firmly believe that the dispersal, sometimes called the pepperpot solution, of these houses into existing communities will breath new life into communities that are struggling to maintain their very existence. Appropriate private and social housing on a scale that fits within these existing communities will bring new customers to local shops, post offices, pubs, churches and other local businesses that are currently struggling.
The counter argument to this dispersal option, from Broadland District Council, is that the current infrastructure would not support this option. However we believe that the diversion of the money allocated to the NDR would be more than enough to improve existing infrastructures without destroying vast tracks of agricultural land. It would seem to us somewhat perverse that the construction of a large dual carriageway is needed to support the development of an Eco town that purports the ideal that residents would not need cars!
The struggle carries on in 2010 despite the news that central government has allocated funds to build a partial NDR; a road to nowhere if ever there was one! We take our strength from the good wishes of all of our followers and supporters, and the numbers steadily grows every week, as they believe, and we have witnessed first hand, the reluctance of local, regional and national politicians (with the exception of Councillors McGilvray and Carswell) to HEAR what local citizens are saying.
Our continuation will include the following strategic and tactical aims:
We will not however be able to do any of this without the continual support of all followers and members and I would urge you all to spread the word about SNUB and lets achieve real citizen empowerment.
As someone famous once said “You need to move a lot of pebbles to move a mountain”. We are all capable of moving pebbles and together we can move a mountain or two!
Stephen Heard
SNUB started early in 2009 as a small group of residents from Rackheath and Salhouse who became concerned about the development plans for the Dakenham Hall Barn and the emerging plans for the proposed Eco town at Rackheath. We decided that we would have a much better chance of voicing our views if we formed a community group away from the political or indeed environmental lobbying. The name for Stop Norwich Urbanisation was quickly adopted and the acronym of SNUB seemed both appropriate and memorable.
We have come a long way in a short period of time as SNUB now has over 2,000 active supporters ie those people who have signed actual and virtual petitions agreeing with our Constitution. In addition we have around 100 active members and a hard core of 20 people who turn out for meetings and community gatherings to spread the word about SNUB. The vast majority of these people live in the Parishes that are threatened by this creeping urbanisation and they have indicated their desire for SNUB to continue to represent their views in the challenges ahead.
Of those hardy folk who started SNUB I’m pleased to report that the majority of them are very active and form the nucleus of the working committee that I chair. It is worth recording my heartfelt thanks for all of these supporters both active and passive who have been continuing sources of encouragement over the last year.
That year has flown by and our achievements have been considerable for a small local community group. The highlights are as follows:
- National coverage on Radio 4 (Farming Today) and Daily Telegraph (letters page).
- Regional and local press coverage with a vast amount of column inches.
- Regional and local radio coverage.
- Regional and local television coverage.
- Attendance at numerous village fetes and events with our information boards.
- The organisation of several and well attended public meetings where citizens were able to question officials and officers of local councils.
- Several face-to-face meetings with Broadland District Council officials and officers.
- An hour-long live radio one on one debate with the Chair of Greater Norwich Development Partnership.
- The successful challenge to several small to medium size developments including the proposals for an Eco office development at Dakenham Hall Barns which, according to the developers marketing spin, would have been built by now.
- Submitted numerous Freedom of Information requests around the amount of public money being spent on promoting the Local Development Framework.
All of these relationships confirm the need for such a group as SNUB to maintain pressure on local, regional and national politicians who seem hell bent on destroying prime agricultural land to build a false community of houses that only the well off will be able to afford and which is entirely inappropriate for a county like Norfolk.
Indeed other District Councils in the County have recognised this and selected the more appropriate dispersal option for their proposed future housing needs. SNUB has always recognised the need for new housing in Broadland however we firmly believe that the dispersal, sometimes called the pepperpot solution, of these houses into existing communities will breath new life into communities that are struggling to maintain their very existence. Appropriate private and social housing on a scale that fits within these existing communities will bring new customers to local shops, post offices, pubs, churches and other local businesses that are currently struggling.
The counter argument to this dispersal option, from Broadland District Council, is that the current infrastructure would not support this option. However we believe that the diversion of the money allocated to the NDR would be more than enough to improve existing infrastructures without destroying vast tracks of agricultural land. It would seem to us somewhat perverse that the construction of a large dual carriageway is needed to support the development of an Eco town that purports the ideal that residents would not need cars!
The struggle carries on in 2010 despite the news that central government has allocated funds to build a partial NDR; a road to nowhere if ever there was one! We take our strength from the good wishes of all of our followers and supporters, and the numbers steadily grows every week, as they believe, and we have witnessed first hand, the reluctance of local, regional and national politicians (with the exception of Councillors McGilvray and Carswell) to HEAR what local citizens are saying.
Our continuation will include the following strategic and tactical aims:
- To get national political leaders to respond to our correspondence on these matters.
- To get our own local MP, Keith Simpson, to respond to us.
- To consider SNUB nominating a candidate in the forthcoming General election for the new Broadland seat.
- To carry on submitting Freedom of Information requests around the amount of money being spent on pointless, as no one listens to the results, public consultations.
- To construct a SNUB website.
- To continue to forge alliances with third parties who agree with our views eg the local Bishop, the Bittern Line railway and others.
- To hold more meetings with local politicians and officers.
- To take our protest to a national level at the time of the forthcoming general election.
- To commence raising funds to underwrite this increased activity.
- To use the planning laws to fight every inappropriate planning application including the use of Development Control Forums.
- To use the citizens rights to call for a referendum on the direct election of a Mayor for Broadland District and to field a SNUB candidate for this post.
- To use the legal challenges that are available to us including judicial review.
- To challenge the methods used in amending citizens submissions to public consultations.
- Challenge and expose inappropriate behaviour by elected members and/or local authority officers.
- Challenge and expose inappropriate behaviour by developers and/or their agents.
We will not however be able to do any of this without the continual support of all followers and members and I would urge you all to spread the word about SNUB and lets achieve real citizen empowerment.
As someone famous once said “You need to move a lot of pebbles to move a mountain”. We are all capable of moving pebbles and together we can move a mountain or two!
Stephen Heard
