During the Covid crisis your Committee continues
to hold virtual meetings using Zoom
Minutes of the CVCS Zoom Committee Meeting 26/11/20
Online :David Fowler (DF) Chair John Steele (JS), John
Williams (JW) and David Walters (DW)
Apologies. Samantha Cunningham (SC), Dave Robinson Smith
(DRS)
1. Matters arising from previous minutes and new developments
were discussed.
2. Hearing for Moneystone Quarry (MQ) planning applications
now deferred (yet again) and is now scheduled to be held on 14th
January 2021.
It is understood that this is as a result of further
interventions by local groups opposing the scheme, including CVCS,
and inadequate application documentation that needed to be sent
back to the developer's agents for eventual further review by the
SMDC Case officer.
3. Having discussed at length the various unresolved issues
arising from the continued delay, the following actions were
agreed:-
a) DF has contacted SMDC’s Operations Manager
(Development Services) about the situation and is awaiting replies
to two emails promised on or around the end of the month He will
continue to gauge via the Operations Manager whether or not the
continuing delays alter the circumstances sufficiently for the
possibility of SMDC refusing the applications outright, and/or
encouraging another application and /or that the developer go to an
appeal to the Govt as a result of non-determination. Also he will
try to find out under what format any appeal to Govt would be
likely to take given the current Covid crisis; either written only
/virtual / online / in camera or open to the public as
normal.
b) DF will also investigate the fire safety regulations
governing the parking of individual cars next to each lodge /
caravan as per the revised layout, to see if it poses a serious
fire safety risk as it has been observed that if this development
was of Centre Parks standard, this current plan would not come up
to that standard despite being touted as such by the developer
since its inception.
c) DW to contact the Support Officer at SMDC over
the issue of not being able to examine the current planning files
as usual on SMDC’s own public access computers in Leek because of
Covid restrictions and to seek permission for an online password so
that they could be accessed remotely in the interests of public
accountability and probity in planning. The requirement would be to
enable a read only profile to be available to the public.
d) JS to pursue inquiry via FOIA request for details of
the recent meeting between the developer and SMDC at Moneystone
Quarry.
e) DW to write to the SMDC Case Officer and Operations
Manager on some outstanding points concerning the legal status of
the lab buildings and stability issues in quarry 3 which need
further clarification.
f) DW also to contact SCC’s Principal Planning
Regulation Officer over the impact upon the agreed restoration plan
of 2014 as quarry 2 is no longer in the frame for development yet
remains contaminated and unrestored. This is also a departure from
the 2016 outline planning permission.
g) JS will make a reply to the recent letter received
as Chair of CVCS from SMDC’s new Chief Executive he feels there are
some aspects of the letter that need to be discussed further.
h) Concerning raising the CVCS profile, more publicity
was advocated and DF, through his current contacts with the Leek
Post and Times reporter, will try to encourage him to write about
the concerns and danger of the quarry 3 instability with the
lakeside lodges and public safety.
i) JS will look into the possible angle that Moorlands
Radio might consider a potential interview or article/item about
CVCS,its aims and long term ambitions for the protection of the
Churnet Valley by the acquisition of AONB status as a part of
CVCS’s publicity campaign.
j) Committee members and more importantly the public
are to be encouraged to write to the local press over the Christmas
period to raise awareness of the problems at the quarry and the
reasons for opposing the applications especially as the
circumstances surrounding the original scheme have changed so much
over the last ten years.
k) Following a request from a CVCS member, enquires are
to be made regarding the original AONB application document and
whether they require to be reviewed and updated if necessary.
l) Tactical issues in the run up to the eventual PAC: -
JW will produce an event timeline for members to suggest
actions...letters to PAC members...letters to the local
press...interview on Moorlands Radio etc.
4.Whiston Golf Course
Local residents have raised concerns with CVCS over the
introduction of static caravans near the fishponds off Blakeley
Lane for which there appears to be no planning permission.
This follows on from the illicit dumping of spoil from various
excavations around the Hall and surrounding buildings on the
embankment of the former plateway that runs across the course and
is a recognised heritage asset.
SCC officers including the County Archaeologist are
investigating and CVCS will now draw the latest matter to the
immediate attention of the ward’s two District Councillors as it is
an SMDC concern as well.
5. Next Zoom meeting is scheduled for Thursday
7th January 2021.
