WELCOME
Welcome to my latest newsletter. Please forward it to anyone else who you think would like to receive it, and they can sign up at my website (www.peterheatonjones.org.uk). If you would prefer not to receive it, please use the unsubscribe button below. And please get in touch if there are any issues you would like to discuss.
North Devon Show
Wednesday’s North Devon Show was a big success. I invited the Farming Minister, George Eustice, to accompany me to the Show. He spent nearly five hours there meeting a range of people and their livestock, as the photo shows.
I was determined that the Minister should meet and have proper discussions with farmers, businesses and residents from our rural communities, so we organised a question & answer session. I was delighted that representatives from the National Farmers Union, the Young Farmers, the Country Landowners Association and others were all able to attend.
It was a very useful session. Among the topics discussed were bovine TB and the badger cull, the EU and the CAP, hedges, rural investment and goats!
Afterwards I had private discussions with George Eustice and he has assured me that I have a direct line to him to discuss any concerns about farming or rural issues in North Devon.
This forms part of my overall campaign to make sure that North Devon’s voice is heard loud and clear, and that we are well and truly on the map with the senior decision makers. As always, if there is anything you think I should be passing on, please let me know.
Incidentally, in the last two years I have invited the Prime Minister, the Environment Secretary and the Farming Minister to the North Devon Show, and they have all come. This is in stark contrast to politicians from other parties who have made promises to attend, but then failed to do so.
Lord Hill Visit
George Eustice is not the only senior government figure to come to North Devon in the last week. Last Friday I was delighted that Lord Hill, our newly-appointed EU Commissioner, came here at my invitation.
Lord Hill was, until last month, the Leader of the House of Lords. He was then nominated for the European job by the Prime Minister, so he clearly has influence at the very top!
I invited Lord Hill here to listen to a range of views about the European Union and other issues, and again it was a very useful discussion.
I made it clear that I will keep banging the drum for North Devon and getting our voices heard, and I know that Lord Hill – who lives just over the border – will be a staunch ally in that.
Local Plan
As I mentioned last week, yesterday was the closing date for public comments on the North Devon Local Plan. This is the important document which sets out a blueprint for the way development may take place in the District between now and 2031.
Thank you to the many people who contacted me with their comments. Most of them were about individual planning applications, and it is best that they are dealt with separately as and when those proposals are determined.
As far as the overall Local Plan is concerned, I have of course made a submission to the Planning Office. It underlines my concerns that local opinions must be given more weight when future development is being decided, and that the planning process needs to change to ensure this can happen.
Here is one extract from my submission to give you a flavour:
“The Plan can only be ‘effective’ if it is sufficiently robust to withstand the power of developers and the shortcomings of the planning process. It is clear that developers are not bound by The Plan, and cannot be prevented from proposing a development which falls outside its parameters. Such an application may be refused by the Local Planning Authority (LPA) on the basis that the location is not identified as a development site within The Plan. However, this does not by itself provide ultimate legal grounds for refusal, and such a decision may therefore be overturned on Appeal. Nonetheless, the LPA must have the confidence to refuse any application which falls outside The Plan’s parameters, rather than granting consent based on the perceived risk of losing a subsequent Appeal. Crucially, the public must be confident that The Plan – and the LPA – are capable of withstanding these pressures. I submit that this is not currently the case, and therefore that The Plan is not effective in this regard”.
I fully understand what a potent issue this is. Just this week I have had two meetings with residents and numerous emails regarding planning issues. I will always get involved and help where I can, and don’t understand politicians who say they won’t intervene on individual planning matters. I will always try and help.
Keep in touch
I am active on social media, which is a good way to keep up with what I am doing so please:
Follow me on Twitter: @PeterNorthDevon
Like me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/PeterNorthDevon
Many thanks.
Until next week......
Peter
Peter Heaton-Jones
Conservative Parliamentary Candidate
email:[email protected]
www.peterheatonjones.org.uk
Welcome to my latest newsletter. Please forward it to anyone else who you think would like to receive it, and they can sign up at my website (www.peterheatonjones.org.uk). If you would prefer not to receive it, please use the unsubscribe button below. And please get in touch if there are any issues you would like to discuss.
North Devon Show
Wednesday’s North Devon Show was a big success. I invited the Farming Minister, George Eustice, to accompany me to the Show. He spent nearly five hours there meeting a range of people and their livestock, as the photo shows.
I was determined that the Minister should meet and have proper discussions with farmers, businesses and residents from our rural communities, so we organised a question & answer session. I was delighted that representatives from the National Farmers Union, the Young Farmers, the Country Landowners Association and others were all able to attend.
It was a very useful session. Among the topics discussed were bovine TB and the badger cull, the EU and the CAP, hedges, rural investment and goats!
Afterwards I had private discussions with George Eustice and he has assured me that I have a direct line to him to discuss any concerns about farming or rural issues in North Devon.
This forms part of my overall campaign to make sure that North Devon’s voice is heard loud and clear, and that we are well and truly on the map with the senior decision makers. As always, if there is anything you think I should be passing on, please let me know.
Incidentally, in the last two years I have invited the Prime Minister, the Environment Secretary and the Farming Minister to the North Devon Show, and they have all come. This is in stark contrast to politicians from other parties who have made promises to attend, but then failed to do so.
Lord Hill Visit
George Eustice is not the only senior government figure to come to North Devon in the last week. Last Friday I was delighted that Lord Hill, our newly-appointed EU Commissioner, came here at my invitation.
Lord Hill was, until last month, the Leader of the House of Lords. He was then nominated for the European job by the Prime Minister, so he clearly has influence at the very top!
I invited Lord Hill here to listen to a range of views about the European Union and other issues, and again it was a very useful discussion.
I made it clear that I will keep banging the drum for North Devon and getting our voices heard, and I know that Lord Hill – who lives just over the border – will be a staunch ally in that.
Local Plan
As I mentioned last week, yesterday was the closing date for public comments on the North Devon Local Plan. This is the important document which sets out a blueprint for the way development may take place in the District between now and 2031.
Thank you to the many people who contacted me with their comments. Most of them were about individual planning applications, and it is best that they are dealt with separately as and when those proposals are determined.
As far as the overall Local Plan is concerned, I have of course made a submission to the Planning Office. It underlines my concerns that local opinions must be given more weight when future development is being decided, and that the planning process needs to change to ensure this can happen.
Here is one extract from my submission to give you a flavour:
“The Plan can only be ‘effective’ if it is sufficiently robust to withstand the power of developers and the shortcomings of the planning process. It is clear that developers are not bound by The Plan, and cannot be prevented from proposing a development which falls outside its parameters. Such an application may be refused by the Local Planning Authority (LPA) on the basis that the location is not identified as a development site within The Plan. However, this does not by itself provide ultimate legal grounds for refusal, and such a decision may therefore be overturned on Appeal. Nonetheless, the LPA must have the confidence to refuse any application which falls outside The Plan’s parameters, rather than granting consent based on the perceived risk of losing a subsequent Appeal. Crucially, the public must be confident that The Plan – and the LPA – are capable of withstanding these pressures. I submit that this is not currently the case, and therefore that The Plan is not effective in this regard”.
I fully understand what a potent issue this is. Just this week I have had two meetings with residents and numerous emails regarding planning issues. I will always get involved and help where I can, and don’t understand politicians who say they won’t intervene on individual planning matters. I will always try and help.
Keep in touch
I am active on social media, which is a good way to keep up with what I am doing so please:
Follow me on Twitter: @PeterNorthDevon
Like me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/PeterNorthDevon
Many thanks.
Until next week......
Peter
Peter Heaton-Jones
Conservative Parliamentary Candidate
email:[email protected]
www.peterheatonjones.org.uk