Is This A Green Or Brown Way |
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Figures of up to 3000 new homes were being bandied around the gathering of mainly Little Horwood residents- Little Horwood is an old world village of a few hundred residents. One of these, Mildred King ( 88 ), had come here when she was 21 and remembered the aerodrome being built. Her family kept the Shoulder of Mutton. She recalled: 'There was an army of Irishmen in the bar on Saturday night, drinking like there was no tomorrow. They would be off to mass the next day.' As one member of the public observed, it was only used as an airfield ( if you ignore the crop dusting Tiger Moths based there in 1963 ) for a few years during World War Two. So is it ripe for development' Under John Prescott anything seems to be, but with Milton Keynes up for another 70,000 new homes and doubts about sufficient infra structural support, there are worries. Aylesbury Vale is also to grow apace. Roads, water, education and health are among concerns. Real Mastermind There were cheers when LHAG ( Little Horwood Action Group ) leader Dave Richards arrived with his megaphone, rallying the troops to a photo call in the car park, outside Winslow Combined school.. The real mastermind of the days protest, however, was the unassuming figure of silver haired and quietly spoken Frank Donlon, form Little Horwood Parish Council. He warned them that any comments about their concerns could be reported out of context. As soon as Roger Evans, an Oxford based planning consultant, tried to get the meeting going in the packed school hall, Frank was on his feet, urging people to have nothing to do with the plan to divide everyone up into small groups for discussion based responses to what was on offer. It was evident Roger's previous experience of Frank during the previous week's stakeholder meetings, at Winslow's rambling old Bell Inn, had worn him down a bit. He soon sounded irritable, 'Mr Donlon, you have made your views known, could you please let us get on and let others listen and speak about what we are proposing'' 'You are not proposing anything. You haven't told us anything about what you plan to do, an angry mocking voice boomed from mid field. 'We're here to listen to the gentleman' said a well fed man from the back, 'Let him speak,' Roger seized his chance. 'The site has no status at present. It is a disused airfield, where there is some employment and a pig farm. The proposal is to bring new uses, possibly including employment, housing, habitat, leisure, re opening the railway and improving the roads.' I thought Roger a little optimistic about the railway, since the prospect of 70,000 new homes for Milton Keynes - a few miles away- had not been considered enough for railway or drastic road improvements. Roger was making the most of his opportunity and I didn't want to interrupt him; others soon would. 'Doing nothing doesn't mean no change. Sometimes things have to change for things to stay the same. The northern side of the site, where soil was scraped up and heaped, is unattractive. This is stage one of the proceedings, where we learn your concerns, aspirations, concepts and options. Frank was quick to spot his chance, on his feet and dapper in blue jacket; 'WE'VE GOT ONE CONCERN, THAT YOU DON'T DO IT!' Dave Richards provided a vocal and style contrast, sounding like a quizzical barrister, 'It's very difficult for us to comment. There are reams and reams of documents and you should come clean.' A crusty middle class gent boomed out at this remark: 'IT'S A DIRTY GREAT HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.' Another fellow, more politely, accepted the pass: 'It's a technique of chartered surveyors that by planning to get people who don't know what's going on, to talk and say 'Oh 200 houses, that's OK.'. Everything is written down and protesters are on the back foot.' The ball went to another fellow. Roger was outnumbered and looked like being out gunned. ' You have no means to influence decisions if there's a need for a new school. The planning authority don't talk to an offshore investment company.' 'How do you know it isn't drug money'' Someone then informed the meeting that Roger's company had already crammed 2,500 homes onto a 250 acre site in Essex ( Roger later told me that this was a completely different set of circumstances and had won awards ) . This prompted a question ' Is your company a shareholder in Greenway ' ' 'No' said Roger. ' Then who are the directors'' Roger paused, then said he would have to check at Companies House.' A loud voice laughed from the back before suggesting this would be a waste of time because Greenway was registered in the Virgin Islands. The voice went on to advise 'When I work for someone, I like to know who it is. You don't know the company you are working for.' This event was becoming fun and everyone wanted the ball. A rather sleek gent displayed his agility on the mental field 'There are money laundering regulations, you are one of the biggest architectural firms. Your reputation is on the line.' Roger said he would bear that in mind.' 'HOW DO YOU KNOW IT ISN'T DRUG MONEY'' Boomed another. 'You have an opportunity to make your views and concerns known. I suggest we get on.' This plea went unheeded, blocked by another question; 'IS THERE ANYONE HERE FROM AYLESBURY VALE DC '.' He spoke in tones suitable for seance, and clearly extra sensory powers were going to required to satisfy this lot. Roger's 'NO' was just not good enough. A posh sounding lady joined in urgently, ' You haven't mentioned the farmland you've acquired at Shipton' I know for a fact that your clients have bought land there. You do have answers you aren't telling us.' 'Yes, 1700 more vehicle journeys.' Boomed another. Right to ramble Roger said he had walked the roads and they were extremely dangerous. This was a red rag. 'THEY'RE COUNTRY LANES FOR GOD'S SAKE!' A lady shouted from the back. Roger said he'd like to see the public rights of way restored. Foolish of him, this lot had done their homework. In mocking tones a lady advised 'THERE NEVER WERE ANY. I HAVE CHECKED THE RECORDS SINCE 1855.' Surprisingly, given the tone of events so far, a rustic fellow seized his moment, 'UP TER FOOT ERN MOOUTH, THERE WERZ A RIGHT O' WAY IN SPRING LANE.' This was too much for the footpath expert; THERE IS NO RIGHT OF WAY THERE.' The good old boy tried to parry her, desperate to have his right to ramble restored, no doubt; ' I ALWERZ RECKONED THAT WHEN THE GATE WERE OPEN, THAT WERE ME RIGHT O' WAY.' The man's ignominy was assured through being ignored by Roger and the group. There is, especially in the country, both bullshit and bullshit! 'WHY WAS IT NECESSARY FOR PEOPLE TO PRE REGISTER FOR A PUBLIC MEETING' Roger blamed health and safety. HOW CAN YOU ASK ME FOR POSITIVE COMMENTS ON A PLAN I CAN'T SEE' There was no direct answer to that, only Roger's assurance that he wanted to revive the old market town of Winslow. This was too much for one lady who didn't think it ill, let alone dead. Dave Richard, in persistent legal tones, suggested ; 'Isn't it true they have taken this to Aylesbury Vale DC and MK Council and got nowhere. Now you are trying to get us to help you. We might like a railway, new station and school, but we are not going to be bribed to see our villages ruined. This is a parasitic development on the back of Milton Keynes.' Roger held his ground, 'Greenway have taken this on to bring new life into rural communities.' A voice in the background was heard to mutter ' Not to make a pile of money'' Pattern of a Dailek Very few had come to defend their old town from ruination or to help Roger revive it, but one lady spoke up for it. She explained how she chose Winslow as a rural haven three years ago, only to find big John Prescott decided to allow all the lovely fields behind her home to be filled with at least 250 and probably 500 new houses. 'Our doctor's surgery can't cope' she spoke in tremulous tones, clearly very upset. Her emotional plea struck a chord and in came a chorus of angry ladies; 'WE DON'T WANT THESE HOUSES. Roger started to look desperate, his voice taking on the stutter pattern of a Dailek ' I am not going to deviate from the plan for this morning. We must get into groups.' Frank Donlon was having none of that. Jumping to his feet, turning to the audience with perfect timing; 'WE CAN SEE A VERSION OF THE OUTPUTS FROM THE SYNDICATE '( The were on power point next to Roger ) . Time for Roger to get tough with Frank, but this was going to be an unfortunate move. Roger looked hopefully for some sympathy, to what might have been a class of awkward teenagers; 'That is what Mr Donlon has done in all the other meetings Now we must get into small groups He is intimidating the meeting.' This was hardly worth saying because Frank spoke for nearly all in the room and off they went again; ' HOW CAN WE YOU HAVEN'T TOLD US ANYTHING. MAY I ASK DID YOU TAKE A VOTE.' 'HE WON'T TAKE A VOTE BECAUSE HE WOULD HAVE TO RECORD THE RESULTS. Time for Dave Richards to take matters into his own hands, standing and turning, cool and serious, he presented more probing questions. Sounding even more like a Dailek, Roger Evans resopnded: 'I AM NOT DEPARTING FROM THE FORMAT.' Ignoring Roger, another Horwood local shouted 'WE TOOK A VOTE AND THE ONES IN FAVOUR ARE THE LANDOWNERS.' Three people had raised hands in favour. One woman struggled to be heard saying that the lanes weren't safe for her children to walk from Gt Horwood to Winslow and she wanted to hear what Greenway were proposing. The protesters knew better than dally with such dreams; ; 'HE'S NOT IN A POSITION TO OFFER YOUR CYCLEPATHS WITHOUT BEING ALLOWED TO BUILD 2,500 HOUSES. Roger said it wasn't just houses. At present the land wasn't used for much else but farming. 'There's a civil engineering works, that's an eyesore, and a pig farm which isn't particularly attractive.' 'MY FAMILY HAVE WORKED THERE FOR YEARS' protested a protester. Compulsory Purchase And so it went on. What makes a brown field site was one of many unanswered questions. Someone waved a piece of paper with the official definition. In an area of overloaded infrastructure, there were worries about traffic. Commuters from the area already suffer up five mile traffic jams. Would land have to be compulsorily purchased to connect the relief road to Winslow' Probably, was the answer. By this time Roger had obviously given up on the small group theme. A plump lady who normally throws free newspapers away said she wouldn't have even known about Greenway if a copy she was disposing of hadn't accidentally fell open at the right page. Obviously a sign! A posh man from Little Horwood said that both Greenway proposals had been predicated on reopening the east west rail link between Oxford and Cambridge and regenerating Winslow. With so many small shops closing, he wondered what made Roger think putting 1200 folk north of Winslow would do. Someone quoted County Council research that even with reopening the rail link, the best they could hope for was getting 10% of journeys off the road.- adding that one problem with expanding Milton Keynes is that bus services are so bad that you wouldn't get far once you took the train in. Gradually the meeting was losing energy, but there was a little more fun to come. Roger had mentioned having specialists looking in to all things and a lady wondered why they weren't out front. As their team leader, Roger, said that wouldn't have been fair as they weren't expecting it and their road expert had gone to the previous week's venue, the old Bell Inn, by mistake. I couldn't help thinking that Roger might have wished that he had done the same, rather than stand there taking all the flak for this curiously named Greenway Scheme that might be anything but green, though certainly not brown. What does it mean for Milton Keynes' So far English Partnerships have found room for 50% of planned new city expansion within existing MK boundaries- at some cost to green space. Any new development along the A421, at Little Horwood, would not count toward the other 50%, neither would the 2000 homes mooted for Newton Longville, because it's part of Aylesbury Vale. However, both would impact on Milton Keynes already overloaded infrastructure. They are also likely to be locations for more affluent home owners, wishing to enjoy proximity to Milton Keynes jobs and amenities whilst enjoying the rural idyll at the same time- hardly a solution to the city's housing problems. Under current planning law, this kind of development could set a precedent for lots of other opportunistic infilling schemes on all sides of what was meant to be the perfect garden settlement. Once again I am reminded of city father Jock Campbell's remark when he made a final visit in 1993: ' Look what they have done to my city.' Have Your Say Let us know your thoughts on the Little Horwood expansion or the general expansion of Milton Keynes. Fill in the form below and your comments will be published within the working day. |
