LITTLEBOROUGH NEIGHBOURHOOD FORUM Minutes of the Ninth Meeting Held on Tuesday, 12th August 2014 at the Coach House Littleborough Present: Peter Evans (Chairman), Susan Bermingham, David Bulcock, Linda Falstaff, Bob Furnell, Elaine Gerrard, Iain Gerrard, Janet Hook, Peter Hook, Clive Jones, John Kay, David Reader, Joan Smith, Councillor Ann Stott, Nigel Stanley, Francis Ward & Sheila Wild. Apologies: Janine Rez 1. Minutes. The minutes for the July meeting had been previously circulated to all and were proposed by Bob Furnell and seconded by Clive Jones and accepted as a true record. 2. Matters Arising. None. 3. Treasurer’s Report. John Kay reported no change to the financial situation from the previous month, other than a one-off payment of £25 to Hare Hill House, which was as follows: EXPENDITURE Room Fees £65.00 Leaflet Printing £215.00 Paul Simpson £399.80 TOTAL £669.80 INCOME Community Development Foundation £4743.00 TOTAL £4743.00 CASH IN HAND £4063.20 4. Proposed meeting with Carol Latham. Iain Gerrard reported that, following an urgent prompting by Carol Latham in regard to what help we wanted, if any, from Planning Aid he had arranged a meeting with her and Paul Simpson and Wayne Poole at the Planning Department in Rochdale for Monday, the 18th August. He had invited the convenors of each of the subgroups to attend if they could and apologised for the short forewarning; he said he had felt it urgent that a meeting be had as soon as possible as Carol Latham had been asking if we needed her at all, the implied threat being that we could easily loose this part of our grant if we didn’t use it. John Kay objected to the short warning period despite Iain’s attempts to explain the reason. However he said he would make an attempt to attend. Both Janet Hook and Peter Evans also said they would be there. 5. Reports from each subgroup: Housing and Conservation group Iain Gerrard gave a summary of what had been discussed to date within the group along with its temporary conclusions: Future housing development should be guided by the Forum along lines which benefit Littleborough. This guidance would include ensuring, as much as is reasonably possible, that new buildings conform to the vernacular architecture which gives the town its character, i.e. stone walls, slate roofs and traditional window styles or acceptable derivatives of these, and housing types which are more affordable for young first-time buyers and the elderly wishing to move into smaller properties. Overall the number of new houses to be built in the future need to be limited, because the roads can not be improved significantly without destroying the very character it is wished to preserve. It is probable that mixed type developments would have to be accepted to avoid creating ‘estates’ of the less wealthy although the group is not convinced that this approach will always work, particularly where government guides as to what constitutes affordable housing are to be followed. The group is unhappy with the government’s approach and description to affordable housing but are unsure if we can do anything about it, except to include our interpretation of what an affordable house should be in the Plan. The Town Design Statement should be used to form the basis of what is thought to be desirable but should be ‘looked at’ again to ensure that its fundamental goals are still relevant today. The standard of housing as presently built is not as good as it could be and the principles enshrined in the Parker-Morris report (abandoned by the government in the early 80s) should be adhered to, suitably updated to reflect changes in modern needs. Our requests for evidence from the Planners to aid us in these matters have had a dismal response so far. Our initial requests for help were made via email on the second of July and we have yet to receive any useful material. The group has been researching the two publications available on Rochdale’s website; these are the Strategic Housing Market Assessment (2010) and the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (2013). Both of these have notable errors and are full of bureaucratic gobbledegook requiring interpretation. The SHMA is four years old and only breaks the information down into townships and does not sufficiently define Littleborough as separate from the Pennines Township. The SHLAA is newer and gives every individual site considered to be available or potentially available and as a consequence it is surprisingly inaccurate in a number of instances. These two documents along with the current Core Strategy document represent a formidable amount of reading and we wonder if we have the time available within the grant period to fully evaluate these and possibly more yet to come. Employment and Industry group: No report. Parking and Traffic: There was no report although John Kay promised to arrange a meeting as soon as he could. Some discussion revolved around concerns over the risk of turning Littleborough into a tarmacadam wilderness for commuters and caution was advised when considering the benefits or otherwise of much more parking resulting in a loss of valuable space for other purposes; this was particularly the case in respect of the meadow off Hare Hill Road, which is the only public green space in the centre of the town. John proposed to hold a public meeting at the Coach House purely on Traffic and Parking, which he would organise; he suggested the 13th September for this but said he would await the outcome of the meeting with Carol Latham before going ahead. Tourism and Hollingworth Lake Country Park: A report was given by Sheila Wild following a meeting of the group the previous week as follows: Littleborough Littleborough shelters beneath Blackstone Edge and has a history of both wool and cotton weaving, with many fine yeoman weavers houses still to be seen in the surrounding hills. The town also offers a unique insight into both the development of transport in Britain and the growth of dissenting religions, such as Methodism and Unitarianism. Within a two mile radius of the town are many fine chapels, several now converted to domestic use. The ancient pack-horse routes provide paths for ramblers; the 18th C turnpike roads underlie or run alongside the modern roads; the Rochdale canal links Littleborough with Todmorden and Hebden Bridge, continuing on to Sowerby Bridge and beyond, and its towpath is well-used by both walkers and cyclists; the valley has one of Britains earliest railway lines. Littleborough retains its village atmosphere and its stone-built heart looks much as it did 100 years ago with many fine buildings, including the Coach House Heritage Centre, the Roundhouse (now home of The Wheatsheaf) and Harehill House in Harehill Park. The high street has an eclectic mix of shops including a Deli and Coffee shops. Hollingworth Lake Hollingworth Lake was originally built as a reservoir to serve the Rochdale Canal, but became popular as a tourist resort frequented by mill-workers from Bradford and Manchester during the 1860s, becoming known as The Weighvers Seaport. At its peak, it was hosting 30,000 visitors a day, with people being encouraged to stay overnight because there was too much to see and do in one day. Nowadays the Lake is popular with families and water-sports enthusiasts - look out for Olympians in training. The Lake also has a country park. Spanning 118 acres with the dramatic backdrop of Blackstone Edge, the lake offers boating, a nature reserve, trails, events, guided walks, Visitor Centre, community arts, environmental exhibitions, play and picnic areas for a perfect family day out. The Water Activity Centre caters for groups and individuals wanting instruction in windsurfing, dinghy sailing and other water-based sports, and arranges training for groups in mountain biking and climbing. The Lake is also a base for a sailing club and a rowing club. The wider Country Park has plenty of walking routes, from easy strolls around the lake shore to sturdier treks in the surrounding hills. The tourism draw The tourism draw comes out of the towns heritage and surrounding landscape, and the historic ability to use various forms of transport to bring the visitor in. In addition to good, but crowded road routes, which also support travel by bus, the Manchester to Leeds railway offers half hourly services between the two cities; for cyclists, Sustrans Route 66 runs alongside the canal; the Pennine Way passes alongside Blackstone Edge and there are many local walking routes and bridleways. Various accommodation providers exist, from rural self-catering to quality bed and breakfast, and a Caravan and Camping Site. Scope for further development Despite the areas obvious attractions, development of tourism has been piecemeal, with the town presenting an unwelcoming face to visitors: inadequate parking facilities; poor passenger facilities at the station; no public toilets; no decent maps or tourist information. Within the past decade, various proposals to develop the town and the surrounding countryside have been made, but while individual projects (the Heritage Centre, the History Centre; Hollingworth Lake Country Park) have taken off, the area has not reached its full potential. The vision To become a quality, all-year round destination based on canal, lake, and countryside, to establish Littleborough as the Gateway to the South Pennines. In order to achieve this, the Tourism Group considers that the focus for the Neighbourhood Forum should be on: Developing a business plan for tourism for 2015-2020 and working with key strategic partners to support and fund this Encouraging the creation of a destination that welcomes visitors Encouraging an increase in the quality and sustainability of accommodation Integrating walking, cycling, horse-riding and water-based activities into the tourist offer Developing the areas heritage assets. Rochdale Canal and Marina: There was no report as such but a brief discussion on moorings and charges for same. Janet Hook asked if Carl West (a Marina specialist) could be asked to create a report on what a Marina in Littleborough would need to be economically viable and be paid for it. Schools and Services: Janet Hook said she had spoken to head teachers who were interested in being a part of the Forum if they could have some details of what the Forum was. 6. Advertising: Iain Gerrard said that two vertical banners had been purchased which had been used at the last Hare Hill House Open Day and one of which was now on permanent display in the Library. A large banner was being designed by Iain after which Dave Reader would get it made from the same manufacturer. 9. Any Other Business: None. The meeting closed at 9.25 pm. Signed by the Chairman: Peter Evans
Posted on: Tue, 26 Aug 2014 13:20:36 +0000
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