Coltishall Eco Town Action Group
Some of the CETAG Committe membersWho we are:
CETAG is a group of 14 Parish/Town Councils local to the Coltishall Eco Town Bid on the former RAF Coltishall site.
The 14 parishes with representatives on CETAG are
Scottow Buxton with Lammas
Skeyton Coltishall
Sloley Felmingham
Suffield Hainford
Swanton Abbott Horstead with Stanninghall
Tunstead North Walsham (Town Council)
Westwick Worstead
- Chairperson Glyn Williams - Swanton Abbott Parish Council tel number. 01692 538419
- Jason Hughes Skeyton, Fund Accounts and Project Management
- Paul Thomas and Marilyn Farrington Co-opted Publicity including Web Site Management
- Cath Wilkins Co-opted (Councillor on NNDC and Parish Councillor Trimmingham) Fund Raising Events Organiser
- Jo Gardiner Clerk (also clerk to 3 Parish councils) Celebrity Organiser
Non- committee members of CETAG include any of the parishioners of all the above Parishes/Towns that want to be part of the group. Their help is invaluable in forwarding our opposition.
Full details of how the group operates are included in the Terms of Reference. Our Terms of Reference will available here very soon.
What is CETAG?
CETAG has a one topic agenda to OPPOSE THE COLTISHALL ECO TOWN BID
Why?
The grounds for our opposition are:-1. Undemocratic Process being followed by central government to progress this scheme
2. The unreasonable size of the proposed scheme
3. The lack of adequate transport Links and infrastructure to support the site
4. Lack of on site employment
5. Potential pollution of rivers and broads and problems of water supplies already overstretched
6. Impact on existing wildlife
7. The limited eco credentials of the project apart from the house designs which are to no greater standards than any other future new build regulations for all housing in the UK.
The logical, indisputable facts / reasons for all these major problems are well documented in the information on the various pages of this site.
Where
CETAG has representatives from every village listed above via local Parish Councillors. We meet as a committee on dates shown on the Calendar link.Our terms of reference
Link to CETAG terms of referenceWhen
Action to date:-9th June 2008
Initially we met on 9th June at the invitation of Glyn Williams, Swanton Abbott Parish Council, to discuss the proposal with representatives from North Norolk and Broadland Disrict Council Planning Departments, Norman Lamb MP, and Cath Wilkins North Norfolk District Councillor.
This initial meeting was where the figure of 10 000 homes, which had never hitherto been given by anyone, was confirmed by a Nth Norfolk Planner who happened to be at a meeting in London and the figure was mentioned by the DCLG Panel who are assessing the bids for short listing.
The above reasons for opposition were discussed and Parish Councillors present took the information back to their own Parish. Each Parish Council subsequently voted to oppose the bid.
Report of meeting
23rd June
Ministerial visit by Ms Flint Housing Minister at former RAF Coltishall Site. At this meeting the bidders gave a presentation as did NNDC and NCC. Attendance was by invitation only. Many CETAG members were there to represent the parishes.
The outcome was that the Minister offered to extended the consultation period by 3 months whilst sustainability studies are conducted by the DCLG Panel, headed by Henry Cleary, who was at the meeting.
We were informed that the shortlist would be announced in October and a new Eco Town policy statement would be published in july for consultation..
Objections were clearly voiced by many at that meeting including CETAG members, North Norfolk DC, Broadland DC, Norfolk CC, Norman Lamb MP
A written submission from CETAG was sent to Nth Norfolk DC and to government as part of the national Eco town consultation
Read full response
30th June 2008
The final date for the government consultation and to provide comment to NNDC prior to the full Council meeting on the 30th June. when councillors were due to consider the proposal.
NNDC ‘suspended standing orders’ and allowed the public to speak for a maximum of 20 minutes prior to the Councils discussions.
Each individual speaker had 3 minutes to speak. The Coltishal Eco Town bidder Richard Davies spoke through the Chairperson.
CETAG gave a verbal response as did some individual Parish Councillors
NNDC voted unanimously to oppose the proposal and to give the strongest indication to government that the proposals were not acceptable
CETAG's verbal response
The relevant recommendation to council from the Agenda of the NNDC Full Council Meeting 30th June can be read below
Agenda item
Paul Thomas also attended a rally in London on the 30th June where there were representatives of most of the Eco Town proposed sites across the country.
Paul attended a meeting with Ms Flint housing Minister and other eco town objectors where he handed in CETAG s written objections and discussed them personally with her. He was informed by Ms Flint that the shorlisted schemes would no longer be made available in October but later in the Autumn.
Ms Flint also said that Norfolk was behind target on new homes being built. Shaun Murphy elected member of NCC later defended that statement by the fact that Government new housing build targets were so high as to be almost unattainable, particularly in the current financial climate.
16th July
CETAG met again to discuss procedure and terms of reference and decided to act as one voice and one body to raise the awareness of our campaign and harness the help of many of our Parishioners who were asking us to start a campaign opposing the Coltishall Eco Town bid.
A detailed action plan to be available very soon. Terms of reference to be drafted and agreed by the end of July.
The Web site was agreed as a means of disseminating information across the Parishes and became active at www.CETAG.co.uk
Poster format and concept of newsletters / leaflets was agreed.
Fund raising and use of funds to support awareness raising was outlined and agreed in principle
Minutes of meeting available very soon.
What next / Keeping up to date and in touch?
We are working very hard to further the campaign. The Parish/Town Councils in each village are the local points of reference for anyone offering support in any way. Please contact your local Parish Council, or use the contact link on this web site to offer assistance. Do watch the Calendar on the web site too. Posters, leaflets, and our petition pages can be printed from the HELP US page and there are also many ideas identified for supporting your local Parish Council and thus CETAG there.
Please pass the information contained on this web site to neighbours who may not have internet connection.
Glyn Williams, Chair of Cetag has written an update on the current situation for his village, Swanton Abbott which other members are welcome to adapt for their village
Link to the leaflet which you can print to read (sorry only way I could do it....)