Chesfield Ward Election 2016 – Key Issues Statement

Terry Tyler – Priorities for Chesfield Ward

  • Protecting the Green Belt (GA & Villages)
  • Working for a fair and sensible Local Plan, including realistic housing numbers with practical additional supporting infrastructure and facilities, such as access roads, school and medical provision that are required.
  • Improvement Bus Services, especially in the villages.
  • Round Diamond School – safe crossing of Great Ashby Way for children and parents.
  • Support and promote a Great Ashby Village Green and Allotments.
  • Promoting awareness to reduce littering and working to organise litter clearing in the ward.
  • Working to reinstate, in key areas, planning permission requirement for Small HMO’s
  • Promoting and working on Schemes with HCC, NHDC & Parish/community Councils to reduce parking issues, particularly in Great Ashby.
  • Additional Traffic speed control measures for Little & Great Wymondley & Great Ashby.
  • Promoting Neighbourhood Watch across the ward.
  • Promote and work on anti-flood measures for the villages.
  • Holding monthly surgeries – Rotating venues where possible.
  • Working on canvassing and case work all year round.

Lib Dem Candidate for NHDC Chesfield Ward

Shock Decision by Sal Jarvis

It’s been quite a week, after a shock decision by Sal Jarvis to not defend her NHDC Chesfield Ward Councillor seat at the coming 5th May 2016 elections. Sal and the Lib Dem team has asked me to stand for the next election, which I have accepted.

I would like to thank Sal for her 16 years of Council service, and how proud the party and I am on her achievements and commitment to being an all year around councillor.
 
Sal will be a very tough act to follow and if successful, I will do my best to provide the same high levels of service to the Chesfield Ward that you have enjoyed with Sal in the past. I was honoured to be asked to stand as a candidate in place of Sal for the Chesfield Ward seat this 5th May.
 
I am very pleased that I will also be getting Sal’s full support with my campaign and she will continue to be my mentor in the future.

 

 

Great Ashby – Small HMOs – My View from Merrick Close

Merrick Close

I have read all listed comments to date regarding The Comet article on HMOs in Great Ashby with great interest.

Of course there, as always, are two sides to this story, where on the one hand, there is a great need for bedsit accommodation in Great Ashby and on the other where a high density in one street of HMO bedsit properties, not only causes significant challenges for Great Ashby’s already overstretched parking availability due to poor development planning but even more worrying is the lack of any sense of community in these areas.

Merrick Close

I live in a Merrick Close spur, I purchased from new 10 years ago. The developer (Bovis), sold over 50% of the new properties to HMO developers in my spur. They did not inform me of this and I was expecting to live in a family owner/occupiers community.  These HMO properties were sold in whole blocks of houses, not even disbursed in my spur. As time has progressed even more properties have been sold in my spur to HMO developers. There need to be a Planning Regulation to bring Small HMO article 4 back in to regular planning application for place for Great Ashby by the NHDC as soon as practical.

Another potential issue with HMO’s is that not only can they remove a community spirit but as in the early years, in my spur, can cause outright public alarm! Where some bedsit residents have caused many disturbances, many requiring police or even ambulance attendance.

Issues I have personally encountered in the past include, garden furniture stolen, loud late night parties, inconsiderate parking, aggressive behaviour and littering. Saying this, to be fair, there has been a marked improvements in antisocial behaviour, after substantial number of resident complaints in recent years but still there is significant parking issues and definitely no sense of community.

Terry

Great Ashby – Houses in Multiple Occupation (The Comet)

‘People are moving out’ – Concern over growing number of bedsits in Stevenage’s Great Ashby area

07:03 03 February 2016

Concerns have been raised about the growing number of bedsits in the Great Ashby area of Stevenage.

Concerns have been raised about the growing number of bedsits in the Great Ashby area of Stevenage.

A significant number of family homes which have been converted into bedsits are destroying Stevenage’s Great Ashby community and creating a parking nightmare – it has been claimed.

 

Councillor Terry Tyler wants HMOs to be regulated.Councillor Terry Tyler wants HMOs to be regulated.

 

A law was passed in 2010 which means landlords do not need planning permission to turn a house with up to six occupants who share at least one facility into bedsits.

People living in Great Ashby say this lack of planning control has led to a high concentration of ‘Houses in Multiple Occupation’ in the area, causing an unsustainable pressure on parking and destabilising the community – since there is no sense of ownership.

One resident said: “I have three HMOs in my road and parking is a nightmare. We were never consulted, as obviously there was no outward changes to the houses.”

Terry Tyler, who is a member of Great Ashby Community Council, says personally he is not against HMOs if the parking and their concentration is taken into account.

He said: “Where I live, more than 50 per cent of the houses are HMOs. There’s no sense of community and there’s also a parking problem. The shape of the community has been changed for the worse.

“A friend and neighbour moved to Scotland because she couldn’t take it anymore. People do move out because of it.”

About one third of Great Ashby is under Stevenage Borough Council, while the rest is North Herts District Council.

Last month, following a petition, the Comet reported that the borough council had resolved to carry out a consultation to consider one or more Article 4 Direction – which override the 2010 HMO law and mean houses must be used as family homes.

Councillor Tyler is concerned that the North Herts part of Great Ashby will be ‘bombarded’ with HMOs if the district council doesn’t follow suit.

He added: “The Great Ashby Community Council is undertaking actions to work with NHDC councillors to support changes to the district council’s HMO planning regulations and also actions to work jointly with Stevenage Borough Council in its research and work to limit further HMOs and ensure a high density of HMOs in any one street is avoided in future.”

Councillor Bernard Lovewell, responsible for housing at the district council, said: “Home owners do not require planning permission to change the use of a house to a small HMO with six or fewer occupants.

“The council is working hard to identify HMOs within North Herts to ensure they meet fire safety and amenity standards and are adequately managed.

“We do not, however, have powers to refuse a licence application on the basis that there are other existing HMOs in the vicinity.”