Love South Leigh
Conservation Area bid
From: The South Leigh Parish Council
To: All Parish residents
From: The South Leigh Parish Council
To: All Parish residents
Please find below the result of the village poll conducted between noon on Tuesday, 24 November and 11:00pm Monday, 30th November 2020.
The question asked was:
Do you agree, disagree, or remain uncommitted to a proposal that the Campaign Group should prepare a draft application for Conservation Area status (with options, e.g. boundaries etc.) for the Parish of South Leigh including High Cogges, for consideration by the Parish Council and Parish residents and to be voted on by residents in due course?
The number of people who polled is shown in the table below.
Number | Agree | Disagree | Uncommitted | |
Online | 108 | 66 | 31 | 10 |
Polling box | 31 | 23 | 7 | 1 |
Total | 139 | 89 | 38 | 11 |
%age proportion of total number of people who polled | 100% | 64.028% | 27.338% | 7.914% |
The motion was carried.
Counted by Tammy Heavens, Clerk, South Leigh Parish Council, and witnessed by Martin Spurrier on 1st December, 2020.
Nicky Brooks, Chair, South Leigh Parish Council
Clarification to the announcement made by the conservation group re. the poll. Please read.
You may have read the latest announcement from the Working Group. There has been some confusion as to the exact role of this group and I now wish to clarify this.
The Working Group does not necessarily express the views of the Parish Council. For clarity in the future, the Working Group is to be renamed the 'Conservation Area Campaign Group'.
We, the Parish Council, have expressed no opinion on whether we support or not the application to become a Conservation Area but rather feel that it is our role to present to you, in equal measure, both the positives and negatives and ask you to vote in the poll so that we can ascertain your views.
To this end, the following presents both the pros and the cons as the Parish Council sees them whilst asking that you look at the links provided by the group to do your own further research.
Pros
The Conservation Area would provide further protection to the allotted area in the way the group detailed and will help protect and preserve both the look and feel of our village - the buildings and the landscape. It falls alongside our Neighbourhood Plan but whilst the Neighbourhood Plan needs revising in line with the local planning guidelines every 15 years or so. A conservation area, once set, is there for life.
Cons
It would mean further restrictions on what you can do to your own property without applying for planning permission. The planning application process costs money, will inevitably add a time delay and more bureaucracy. You may need to apply for planning permission for things that are a given at the moment - examples include changing windows, erecting satellite dishes as well as small extensions (normally allowed under permitted development rights) as well as the cutting down of trees over a certain size on your property.
It is up to you to decide which of the options holds most importance to you. Remember that this poll is simply asking for your permission to investigate further. A full report will then be produced and a final vote taken.
Please take the time to vote in our poll by 11.00pm on Monday, 30th November. It’s important to the future of our village.
Nicky Brooks, Chair South Leigh Parish Council, (23.11.2020)
From: The Campaign Group (Gary Nicholls and Dick Pears)
To: All Parish residents
From: The Campaign Group (Gary Nicholls and Dick Pears)
To: All Parish residents
This note follows the generally positive response from the Parish Council and Residents at a meeting on 29th January 2020 regarding an investigation into the pros and cons of a Conservation Area. Since then we have looked into the matter carefully and work continues. We are also in contact with a professional heritage consultant, we have ascertained costs and available grants and we have liaised with other useful and knowledgeable organisations. To keep the community fully informed, here is our next briefing note where we address some of the key questions
Gary and Dick (September 2020)
Q: How would a Conservation Area affect us in South Leigh and High Cogges?
A: Conservation areas exist to protect the special architectural and historic interest of a place. This includes the countryside as well as the historic layout of roads, paths and boundaries, the use of building materials, public and private spaces, and trees and street furniture. In other words, it helps preserve all the features that make South Leigh and High Cogges unique and distinctive, and why we love living here. It would further support our Neighbourhood Plan.
There are 51 such areas in West Oxfordshire District and some 10,000 in Britain.
Of course, there are pros and cons...
In our considered opinion, the feeling of 'community' and 'place' and the sheer pleasure of our surroundings and knowing that they will be preserved far outweigh the limitations that come with a conservation area. And research shows that your property will almost certainly increase in value, and increase faster than average.
Q: Who else says so?
Rosalind Chislet, an architectural historian who studies the topic across the country, explains: "People should not be put off at all. There are definitely more pros than cons, including the fact that it protects the value of your property because it not only protects the building, it protects the surroundings too, including the trees."
"You're also buying peace of mind that your surroundings will stay that way. You won't wake up and find next door pebble dashed, or a phone mast at the bottom of your garden. Even widening the road can't happen."
An average 9% increase in your property value
Research by Historic England and the London School of Economics and Political Science showed that property prices in conservation areas are thought to be 9% above average. They also grow in value at 0.2% p.a. faster than comparable properties elsewhere. Three quarters of estate agents agree.
Q: What are the cons?
At the public meeting on 29th January 2020, some concerns were expressed about certain restrictions that come with the privilege. Here we address them:
Residential development - Preservation and enhancement:
This is mainly carried out through closer management of the development process - through good design, maintenance and managed change. Thus, Planning applications for development must demonstrate how the proposals would preserve or enhance the character of the area. Here are some examples that may require Planning Permission that, currently, would not:
Extracts from the London School of Economics and Political Science research, May 2012
Q: What aspects of living in a conservation area are most and least valued by residents?
Q: What will it cost and who will pay?
There will be some costs, principally professional advice. We propose to raise the money through a mixture of grants, contributions and other sources. We envisage needing a maximum of £5,000.
NEXT STEPS: Please check the links below and watch out for further communications from us. Everyone’s opinions will be sought and, if positive, we propose to make a recommendation to the Parish Council at its next meeting on 27th October 2020. Please do not hesitate to contact us:
Gary: nichollsgary@hotmail.com
07920 771897
Dick: dpea4cs@aol.com
07850 175729
Gary: nichollsgary@hotmail.com 07920 771897
Dick: dpea4cs@aol.com 07850 175729
Gary: nichollsgary@hotmail.com 07920 771897
Dick: dpea4cs@aol.com 07850 175729
We urge every resident to familiarise themselves further with Conservation Areas, the pros and the cons. Here is some relevant information from our District Council and Historic England: