CDC announces that in light of the volume of representations, including pressure from me, the Nature's Way Food application for a third packhouse on the Runcton HDA (NM/10/03529/FUL) will go to committee. No date has been set but it is expected to be before the end of the year.
Nature's Way Foods gets back with reasonable answers to the questions I submitted. It's not certain that the application will go to committee given that the Parish Council has not opposed. I may need to think about red carding. Objections are up to 40.
'A month in the country' at CFT. Packed house as usual. Good production, excellent set. Verging on slapstick at times. But worth doing.
First case of request for call-in of an Executive Board decision in the life of this Council. It was to do with failure to use Section 106 monies for community use before the six year period expired. The request failed on one of the criteria to do with possible damage to the Council. The matter may return for consideration at a regular meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
Meeting of CHSG Finance Committee at which we learnt that our budget cuts in the coming years could be of the order of 10 to 25 per cent. Such cuts would severely restrict the school's ability to provide the range of subjects currently on offer. This government is stark staring mad in ring fencing expenditure on health to the detriment of other services. Also it looks as as if bruiser Liam Fox is getting his way in protecting the defence budget. We should scrap Trident now.
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There are now 29 objection letters to Nature's Way Foods application. One of the letters makes me think that I should ask a few more questions before firming up my position on the application.
We certainly need to know why they need a new building when their Unit 1 rented out to Wight's Salad could be taken back and extended. We also need to know the phasing in of production. The CEO could give no indication when asked. Are they wanting to build the biggest building they can get away with just in case they may need some time to use it? And what restrictions will there be on leasing the building to a third party to ensure the business is horticultural? The fact that the pack house is called a factory gives credence to those who see this as an industrial operation though it purports to be a mirror image of the packhouse at the Runcton end of the Food Park. And why does such an operation need to be on this piece of horticultural land when its raw materials come from off the Food Park? And what proportion will be coming from Spain?
The CEO claims that her business is quite separate from Langmead Farms. In fact as she confirmed there is common share holder, namely the owner. What appears to be happening is that the common owner is submitting both applications in tandem. If he can get the packhouse through, which could well be considered ahead of the AD plant, then there will be yet another building of 12 metres in height on the Food Park, so that to add what would be a fourth, namely the anaerobic digester, would not seem out of place.
Nature's Way Foods may want to claim progressive human resources and community relations policies and making contributions to the local economy but as far as the local community is concerned Langmead is using this application and the AD plant to subvert HDA planning policy so as to enable further diversification in the future. I have an open mind at the moment but they may be right.
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North Mundham Parish Council. Chairman of MARRA requests Council to review its decision not to object to Nature's Way Food application for large packhouse at Runcton on grounds that some of the councillors were not well informed on the details of the application before coming to their decision. The Parish Council turned down this request but will send a letter to the District Council asking for more effective screening than is proposed.
Attended performance of Ibsen's Master Builder at Minerva. Full house, great set and strong cast but what was it about? Ibsen is always a bit of a struggle for me but the story line was just weird. CFT would have done better with Hedda Gabler, Doll's House or Wild Duck.
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Nature's Way Foods invited the community to inspect its plans for a large packhouse on the Runcton HDA to be sited next to Unit 1. It was a sensible idea and Langmead Farms should have done the same at the time they first submitted plans for an anaerobic digester. We were hosted by the chief executive and informed of the company's human resources policies and community relations programmes as well as getting details of the plans. They need the new facility to accommodate expansion of the business. They supply Tesco and Morrison. They are hoping to get Sainsbury on board.
Its operations are going to mirror the existing packhouse at Walnut Tree farm. There will be no cooking. The CEO was careful to stress this. That victory has been well and truly won. I can see no problem in principle with the application. It will provide employment, direct, and indirect with suppliers, and will benefit the local economy. The one concern and I expressed it at the reception was landscaping. The elevations of the new building will be less forbidding than those of Unit 1 but there needs to be much more effective screening to the north and east. Unit 1 after almost 10 years still sticks out like a sore thumb.
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