Community Planning News: Chaddleworth Sets up Free Football Coaching

Chaddleworth Sets up Free Football Coaching

Chaddleworth recreation ground opened in September 2010 and two local fathers set about organising regular football training to make the most of the space by providing free football coaching for 4-10 year olds.

The first winter was fairly bleak with just seven regulars but today the number is closer to thirty regular attendees. The Club's focus has been to provide a fun and sage environment for boys and girls to learn 'the beautiful game' whilst teaching them to respect themselves and others.

Supported by four coaches the age groups are now split; with a reception and year 1 session and under-8 and under-9's teams performing drills and playing games on the shared space. Three years on the Club is now called Chaddleworth Kites FC and is self-funded through donations and grants.

Regular friendlies are played against local villages and a few tournaments entered throughout the last year. Progress is evident; at the beginning of the year a draw in a game was seen as a good result however recently the team has gone from strength to strength beating local rivals and winning a winter tournamenet! For up to the minutes news please visit: www.chaddleworthkites.com

Courtesy of Community Planning News publication

Big Energy Week

As part of CCB's  work on addressing fuel poverty we will be holding an event as part of energy savings week.

Helen Dean, Energy Advice Worker, is going to Newbury Library on 30^th January 2014 from 9am to 3pm, to give advice on cutting fuel bills, financial support for insulating your home, and ways to reduce energy use. Do drop in and speak to her if you could do with some tips or have any questions.

NEA has launched the Heat Heroes Awards 2014 sponsored by ScottishPower.

The Awards aim to recognise individuals within communities in England and Wales who have made a significant contribution to helping those struggling with the effects of fuel poverty. This can be through work or through voluntary activities outside the workplace.

If you know of such a person please complete the entry form and send to us with a submission of no more than 500 words outlining the contribution the individual has made to people in fuel poverty and why you think the individual deserves to win.

The award scheme is open to not-for-profit organisations including local authorities, health and social care agencies, voluntary and statutory agencies and community groups.


»You can download the entry form here.

Please send your entries to claire.henderson@nea.org.uk by Friday 31 January 2014.

Alternatively you can complete and upload your entry online at www.nea.org.uk/heat-heroes

Government planning policy puts England’s Green Belts at risk, suggests new research

Half of the councils in England with Green Belt land are preparing to allocate some of it for development whilst brownfield sites throughout the country are overlooked, suggests research published by the National Trust.

Eighteen months after the Government put in place its National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), a Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) survey commissioned by the Trust found that 51 per cent of the councils it surveyed with Green Belts within their areas said they were now likely or very likely to allocate Green Belt land for development [1 – this is based on responses from 59 councils with Green Belt].

Overall, more than half of the 147 councils that responded to the survey said that their local authority had brownfield sites available that could help meet the five-year housing land supply target, but that these hadn’t been considered viable.

Whilst consulting on the NPPF in 2011, Ministers and the Prime Minister stated firm commitments to protecting the Green Belt – whilst promoting an explicit brownfield first policy – both of which seem to be coming undone in practice [2].

These findings confirm evidence from CPRE that the number of houses planned for the Green Belt has doubled since last year, to 150,000 [3].

Simon Jenkins, Chairman of the National Trust, said: “The Green Belt has been the star feature of British town and country planning for half a century.

“In one of Europe’s most congested countries, it has prevented urban sprawl, protected a vision of rural England and retained access to green spaces for urban dwellers that has been admired worldwide.

“Some councils may want to review their Green Belt boundaries as has always been possible, but the planning system as a whole should attach a greater weight to protecting green spaces.

“The Government’s definition of ‘sustainable’ is in practice being interpreted as ‘profitable’, and has effectively killed the former planning presumption in favour of brownfield land.

“What is now happening is a policy of let rip, leading to steady erosion. For the first time in British planning history, planning control is now the slave not the master of profit.”

Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive of the LGIU, added: “This research shows that the NPPF and targets around housing supply are putting significant strain on councils' ability to protect Green Belt.

“It's crucial that we build more houses but we need to allow local authorities the flexibility to take a strategic view on how this should be managed locally."

The findings come as new National Planning Practice Guidance (NPPG), to be issued by the Government by early next year, could increase the threat to green spaces.

Analysis of the draft NPPG suggests that it could cause local authorities to release more land than is necessary for development in the countryside, including in the Green Belt.

It also misses the opportunity to strengthen the brownfield first policy.

Further measures announced in the 5 December Autumn statement also look set to increase pressure on local authorities to say ‘yes’ to development by, for example, increasing opportunities for developers to bypass the local planning system and seeking to increase the influence of the New Homes Bonus incentive on planning decisions [4].

Ingrid Samuel, Historic Environment Director at the National Trust, said: “What councils are saying is alarming. Green Belt has historically been some of the country’s most protected green space, and the NPPF was supposed to continue that protection.

“We need more homes and, if agreed in approved local plans, some of these may be built on previously undeveloped land, but the priority should remain brownfield first.

“The Prime Minister and Communities Secretary Eric Pickles have always made clear their desire to protect the Green Belt but this is not what the NPPF appears to be delivering on the ground.

“We are calling on the Government to amend its new guidance to ensure the planning system delivers on the Government’s promise to deliver a ‘brownfield first’ policy, and to reaffirm its commitment to protect valued green spaces from development.”

Hundreds of communities taking up chance to have a say over their neighbourhood

Communities were urged to make full use of their rights and join the hundreds of groups now working up plans that will set out the future vision for their neighbourhood. 

 

A new landmark has been reached with more than 800 communities now working on getting a neighbourhood plan in place. 

Neighbourhood planning is one of the new community rights introduced by government to give people more say over their area and puts communities in charge of setting out the homes, shops and amenities they want in their neighbourhood.

55% of local authorities have neighbourhood plans being worked up and have received an application for an area to be designated, with 43 of these authorities having at least 6 plans in progress. 

For more details of Neighbourhood Planning please click here.

Do you Love Food, Hate Waste? Would you like to get involved in reducing food waste?

 

Do you Love Food, Hate Waste? Would you like to get involved in reducing food waste?

If the answer is 'YES' come along to one of the Love Food Hate Waste Workshops that will be taking place on Thursday 6th February 2014 in:
•    Hungerford: 12pm – 2.30pm at the Croft Hall, The Croft, Hungerford RG17 0HY
•    Newbury: 6pm – 8.30pm in the Council Chamber, West Berkshire Council, Market Street, Newbury, RG14 5LD

Refreshments will be provided at both workshops, which will be delivered by Emma Barnett from WRAP (www.wrap.org.uk).

Love Food Hate Waste is about helping you to make the most of all of your food, saving you money and raising awareness about the huge environmental impact of wasting food in the UK. Come along and get our top tips and advice, along with ideas on how to share the benefits with people at work or in your local community.

The sessions will be fun and interactive and will cover some fascinating research on food waste and the myths which contribute to food waste. By the end of the session, participants will be clear about correct storage (for example eggs and rice), freezing, what date labels really mean, defrosting plus have an insight into how retailers are helping.

Who should attend?
The information covered applies to anyone interested in reducing their food waste at home and for people in a position to spread the word about the benefits covered in these sessions and/or incorporate this vital information into their existing communications and support work.

Possible attendees could be those in Community and Voluntary Groups, Health Support Officers, Adult Community Learning, Parental Support, Community Champions, Housing Association Officers, Teachers, Children Centre Staff, Disability Support, Community Kitchens, Food Banks, Community Environmental Champions or those looking for something tangible to implement locally to support climate change.

A full support pack is provided, including activities and guides for use after the training. To book, please click here to complete the booking form.

These sessions are facilitated by CCB and funded by the West Berkshire Council Adult and Community Learning Team.

Could you be a Lay Visitor and help West Berkshire Council provide quality care services?

Could you be a Lay Visitor and help West Berkshire Council provide quality care services?

Why not come along and hear more about becoming a West Berkshire Council Lay Visitor
on Thursday 19th December from 2 - 3.30pm at WBILN, 'Broadway House', 4-8 The Broad Way, RG14 1BA (Close to the clock tower).

Please let them know if you can come by contacting Debbie Sowerby on 07905 521 452 or emailing her on deborah@wbiln.com