WHERE IS ALL THE AGRICULTURE LAND GOING... GOING... GONE?
| Consultation | Opens | Closes | Information | |
| North Somerset Council's (NSC) Corporate Plan and budget development | 22 Nov 23 | 10 Jan 23 at 5pm | "North Somerset Council's new leadership has mapped out its priorities for the next four years." |
BOB speaks at NSC Executive Meeting (06DEC)
Regarding concerns over Farming, Food Production and Food Security
Previous BOB Response 16 Oct 23
OPEN, FAIR, GREEN NORTH SOMERSET
- OPEN
- "... means listening to you and your views on the decisions we make. It means being accountable for how we spend your money and ensuring we provide the very best value we can"
- The open statement "Weston-super-Mare – our largest town is set to become the second biggest settlement in the West of England over the next decade" after Bristol (confirmed by Mike Bell 04OCT23), has been removed from this version of the Corporate Plan compared to the 2020-24 version, why?
- Large increases in development may affect agricultural land, food production and food security.
- "... means listening to you and your views on the decisions we make. It means being accountable for how we spend your money and ensuring we provide the very best value we can"
- FAIR
- " ... means listening to the views of all groups and acting on local issues. It means ensuring equity in access to services."
- Why haven't the rural community issues raised, including at the October public meeting, been addressed in this new proposed Corporate Plan?
- "Approximately 40% (15,490 hectares) of land in North Somerset is designated as Green Belt" with "30% of our population live in rural areas with the remaining population living in the coastal towns of Weston-Super-Mare (40%), Clevedon, Portishead and the market town of Nailsea (30%)"
- Corporate Plan pg 11 states, "... we will work with all our communities including our Town and Parish Councils to achieve the aims in our Climate Emergency Strategy action plan including how we will adapt to our changing environment"
- Is it fair that rural agriculture communities, needing land for farming, producing nutritious food and food security for everyone are not mentioned, and may be signifiicantly impacted by NSC's Coroporate Plan, Local Plan 2039 and associated policies>
- " ... means listening to the views of all groups and acting on local issues. It means ensuring equity in access to services."
- GREEN
- "... we do all we can to understand the impact our actions have on the environment and mitigate them where possible"
- Have NSC policies been assessed in regards to their impact on current and future farming, food production and food security? (e.g. solar, wind, Biodiversity Net Gain, Nature Recovery, housing, roads, etc.) Where has this been published?
- "... we do all we can to understand the impact our actions have on the environment and mitigate them where possible"
BUDGET QUESTIONS
- How much is spent on the Green Agenda? Rewilding & Tree planting? Decarbonisation? Energy efficiency? Heating, heat source pumps, lighting? Green education/ indoctrination?
- How was the £50million deficit over 4 years reduced to £13million? (28NOV23) How much NSC agricultural land was sold?
- How is the remaining £13million deficit over the next 4 years proposed to be paid?
- How much is spent in relation to actual food production out of the "3% helping people keep well and stay health", rather than food packages and education?
- How much is spent on migration and migrants?
- Budget Info1 and Budget Info2 (06DEC23)
- RURAL FINANCING
- REPF - Grants to Rural Business £106,229 in 2023/24 and £159,342 in 2024/25
- REPF - Grants to Rural Communities £70,817 in 2023/24 and £106,229 in 2024/25
- Addition - Rural England Prosperity Fund - DP566 £177K in 2023/24 and £266K in 2024/25
- How have rural communities accessed this funding, how has it been spent?
- What has been allocated to Bleadon?
- Decarbonisation of heat (boilers) £1,800,000
- Minutes of the Meeting of The Executive Wednesday, 18 October 2023 (pg7)
- “(1) Affordable Housing Policy DP43 "Affordable housing (including rural exceptions schemes) is amended to increase the proportion of affordable housing sought on green field sites to 38.5% to reflect the overall proportion of affordable housing need identified in the Local Housing Needs Assessment. Officers are asked to consider the most effective delivery of that percentage, including consideration of grant input where appropriate."
- How much of this housing 'delivery' will affect food production and security? How much public grant money will be granted?
- (2) Embodied carbon Policy DP6. "Net Zero construction is amended to specify a target for embodied carbon within new buildings in order to provide clarity on how the policy requirement is delivered. Officers are asked to identify an appropriate standard using the approach recently adopted in the Bath and North East Somerset Local"
- “(1) Affordable Housing Policy DP43 "Affordable housing (including rural exceptions schemes) is amended to increase the proportion of affordable housing sought on green field sites to 38.5% to reflect the overall proportion of affordable housing need identified in the Local Housing Needs Assessment. Officers are asked to consider the most effective delivery of that percentage, including consideration of grant input where appropriate."
NSC Corporate Action Plan Stated Land Use:
The NSCAction Plan references food but with no reference as to where and how that food will be produced? If farmers and small farms are encouraged to diversify away from farming (DP54), food production & security will be negatively affected. For example, NSC Action Plan proposes:
• “An increase in new homes on council-owned land, including affordable homes.
• An increase in identification of more areas of council land for re-wilding/ management for biodiversity.
• Increase the delivery of renewable energy on North Somerset land and buildings
• Land has been identified to secure the delivery of the required number of dwellings within North Somerset between 2024-2039.
• Land has been identified for business purposes across North Somerset to meet needs and aspirations across a range of economic sectors over the plan period, to contribute to sustainable patterns of development and commuting, and to provide a range of local employment opportunities.
• Deliver the council’s development programme to provide quality homes and jobs on council owned land.
• An increase in our carbon stores through increased tree planting and land management.”
Where is NSC’s critical infrastructure ‘Food Production and Security Strategy and Action Plan?
BOB Reports re: Farming, Food Production & Food Security
(various topics sent various departments in North Somerset Council)
- Previous BOB Local Plan presentation and April 2022 Consultation submissions (APR22)
- Draft Rural Strategy Considerations (17NOV23)
- Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) SPD - NSC Consultation repsonse (27NOV23)
- Food Production Security - NSC Transport, Climate and Communities Policy and Scrutiny Panel (30NOV23 incl Farm Video)
- Presentation at NSC Executive Committee Regarding concerns over Farming, Food Production and Food Security (06DEC23)
- Request for support for farming to all NSC Town & Parish Councils (19DEC23 & Email)
NSC Public Engagement sessions
The leader of the council Mike Bell, and Executive Members, will be hosting a number of public engagement sessions throughout November and December to talk about the Corporate Plan and budget. No need to book, please just drop by.
- Monday 27 November, Hangstone Pavillion, Yatton, 6.30pm until 7.30pm
- Friday 1 December, Tithe Barn, Nailsea, 6.30pm until 7.30pm
- Monday 4 December, Castlewood, Clevedon, 6.30pm until 7.30pm
- Wednesday 6 December, Old Town Hall, Weston, 6.30pm until 7.30pm
- Wednesday 13 December, Folk Hall, Portishead, 6.30pm until 7.30pm
Executive members will also be joining our mobile libraries in December on the following dates to meet with residents and talk through issues and ideas. No need to book, just turn up!
- Wednesday 13 December, Wrington - Memorial Hall car park, 2.00pm – 3.00pm
- Friday 15 December, Long Ashton – Community Centre car park, 10.00am – 11.00am
- Monday 18 December, Backwell - Rodney Road, 2.30pm – 3.30pm
- Thursday 21 December, Banwell - Car park opposite the primary school, 3.30pm – 4.30pm
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