Category: News

F4FM at the Coronation Picnic
A successful day’s work at the Coronation Picnic here in Four Marks

The Coronation Picnic on Sunday 7 May caught the fair weather over the weekend and brought out a good crowd of local residents who kept us busy right from the start! 

We met many neighbours and gained interesting perspectives on living in Four Marks , from new estate residents as well as folk who have lived here for generations.

There was a lot of interest in the implications of potential development sites now being considered and the future allocation of sites in the new local plan. People were also keen to discuss the state of our local infrastructure, (lack of a pub, how difficult it is to get anywhere without using the car, flooded roads etc.,) 

It was not all work and no play – we had great success with our local map game  ‘Can you find your house?’ enjoyed by over 50 children and their families, along with a free lucky dip,  and for the grown-ups, a free Bottle Tombola and Gourmet Goodies Basket prize draw.  The winner lives in Handyside Place and we are delivering the basket this evening.

We are now working on updating our mailing list with new members and planning our next event.  

Our thanks go to the Parish Council admin team who worked so hard to make this a really lovely day for our community!

 

Our community’s excellent monthly magazine has a Civic Business section which this month includes reports from the Parish Council and two of the retiring District Councillors, Diana Tennyson and Ingrid Thomas.

 

Four Marks and Medstead are losing two hard working councillors with a deep understanding of the local natural environment and in Cllr. Thomas, extensive experience and knowledge of district planning and development issues (an extract from her last report is below .)

 

F4FM is keen that any new candidates prioritise planning and the environment in Four Marks and Medstead, demonstrating their understanding of local needs and priorities. With the development of the latest Local Plan, this awareness will be vital for new councillors who will be thrown into the deep end with important decisions about large sites potentially being made very soon after the election. We await their manifesto/personal statements with interest.

 

Four Marks News also has a report covering the latest progress on the new community building from the Parish Council, who will be distributing an up to date fact sheet to every household in the coming month.

 

Four Marks News

Extract from last report of Ingrid Thomas, District Councillor.

The application for 112 house development behind Lymington Barns, Medstead was refused by East Hants District Council, but this has now gone to appeal. 
The developers have also submitted a fresh application. 
The proposed development is outside the designated planning boundary as set out in the Medstead and Four Marks Neighbourhood Plan. 

You can view and comment on this application by following the link below.

EHDC Planning Search Tool

Just fill in the application number 58788/002. 

All comments need to be made by 8 March.

For more local information on the likely impact of this development, please visit :

In the latest reshuffle, Lucy Frazer is promoted from housing minister to become culture secretary. She spent a full 91 days in the role! Rachel MacLean, (with a degree in Experimental Psychology and experience in banking and IT), takes over.

There have now been six housing ministers in the past year alone, with 15 Housing Ministers and nine Housing Secretaries since 2010.

We are already keeping a close eye on the progress of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill and how it will affect work on the Local Plan at East Hants. However, the ‘revolving door’ appointments at Government level continue to stoke uncertainty in the sector which is already suffering from a lack of coherent policy making.

We are still hoping that East Hants will adopt a timetable that allows them to take full account of impending changes in legislation.

The Rt Hon Lucy Frazer KC MP
The Rt Hon Lucy Frazer KC MP was appointed Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on 7 February 2023. She was previously Minister of State in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities from 26 October 2022 to 7 February 2023. She was previously Minister of State at the Departm…

The statement by Rt. Hon. Michael Gove MP on 9th December 2022 introduced many proposed changes to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill which will have a direct impact on Development in the EHDC / Four Marks and Medstead villages. The Bill is currently making it’s way through the House of Lords and is not expected to pass into law until the latter part of 2023. Timetables can, of course, change!

We have outlined below (in plain English) the key changes and summarized what they mean to the residents of Four Marks and Meadstead

We will continue to monitor progress and look forward to all changes being fully embraced by the Local Plan process.

revisions to the bill

relevance to us

Abolish Mandatory House building targets imposed by Central Government

Not mandatory targets imposed by remote central government; therefore, targets are up to EHDC.

57% of land is in a protected National Park, squeezing EHDC Quota into less than half the land will be recognised as unfair and fewer houses need to be planned for.

Four Marks and Medstead are villages, with a rural character which must now be taken into account.

Now to be an advisory starting point, a guide. Local authorities, working with their communities will determine how many homes can be built, taking into account what should be protected in each area—be that Green Belt or national parks, the character of an area, or heritage assets.

Local Authorities will not be expected to build developments at densities that would be wholly out of character.

protect farmland

Further protection in national policy for our important agricultural land for food production, making it harder for developers to build on it.

Previously some sites for 650+ homes, were to be built on productive farmland.

Don’t accept arguments about ‘wrong type of farmland’. Fields around Four Marks produce food for our Nation; much of the land is designated as “Subgrade 3a: Good Quality Agricultural Land”.

local people have greater say

The Planning Inspectorate will no longer be able to override sensible local decision making, which is sensitive to and reflects local constraints and concerns.

Previously some sites for 650+ homes, were to be built on productive Farmland.

Don’t accept arguments about ‘wrong type of farmland’. Fields around Four Marks produce food for our Nation; much of the land is designated as “Subgrade 3a: Good Quality Agricultural Land”.

ends obligation for rolling five-year supply of land for housing

Ends obligation for rolling five-year supply of land for housing to be identified by the Local Authority.

Eliminates the cumbersome and highly restrictive need to identify a 5 year Land Supply for building.

credit for historic overbuilding

Areas that have overdelivered on housing can reduce the number of houses they need to plan for in a new Local Plan.

As part of East Hants District, Four Marks has historically absorbed an unfair proportion of the district’s housing numbers, leading to a reduction in our previous target. Current Local Plan stated minimum of 175 new homes by 2028, we are already at 625 by 2017

prevent land-banking

Bill to ensure developers build out the developments for which they already have planning… allowing local planning authorities to refuse planning applications from developers who have built slowly in the past.
One site in the south of our District has not built out on a major site causing additional pressures on the remaining parts of the county.

use brownfield first

Set different levy rates in different areas, for example lower rates on brownfield over greenfield to increase the potential for brownfield development.

Increase use of Brownfield sites to protect greenfield, especially productive Farmland. 

Infrastructure levy to be higher for Brownfield sites.