Rays of Hope

A brisk walk on a cold and sunny day around the open space of Battlefield a.k.a. City Stadium, almost certainly for the last time this year amid feelings of relief that many possibly bad outcomes for this patch of urban green space have been held at bay (for now ...) and my own disbelief at the transformation of a shabby and perhaps doomed to be short lived greening initiative last century has produced this increasingly mature habitat! I turn in from the busy streets of speeding traffic and here all around me is a woodland! The spans of a great piece of 19th century engineering, beautifully crafted are framed by soaring trees against the sweep of a winter sky. Birds flit between the branches and the track is strewn with fallen leaves and berries, braced for winter and waiting for spring.

As 'they' say, the best things in life are free.

Photographic slideshow here (off site link)

All good wishes and a happy New Year

Star and Shadow, Newcastle

This unusual space has been run as a cooperative since 2006 but moved to its current Warwick Street location last year after the co-op bought and converted a building on a former landfill site. Staffed by volunteers and dedicated to promoting grass roots culture, the cinema aims to get patrons involved, rather than merely consuming films. Customers can get involved in discussions about what they’ve seen and maybe even curate a season themselves. The programme is a joyous melange of genres: this month’s offering includes Cambridge Analytica documentary The Great Hack, 1934 Christmas comedy thriller The Thin Man, and evergreen mockumentary This is Spinal Tap. On Sundays, the volunteer-run vegetarian cafe serves toasted sandwiches and homemade cakes.

https://starandshadow.org.uk
Republished from The Guardian 14th December 2019. Link to full article here

The Big-ish Picture

Star and Shadow, Newcastle

This unusual space has been run as a cooperative since 2006 but moved to its current Warwick Street location last year after the co-op bought and converted a building on a former landfill site. Staffed by volunteers and dedicated to promoting grass roots culture, the cinema aims to get patrons involved, rather than merely consuming films. Customers can get involved in discussions about what they’ve seen and maybe even curate a season themselves. The programme is a joyous melange of genres: this month’s offering includes Cambridge Analytica documentary The Great Hack, 1934 Christmas comedy thriller The Thin Man, and evergreen mockumentary This is Spinal Tap. On Sundays, the volunteer-run vegetarian cafe serves toasted sandwiches and homemade cakes.

Republished from The Guardian 14th December 2019. Link to full article here



• starandshadow.org.uk

Cui bono?

Development opportunity

The indefatigable John Urquhart (Cities 4 People) writes:

I also enclose our objection to the proposed Kingston Village development.  Please follow up if you have time!  https://publicaccessapplications.newcastle.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=makeComment&keyVal=PQQ5KPBS05100 From: <no-reply@newcastle.gov.uk> Date: Mon, 2 Dec 2019 at 22:07 Subject: Comments for Planning Application 2019/0666/01/OUT To: <jurquhart.ou@gmail.com> Mr John Urquhart, You have been sent this email because you or somebody else has submitted a comment on a Planning Application to your local authority using your email address. A summary of your comments is provided below. Comments were submitted at 10:06 PM on 02 Dec 2019 from Mr John Urquhart. Application Summary Address: Land To The West Of Brunton Lane, North Of Brunton Bridge And East Of Sunniside Newcastle upon Tyne Proposal: Outline application for the erection of up to 900 dwellings (Class C3), primary education facilities (Class D1), a village centre (Class A1 and A3), public open space, access, car parking, landscaping and associated infrastructure and demolition of agricultural building with all matters reserved except for points of access Case Officer: Sarah Davitt Click for further information Customer Details Name: Mr John Urquhart Email: - Address: Comments Details Commenter Type: Public Organisation Stance: Customer objects to the Planning Application Reasons for comment: Comments: Dear Sir We wish to object to the planning application for Kingston Village, reference number 2019/0666/01/OUT on the following grounds: 1. The application contravenes Core Strategy Policy NN4 - an increase of 400 houses over and above what was agreed in the Core Strategy 2. The development would compromise important wildlife corridors. 3. The application site is one of the last strongholds in Newcastle for Brown Hare, a protected species and priority species in the Biodiversity Action Plan. 4. The application site is home to Red and Amber listed species of breeding/wintering birds including Lapwing, Linnet, Skylark, Starling, Yellowhammer, Grasshopper Warbler, House Sparrow, Grey Partridge, Fieldfare and Reed Bunting. 5. The proposal would put yet more pressure on the delicate ecosystems within Havannah and Three Hills Local Nature Reserve by increasing footfall and disturbance from human activity and domestic pets. 6. The proposed removal of protected trees and hedgerows contravenes Policy CS18, EN3, DM 27, DM28, Policy T1 and T8 of the Newcastle City Council Tree Strategy Policy and NN4 Newcastle Great Park. 7. There are no wholly exceptional circumstances to justify the detrimental impact on ancient semi-natural woodland, therefore the proposals are contrary to the NPPF. 8. Proposed open space provision does not accord with with the standards set out in the local plan. The 'village green' has shrunk considerably since plans were provided for community engagement. 9. There are no detailed comments from the Council's ecology officer 10. The uplift in housing numbers will place undue strain on existing infrastructure, resulting in increased traffic congestion and air pollution. This, coupled with insufficient provision of open space, will have an adverse effect on the health and wellbeing of residents, contrary to CSUCP Policy CS14. 11. Housing numbers should be reduced to minimise harm on biodiversity, Green Belt and open space. No account has been taken of the impact of increased traffic on roads into Newcastle or whether the bus services would have capacity at peak times. In view of the city's commitment to a climate emergency and the need to reduce air pollution, these problems must be factored into any planning application first before proceeding further. John Urquhart Cities 4 People Best wishes John Urquhart

Copyright © 2019 Cities 4 People, All rights reserved.  You are receiving this email as you have previously shown interest in local environmental matters.  Our mailing address is:  Cities 4 People Bridle Path Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE3 United Kingdom

Many thanks to Mr Urquhart for kind permission to re-publish this correspondence.

The scale of new house building on the edge of this city defies rational explanation. Who is buying all these houses? Almost none are in the 'affordable' category and 'social housing' (leprosy to developers) never.

'Who benefits'?

My latest understanding is that Newcastle's recent demographic expansion stems from two main sources: Students and refugees. As my informant suggested, neither of these groups are, in the main, a source of home buyers on this scale. If someone reading this has an answer to this mystery, please let me know.

Latest: Some of the new housing rattled up in the past few years has experienced flooding after this Autumn's prolonged wet weather. Fancy that! Warnings by objector's to some of these schemes have proved well founded. My heart goes out to those who bought in good faith to have their dream home affected from a cause that was predicted before one brick was placed upon another on some green belt silver meadow. They deserve immediate and full compensation and re-dress.