|
Bures-online.co.uk |
 Babergh Compromises on Bond |
|
Time Line from 1980 although the site can
be dated back to 1503
1980 Drake Butchers Slaughterhouse closed down and the site sold to private
buyer, then used as a Meat Processing Plant
1984 Site Closed and leased to Babergh, the buildings were converted to Business
Starter Units
Such as Concrete garden ornament manufacturer, clothing distributor, marquee/tent
manufacture etc
2002 Starter Units, owned by Babergh - occupancy started to decline
2004 Only two Units remain occupied
2006 Site now empty
2009 Site complete with buildings offered For Sale
2013 Planning Application for Residential Properties -refused
2014 Site Cleared of buildings
2015 Site For Sale again with Planning Approved for Residential properties
2016 Test Drilling for contamination and Soil Structure, Site Sold
2017 Stemer arrived on Site .....................................................
November 29th 2019
Residents of Bures now seeking
Judicial Review, of the actions taken
by Babergh Planning Committee.
It was postponed until 2020, when the High Court
Judge found in favour of Babergh
Public Hearing, concerning the incorrect height levels of properties 5/6
6th October 2020
Delayed from April 2020, because of Covid
Appeal Decision 27th November 2020
The Planning Inspector issued their position, height & impact of plots
5&6 have been validated by the Inspector.
The developer now has 9 months to demolish or get a new remediation plan approved.
Extract from the Planning Inspectors Report
The main points of the Council’s case are that the house on plot 5 is
sited 0.81 metre (m) further south and is 1.07 m higher than approved.
Even on current ground levels, the ridge height is 0.58 m higher than it should
be. On plot 6 the ridge height of the house is too high by 0.92 m.
Even if the site levels plan is not followed the house is too high by 0.49 m.
There is no permission to raise the levels of the land on the plots and underbuild
was unnecessary.
The errors are substantial and are too high to be de minimis.
On the other side of the balance serious harm to the local environment and
residents' living conditions continues. The harms should be brought to an end
as soon as reasonably possible, which argues against doubling the length of
the compliance period.
February 2021
Stemer Ltd, have now submitted plans to allow alterations to Plots5/6
Wednesday 14th July 2021 Planning Meeting
Babergh capitulates and allows Stemer Ltd to reduce the roof height.
The reason:- The Developer could lower
the ground level by 1 metre then rebuild to the properties to the original specification,
but lowering the roof height will achieve the same outcome with far less upheaval.
Download
Notes taken for 2.25 hour Meeting
27th July 2021 - the last day the Planning Inspector gave Stemer the option to demolish or submit a remedial plan and complete the Development
3rd Sept 2021 -Reported in Suffolk News
(copy of exact text)
Babergh District Council secures £250,000
bond from Stemer to ensure partial demolition of controversial Bures St Mary
homes goes ahead in event developer falters
This financial arrangement will ensure that the partial demolition of controversial
homes in Bures St Mary goes ahead, in the event the developer cannot deliver
the work, has been approved.
Babergh's planning committee agreed an urgent amendment to a scheme agreed in
July to partially demolish and modify two homes on Cuckoo Hill, to address concerns
by the council and local community.
The application had been approved, following
a planning inquiry that upheld enforcement notices on plots five and six of
the Apple Tree Mews development, after they were found to be in breach of the
permission granted in 2015.
As a condition of the new scheme, developer Stemar had been legally obligated
to secure a financial bond of £250,000, so the council could cover the
work on the homes in default, should the developer go into liquidation.
But, after it was determined that the developer could not obtain this bond,
the planning committee voted last week that £130,000 would be paid
instead.
They also approved the transfer of the freehold title of the two properties, so that the authority could step in to do the work and then sell the properties, if necessary.
A Babergh District Council spokeswoman confirmed, this would act in effect as an insurance policy, which would only come into effect in the event of the developer defaulting or failing to carry out the agreed work.
- Local opinion was astonished that Babergh once again was being led by Stemer.
September 2021
Roofs on Plots5/6 in the process of height
reduction
October 2021
Possibly the last time anyone was seen working on the site
January 2022, Babergh approves
Planning Application to allow alterations to Plots 5 and 6
But it was submitted Feb 2021 and the work has been completed.
May 10th 2023:- Freedom of Information
request (FOI-504520097) to Babergh Planning Dept
Now that all six properties
appear to be occupied, for several months there has been no sign of the Developer
on site
Are there any plans to finish the site, such as the Driveway, Water Break
tank, Surface Water etc
If the Developer has left this site with no intention to return, will Babergh
step-in and complete all the outstanding work and use the Bond money ?
Response
Our last communication with the developer, in February 2023, was that
Plot 6 was not yet sold and they didn’t have the funds to finish the site,
but they would once the sale went through. Our Enforcement Team will query the
latest position with the developer’s agent to clarify.
May 15th 2023
So Stemer had no finances to carry out any completion work until Plots 5
and 6 were sold
I advised Babergh to site visit and confirm the status of Plots 5 & 6 for
themselves
May 21st 2023
Babergh agreed to site visit to check on occupancy.
August 2023: Freedom of Information request
to Babergh Planning Dept
Why the extensive delay in completing
this Development ?
Response
Please accept my apologies for the delay in
responding to you. I have been in contact with the developer in recent months,
to establish when the drainage and surfacing works are due to be completed.
I received responses initially, but have had no response to my follow-up contact.
I will be attempting to make contact
with the developer once more, but if I receive no response my next action will
be to serve a Notice to require the works to be completed. If that is unsuccessful,
I will be making enquiries to spend the bond money we still hold, so that we
can complete the development
|
September 2023 http://www.stemargroup.co.uk/ Babergh Planning in September 2023, were not aware of this announcement
|
 |
January 8th 2024: Freedom of Information request
to Babergh Planning Dept
Has Stemer agreed to complete the Development or have
you decided to use the Bond money ?
Response
Waiting for a reply.
January 11th 2024
However, other outstanding work including drainage, installing tank to catch
surface water run-off and the access road past the garage are still outstanding
January 19th 2024
A neighbour, advised me our recently elected Babergh District Councilor ( May
2023) was very keen on resolving the Development issue.
I emailed the lady concerned, including web links to all the material I had
gathered since the Plans were first submitted in 2014, now 10 years ago.
I explained a large amount of my photographs were used by the Planning Dept
during the Public Enquiry
However, the response was very short with only a few lines.
She made no reference to the material I had submitted and informed me that she
relies on the Parish Clerk supplying her with information.