i heard yesterday thateither us or cas have all but been given the go ahead ........it looks like it isgood news for us

Doesn't make good reading :/

Can't see how it makes any difference to us. Nobody is saying our development should be built on brownfield land instead. All the objectors wanted it moving but to other greenbelt sites. So as long as its deemed sustainable all is good.

Couldnt resist this, sorry...

I have finally got around to having a look at the new National Planning Policy Framework document from our mate Eric Pickles team at Communities & Local Government.

Fisrtly - Wow! How to make over a 1000 pages of previous planning policy fit into 49 pages! Much more simple for the layman to understand and just well... more simple & straight forward! However, lets wait & see how it actually works in practise, but I do think less detail should put the power firmly in the hands of local planners and planning committees, so more things should get passed and more quickly on suitable & plan allocated sites.

So, what about Newmarket? Well I can see nothing but good news in this document that would yet again indicate that Newmarket is ever more certain to be passed if this is the direction the government are taking planning policy. We must remember that Newmarket is still under the old planning policy framework but in reality, as this site will not actual be 'decided on' until May and, that this new planning policy framework is now in force with immediate effect, then if they turned Newmarket down it would fly in the face of the brand spanking new policy they have just issued and yet again... how stupid would that make them look!

The full document is here - rlhttp://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningandbuilding/pdf/2115939.pdfrl and while I would normally say, which you can look at if you are bored or have insomnia, this is actually quite easy and simple top get your head around.

In short, while the document does try to protect unsuitable sites it presumes in favour of development for economic growth reasons. It also put lots of emphasis on local plans (the LDF in Wakefield) that have been or are been drawn up under the 2004 act. As Wakefield has just about completed this, and of course Newmarket is still firmly in the new plan, then again this strengthens the Newmarket site. Also, while Newmarket is still (albeit not for much longer) in greenbelt is favours brownfield & previously developed sites in general, which of course Newmarket is.

All in all, this is yet more positive news and the ducks are lining up nicely!

It is indeed good news for Newmarket and if the LDF gets through ok, which I firmly believe it will, I see no way that Newmarket can justifiably be refused. As stated above, going against their own policy would make the government seem rather stupid. Mind you these are the guys that have in the the last week introduced a granny tax, a tax on pies & pasties and created panic at petrol stations around the country so its not cut and dried yet!

The new policy is also geared to promoting town centres before out of town developments, which creates another hurdle for Wheldon Road to get over. Not insurmountable by any means but is likely to delay the planning process further whilst various surveys and studies are carried out and probably means that should Newmarket be passed then the likelihood of Cas sharing it for a couple of years will be increased.