Oakley Green, Fifield & District Community Association
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site updated -
There has been much concern recently about the rather incompetent construction works that have begun on Fifield Road. Here are one or two items of information concerning this.
1 - Email from Cllr Coppinger at 12:51

The senior enforcement officer visited the site this morning. He advises me as follows.

1. It is possible that the temporary building does not need planning permission if it is directly linked to the main planning permission. This will be checked today and if planning permission is required then that will be sought immediately. It is unlikely that the work will be stopped during this process.

2. A pipe has been placed in the ditch to carry the water and this has been referred to Sue Fox( officer responsible for flooding) to ensure that it is off the right size.

3. The traffic lights , as we know, do not have permission and this is being processed which will mean that they are switched off at non working times.
2 - Email from OGAFCA Environment at 14:37

Thanks David

I'm afraid I still have many questions !

2 - Pipe in ditch
I'm afraid I don't accept that this is simply to do with what is thought to be of a sufficient size by Highways. The fact is that a huge amount of time was spent during Planning Consultation (as we all know !!!!) arriving at specs that covered the whole problem of drainage. Along with the approval came many Conditions and there were particular specs governing the entrance and the ditch and the drainage from the site into it etc etc. I have attached the drawing again to make it beyond question that what they are doing bears absolutely no similarity to what is specified on the drawing. How can this now be allowed with a shrug ? If this is the case what on earth is the point of the whole Planning process ?

3 - The Traffic Lights
If it is the case that these lights have no permission surely they should not be simply switched off when they are not working but removed completely until they have the necessary permission. If I went out onto Fifield Road and set up some traffic lights on a whim how long would I be allowed to leave them in place ? And when they do have permission surely it is ridiculous to leave them in the road all night and over weekends with all the associated bollards etc even if they are switched off.

I'm afraid this all looks like a completely ramshackle shambles and does not bode well for all the detailed and particular specs for onsite drainage and eventual outflow into the ditch.

I hope something will happen to allow proper common sense and enforcement to require compliance with what we all tried so hard to achieve.

Best wishes,

Rod
3 - Email from Cllr Coppinger at 16:26

Update

1. The company have been told to remove the lights and have been told if they appear again without permission RBWM will remove them and charge them costs

2. Officers are now looking at what has been done re ditch cp with the approved plans and will take necessary action

A full report will be issued by officers next week to all interested parties.