Archive for category: News

On 15^th March 2023 Rugby Borough Council’s Planning Committee met to consider application R22/0383 Erection of 10 dwellings with access from Heritage Close. The Parish Council and several residents objected to this plan therefore Cllr Bishop attended the meeting on behalf of Cawston Parish Council to speak in opposition to this development. Unfortunately, the planning application was approved by Rugby Borough Council and the development will go ahead. It was said at the hearing that the developer or their agent had given the Parish Council 6 months to come up with a suitable community use for the land however Cawston Parish Council has never had any communication with or offers from the agent or developer.

Cawston Parish Council are still passionate in its desire to see this land used for community use, but it was for Rugby Borough Council to decide. It will continue to work with Rugby Borough Council to see how the developers can contribute to other areas of the community through the Section 106 agreement, where developers fund local community projects.

Please see below for the full statement made by Cllr Bishop on behalf of Cawston Parish Council at the Planning Committee hearing on 15^th March 2023.

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Thank you for the opportunity to speak on behalf of Cawston Parish Council, and on behalf of the many residents who have contacted us about this specific application.

As a reminder, Cawston Parish Council objected to this application for the following reasons:

1. Safety – the original layout of houses would have reduced the visibility for motorists on the Gerard Road island crossing, which is used by children.

2. Ecology – This site has been a haven for wildlife and would be a sad loss of green space for Cawston.

3. Density – the frontages of some of the proposed properties were very close to the road and not in keeping with others.

4. Parking – the development of the proposed site will see an increase in traffic and parking, which is particularly likely to cause further issues because of the close proximity to the shops, community centre and school.

I’m pleased to see some of those issues have been resolved, to the letter of the law, however, Cawston Parish Council, and the residents, still have questions over the sale and purchase of the land, and that the optics of this do not look good.

While the sale, purchase and submission of the planning application may have followed due legal process, there are still unanswered questions, and that the community itself desires the land to be used for a more community-based purpose. I would ask the committee to consider the optics of this.

– Does this offer Cawston a positive use for this land?

– With the speed and nature of the sale, and initial application, and with the involvement of sitting Councillors in the development. Does this look like a deal conducted behind closed doors, and waved through?

Until all of the questions from the community can be answered – we would ask the committee to reject this application in its current form and ask the new landowner to engage with the community, to consider answering some of the community’s needs, before they submit a future application.

Cawston Parish Council has a vacant seat and is keen to fill it. If you are over 18 years, are a resident of Cawston and are interested in joining the Parish Council please get in contact with the Parish Clerk by emailing her at clerk@cawstonpc.org.

Parish Councillors have an opportunity to make a real difference to their community, at a small cost in time and effort. The Parish Council take responsibility for a range of local matters and community needs, such as, the community hall and some streetlighting. It works closely with the principal authorities on a variety of issues and is a consultee on further development and individual planning applications.

This month’s Cawston Parish Council meeting will take place on Tuesday 15th November 2022, 7pm at the Community Hall.

Cawston Parish Council represents a growing and thriving community of more than 3,000 people closely situated to open countryside on the edge of the Town of Rugby, in the County of Warwickshire. The Council owns and manages the Cawston Community Hall which is a busy hub for local activity groups and a focal point of the community.

The Council is now looking to recruit an Assistant Clerk to provide administrative support to the Parish Clerk in order to carry out all the functions required by law and to help the Council meet the challenges it faces over the next few years.

We would like to hear from you if you:

• are IT literate
• have a background in administration or finances.
• have experience in managing diaries or bookings systems.
• can organise and prioritise your own workload to adhere to strict deadlines.

The Post is 8 hours per week which may on occasion be inclusive of attending evening meetings.

The hours to be worked are flexible and can be varied to suit the right candidate.

£11.42 – £11.63 commencing salary is dependent on experience and qualifications.

Closing Date for Applications: Noon 27^th March 2023

To obtain an application pack and to discuss this Post please contact the Parish Clerk:

Email: clerk@cawstonpc.org

Phone: 07393640110