Click on the images to enlarge. |
 The Grove viewed towards Shay Lane. Photographed December 2000. |
 The Grove from Shay Lane.
Photographed 12th May 2009. |
 The land at the southernmost end of the Grove, just waiting to be developed, or so it seems. To the left the small Grove House Farm estate and the Balk, to the right, the route of the Barnsley Canal*. Photographed 19th April 2009.
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 Entrance to the former farm off the Grove. this provides access to the site.
[07 Jul 2011] |
 The southernmost end of the Grove, access to any future development.
[07 Jul 2011] |
 Another view of the old Grove Farm field. The hedgerow across the field forms the boundary with Waterton Park Golf Course.
[07 Jul 2011] |
 View from what would be the access road for any new development at this end of the Grove.
[07 Jul 2011] |
 The Grove 'Housing with support' provided by the Guinness Northern Counties Housing Association. A pleasant development at the southern end of the Grove. This road would provide the access route to any future development off the end of the Grove.
[07 Jul 2011] |
 View from the Trans Pennine Trail (Barnsley Canal footpath) across the old farmland off the Grove. The proposed gypsy and traveller site would occupy a large part of this field.
[07 Jul 2011] |
 The Grove in the vicinity of the school.
[07 Jul 2011] |
 Grove Crescent.
[07 Jul 2011] |
 View towards the Grove House Farm and The Grove estates from the track off The Balk.
[28 Aug 2011] |
 View towards The Grove and Trans Pennine Trail (Barnsley Canal route) from the track off The Balk.
[28 Aug 2011] |
 Watch out for old geezers. |
 Local Development Framework 2011.
Safeguarded Land (Protected Areas of Search for Long Term Development).
Waterways Land (W60) and Grove House Farm (W6i). Read about 'PAS'. |
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PLANNING PROPOSALS AFFECTING THE GROVE, GROVE HOUSE FARM, THE BALK & WATERTON PARK GOLF CLUB.
 OUT or BACK IN? - Proposal for a continuing care retirement community.
Development plans for a Continuing Care Retirement Community of approximately 250 dwellings on The Grove (Land Off) Walton Wakefield WF2 6QT. The site covers an area of 4.77 hectares (11.7869 acres or 11 acres and 3808.7 yd²).
Related documents (there are more on the official Wakefield MDC site):
Planning Application Ref. 09/01762/OUT, Planning Portal Reference No. PP-00744732 Address: The Grove (Land Off) Walton Wakefield WF2 6QT. The application was made by Bramall Construction Ltd and received by Wakefield MDC on 11th September 2009.
The application for the Care Community was refused on 3rd September 2010.
In September 2011 a revised application was made, similar to the first development but with just 129 units (Ref: 11/01749/OUT). See the side panel for more information. |
 IN? - Gypsy and Traveller Site
Background
Following the rejection of the retirement community plan,
the Parish Council was informed of that the landowner is in negotiation to lease part or all of the field to a developer of gypsy sites.
Read more about this on the official Walton Parish Council website.
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 Following the Parish Council Meeting on 5th July 2011, attended by over 350 parishioners, a public meeting was held on Tuesday 12th July with the developers in the Village Hall. The developers presented their proposals and dealt with a range of questions from the assembled villagers, many of whom were clearly worried about the fate of the village should the gypsy site receive planning permission.
A further public meeting, hosted by Walton Action and the Parish Council, was held on 16th August 2011.
Read this article in the Wakefield Express (if the link does not work, visit www.wakefield.express.co.uk and search). |
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SITUATION AS AT 15th DECEMBER 2011
1) CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY
Outline Application for a Continuing Care Retirement Community (129 Units) including access - The Grove (Land Off) Walton, Wakefield. (Resubmission)
Ref: 11/01749/OUT
The application was heard in committee on 24th November and again on 15th December where it was unanimously APPROVED by the committee.
The issuing of a decision notice is subject to acceptance by WMDC of a Unilateral Undertaking (Sec 106 agreement) outlining the obligations to be fulfilled by the applicant. This is currently in the hands of WMDC's legal officer.
2) SITE FOR GYPSY PITCHES
Meanwhile, the gypsy site application stands for the time being but the date for hearing the application is yet to be set.
Application: Temporary use of land (until 2022) for the stationing of caravans for residential purposes for 18 no. gypsy pitches together with the formation of additional hard standing and utility/ dayrooms ancillary to that use. - The Grove (Land Off) Walton Wakefield WF2 6QT
Ref: 11/01525/FUL .
The Parish Council decided to OBJECT to this application.
[Extract from the Parish Council's website as at 4th February 2012]
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 For more information about this and other matters affecting the village, visit the official Walton Parish Council and Wakefield MDC websites. Contact details for your district councillors are on the Wakefield MDC site and also on the residents' flyer* concerning the current development proposal.
See Planning and development control on the Wakefield MDC website and the Planning Portal. The Planning Portal is the British Government's online planning and building regulations resource for England and Wales.
(* Some linkled documents may be in PDF format, if you need to download the free Adobe Reader, see the side panel.) |
SAFEGUARDED LAND (PAS)
Extracts from WMDC planning documents. |
| Unitary Development Plan, 1st Alteration (UDP) |
The UDP contains this reference to the land:
WCS 35, GROVE HOUSE FARM, WALTON
An area of land at Grove House Farm has been excluded from the Green Belt. There is existing development on three sides. Should circumstances permit the development of all or part of this site, the favoured use would be residential.
It is shown as a Protected Area of Search (PAS).
UDP para 5.5.9 Protected Areas of Search for Long Term Development
There are certain areas which are not allocated for development in the Plan but which are not considered appropriate for inclusion in the Green Belt. These areas are designated Protected Areas of Search for Long Term Development. A detailed explanation of this approach is contained in UDP Section 10.5 of Volume 2. |
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| Local Development Framework (LDF) |
The UDP is being replaced by the Wakefield Metropolitan District Local Development Framework - February 2011 (LDF)
The Grove House Farm site ('Land off The Grove') is included in the LDF as PAS W6i
GROVE HOUSE FARM, WALTON.
The WATERWAYS LAND is included as W60.
Safeguarded Land (Protected Areas of Search for Long Term Development)
13.12 To ensure that Green Belt boundaries last longer than the lifetime of a single plan some land has been retained on the
edge of settlements that was previously allocated in the development plan for the district, which may be suitable to meet
longer term development needs. The land is not required for development during the plan period, because other more
suitable development sites have been identified. These undeveloped areas, often substantial in size, are protected from
other forms of development to ensure that they are available to be used for development in the longer term, should the
need arise. This safeguarded land is allocated as Protected Areas of Search for Long Term Development. Land covered
by a Protected Areas of Search for Long Term Development allocation should not automatically be regarded as long
term development land. Reviews of LDF documents may reconsider the suitability of safeguarded land, but in the meantime
development will be restricted to that which is necessary for the operation of existing uses, or to such temporary uses
as would not prejudice longer term development needs.
13.13 The suitability of safeguarded land will necessarily include an assessment of the need for housing and employment land
in the context of the overarching spatial development strategy set out in the Core Strategy at the time of such an
assessment. Safeguarded land helps retain flexibility, but land adjacent to settlements identified to support growth may
be more appropriate to identify as development land than in other locations, as long as it provides opportunities for<
sustainable development. |
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Find out more about the LDF at Wakefield MDC.
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Safeguarded Land (PAS), Gypsy & Traveller sites, Housing and more,
read the
LOCAL DEVELOPMENT
FRAMEWORK
there are documents, downloadable from the WMDC site, which make interesting reading, such as:.
Core Strategy and Development Policies documents:
Core Strategy
Development Policies
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Site Specific Proposals Development Plan Document - Publication and Submission 2011 documents:
Site Specific Proposals
Submissions Proposal Map
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There's much more, of course, on the WMDC site. |
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