Northstowe Update
6 August 2010
Local media announced the government’s decision to close Oakington Immigration Centre, Rampton Road, Longstanton in November 2010. Although not definite, it seems likely that this decision clears the way for a new and final planning application for Northstowe. Perhaps the future of the A14 up-grade and the success of the Guided Bus-way project have made this decision inevitable.
1 June 2010
After the formation of a historic coalition government, Andrew Lansley our local MP, is now Secretary of State for Health. In an interview with the Cambridge Evening News, on Tuesday, June 1, he made the following statement regarding Northstowe.
” I hope we can make progress on Northstowe, and the Homes and Communities Agency can reach some sort of resolution with Gallaghers. When the economic recovery starts, we are going to need people, and will be needing more jobs. We have got to have somewhere for them to go, and that will be Northstowe. For good or ill, we have made that decision. “
18 Apr. 2010
The General Election campaign is well underway. The results of this election will undoubtedly have a profound impact on the future direction of Northstowe. Along with everyone else, we can only wait and see what will happen to this project after May 6th.
20 Feb. 2010
As you will see from the Northstowe section of the website the development of Oakington airfield and large parts of Longstanton village has been delayed by the global economic recession. A joint statement was published by Cambridge Horizons; HCA (Homes & Communities Agency) and others on 1 December, 2009. In this statement it was announced that Northstowe will now be an Eco-Town (in the second wave.)
LDHS welcomes this decision and had hoped that the delay will be used constructively to produce the “exemplar” development that we have been promised. We still hope that the eco-town will respect the heritage of the surrounding villages and the site itself – whether it be landscape; archaeology; or old buildings from WW2. We know, as do others involved with the Northstowe project, that the heritage of the existing villages and Oakington airfield does justify a local heritage facility.
However, we are concerned about recent developments. You will see under our Latest News section that, in January 2010, SCDC adopted Policy SP/15 which effectively paves the way for Northstowe ”open uses” (allotments, cemeteries and sports fields) to be located within the Longstanton Conservation Area. Adoption of this policy indicates that Northstowe is still progressing but behind closed doors. Destruction of the Longstanton Conservation Area, Ridge and Furrow, wildlife habitats and archaeology for the development of this “eco-town” cannot be acceptable. Adoption of Policy SP/15 by SCDC in January appears to contradict their existing Development Affecting Conservation Areas SPD (adopted Jan. 2009).
LDHS will contine to taken an active interest in how Longstanton; Oakington& Westwick and the old airfield are developed. We will continue to lobby the developers and local government for; the preservation of both our archaeology and our conservation area. We will continue to lobby for the establishment of a developer funded heritage facility preferably in the former Officer’s Mess building in Longstanton. Not only does LDHS believe that this will be a fitting tribute to those who lost their lives flying out of RAF Oakington; but we believe that this heritage facility will provide the new town witha unique identity and provide new residents withan understanding of their past. This facility will provide a place where residents of both the existing villages and Northstowe can meet and socialise. This will promote a sense of community throughout Northstowe and beyond.
We know from the numbers of members who live throughout the UK and abroad that the fate of Northstowe is of interest to many. To those, who were stationed at RAF Oakington during WW2, All Saints’ church is their spiritual home; containing as it does War Graves and the 7 Squadron Association Memorial Window. The army also used All Saints’ church as it spiritual home when they were stationed in Oakington Barracks towards the latter part of the 20th Century.
In addition, LDHS has already received visitors from Australia and Canada. In the 19th Century many local villagers left Longstanton and Oakington and emigrated to Australia and elsewhere. In recent years we have met some of their descendents.
St. Michael’s church our rare little thatched church (now redundant and in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust) will also attract visitors from America. The plans of our very own St. Michael’s were taken to America and were used as the basis for churches in Philadelphia and New Jersey. We have details of these churches and hope that contact can be made with some of them in due course.
A heritage facility in the Officer’s Mess would be within walking distance of these two historic churches. It would have plenty of parking; good access to the new St Ives – Cambridge Guided Bus-way and is adjacent to the ” first” Northstowe residents ( Longstanton residents who currently live in Rampton Drift and who will be Northstowe residents once the boundaries are settled.) 7 Squadron Association and many others including local schools support us in this ambition.
We continue to hope that our local MP Andrew Lansley; the Homes and Communities Agency; Cambridge Horizons; South CambridgeshireDistrict Council and others will see the benefits of a heritage facility and will incorporate it into the revised plans for Northstowe that are due to be submitted later this year. We welcome our recent meeting with Terry Fuller, Regional Director of HCA (see Latest News section). We hope that he will share our vision and together we can help preserve the heritage of the existing villages and Northstowe for future generations.
We will update you as soon as we receive further information on both the Northstowe plans and proposals to safeguard our heritage. Do come and visit this site again soon.
The above was written by: HAE Stroude (LDHS Secretary)
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