Newcastle City Council today voted 10:1 in favour of plans for 1,200 houses adjacent to Havannah Nature Reserve. Banks, Newcastle International Airport and Save Newcastle Wildlife spoke against the plans, which contravene local and national planning policy and will see inappropriate development in the Green Belt. Newcastle City Council, however, will not be referring the plans to the Secretary of State. But the National Planning Casework Unit is currently considering a call-in request – thanks to us. Deliberations could take up to 28 days. In the meantime, we need EVERYONE who has signed this petition to write to the Secretary of State to request the plans are called in. Don’t worry if you’re not sure what to write. You can find the template letter below. All you need to do is add your name, and any other comments, and send your email to sajid.javid@communities.gsi.gov.uk with an open copy to npcu@communities.gsi.gov.uk and info@savenewcastlewildlife.co.uk Today’s decision is not cut and dried. It is, however, a decision with serious implications for parkland and green space, as well as wildlife and biodiversity, if we don't act now. Thank you for your support. ____________________________________________________________________ Dear Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP, Re: Newcastle City Council – Planning Application 2017/0666/01/OUT Newcastle Great Park I am writing to you in your capacity as Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to request call-in of the above major planning application, which conflicts with national policy on Green Belts, as set out in Section 9 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Section 38 (6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act (2004) requires planning applications to be determined in accordance with the local development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. This application contravenes Newcastle and Gateshead Core Strategy and Urban Core Plan and the Master Plan for development in Newcastle Great Park. There are no material considerations to outweigh the development plan allocation and the clear harm caused by the proposals. Furthermore, there are no very special circumstances to justify inappropriate development in the Green Belt, and the proposals would result in substantial harm to the Green Belt and biodiversity. Newcastle City Council has also misinterpreted Paragraph 74 of the NPPF and the extant development plan policy for open space protection. Such misinterpretation of local and national policy could set a dangerous precedent for the inappropriate change of use of parkland elsewhere, which would prohibit public access to the detriment of local communities. I therefore request you call in this application for your own determination. Yours sincerely, {INSERT NAME}