PUBLIC MEETING & AGM - SAT 2 November 2024
Our constituted community group Friends of Western Harbour Ponds will soon celebrate its first birthday! It was constituted at the end of October 2023, and we're now making plans for our first Annual General Meeting, which will double as a public meeting. Pop it in your diary and come join us! An agenda will be circulated nearer the time.
Date and time: Saturday November 2024, 2.30pm
Venue: Heart of Newhaven - Anchor West Room
LATEST PLANNING STATUS
Seems it's currently all quiet on the Western Front! To date (as at September 2024), no planning application has yet been brought, and no sale of any of the plots to the prospective buyer / developer FM group (Jonathon Milne) has yet been recorded.
Following their PAN consultation meeting in late February (as per 24/00581/PAN), the prospective buyer / developer and his agents never proceeded with the second PAN consultation event, which was scheduled for early May. No planning application has been filed yet. However, the FoWHP committee has a comprehensive draft objection prepared, to respond the moment an application goes in. We'll notify supporters if and when this happens.
According to the Land Registry, ownership of the 4 plots has not changed (FM had stated they would only buy if planning permission looks likely). Nor have the plots re-entered the open market. This leads us to believe there is still an option agreement in place between the current landowner and FM. Alternatively, it could mean that the would-be buyer has abandoned his plans and the owner is now not seeking a sale. We have asked for a status update from FM's representatives and the seller's agent - no reply as yet.
In the meantime, we continue to explore potential avenues and options to secure the future of the site for nature and people. Any leads and suggestions welcome!
HOW ELSE YOU CAN HELP
- Sign and share this petition at www.change.org/saveWHponds and spread the word about it!
- Join our Facebook group, check out our info on Linktree and visit our website
- Email your elected representatives - your local Councillors, MSPs and MP - telling them why you feel it's important to protect the Ponds. Tell them what this place means to YOU - make it personal and don't forget to include your address!
- Become a Friend - join our constituted community group Friends of Western Harbour Ponds by signing up
- Join our citizen science project on iNaturalist
- Get in touch with any person or organisation you think might be able to help our cause, and feel free to take any action you think might be useful. Just keep the committee in the loop when doing so by emailing to westernharbourponds@gmail.com