Correspondence between Chrissie Freeth and Philip Davies,
June 2007
Dear Mr Davies
Firstly, many thanks for taking the time to read this. I am
a resident of Saltaire and have serious concerns over the
bypass plans you are backing.
Putting aside concerns raised over the environmental impact
of the bypass, and concerns over the effectiveness of this
bypass to address long term transport issues, and putting
aside fears raised regarding potential damage to the
historical fabric of the village a tunnel might cause
(increased pollution, vibration, physical damage to
underground structures etc), for now, it is the buffer zone
I would like to focus on.
Sitting on the Select Committee for Culture, Media and
Sport, you are obviously aware of the Department's recent
White Paper 'Heritage Protection for the 21st Century',
which seeks to provide legislative protection for WHSs, and
acknowledges the importance of buffer zones to help protect
them. As stated in Saltaire's Management Plan and
Nomination Documentation, the village's buffer zone was
established to 'control future development and landscape
changes that may affect the views into Saltaire and the
important views out of the village to the countryside
beyond'.
The importance of the WHSs setting, and the views into and
out of the village is also stressed throughout Bradford
Council's planning policies. For example, Policy BH14,
which specifically relates to Saltaire, states that
development would not be permitted if it 'would adversely
affect the character, appearance, setting or views into or
out of the [WHS]' and goes on to state development would
not be permitted 'Within the site or buffer zone ... that
might result in the loss of heritage fabric or reduce the
enjoyment of the village to residents and visitors by
damaging views into and out of the village ...' As both
Saltaire and the Leeds-Liverpool canal are designated
Conservation Areas, Policy B10 is also of relevance. It
relates to open spaces within or adjacent to Conservation
Areas (thus in this case, open areas within the buffer
zone), and stresses the importance of maintaining a
Conservation Area's setting, character and views. Other
relevant planning policies that seek to restrain
detrimental visual impacts and maintian setting include
those relating to the Leeds-Liverpool Canal (BH20), and to
parks listed on English Heritage's Register of Parks and
Gardens of Special Historic Interest, of which Robert's
Park is one (BH16).
In the most recent Conservation Area Assessment undertaken
by the council for Saltaire (2004) as part of its statutory
obligations, the importance of the WHS's setting was
stressed again. For example, 'The direct relationship
between the village and the surrounding landscape and the
perspectives this allows through the area are an integral
part of the character, sense of place and appeal of
Saltaire.' or 'It is essential that the significant views
and vistas into, out of and through the conservation area
are respected in development within the conservation area
or its setting.' It should also be noted that under the
recommendations of this assessment, the boundaries of the
Conservation Area were extended to cover the allotments at
the back of the church; thus, as the tunnel emerges at this
point, part of the Conservation Area would be directly
destroyed.
Clearly, a bypass through Saltaire's buffer zone will have
a detrimental impact on its setting, it will blight forever
the views into and out of it, it will scar its character
and appearance, and it will have a negative impact on the
experience of the hundreds of thousands of visitors to the
village each year. This is contrary to statements made in
the Council's own planning policies, and documentation
relating to Saltaire's Conservation Area Assessment, WH
status Nomination documents and its Management Plan.
You must be aware that the World Heritage Committee will be
discussing several of the UK's WHSs this month. Liverpool
Docks, the Tower of London, and Westminster have made it
onto their agenda due to concerns raised over developments
in their vicinity that will have a detrimental visual
impact. Concerns were raised last year over developments in
sight of Durham Cathedral and Castle which have
subsequently been abandoned, and most recently Bath has
raised concerns over developments within view of the city.
With the proposed developments within the buffer zone of
Saltaire, the village now ranks amongst these sites. This
is where I get confused over your position on this matter
as you have talked publicly of the importance of Saltaire
and have consistently stated that you would support no
plans that would threaten the World Heritage status of the
village.
According to David Wright's speech in December 2005, the
All Party Parliamentary Committee for WHS, of which you are
a member, seeks to 'ensure that World Heritage Sites
deliver the very best for us as a nation and for the
community in which they sit.' Whilst I appreciate that the
village is currently suffering from traffic congestion
knowingly inflicted on it following the opening of the
Bingley Bypass, how is skewering it with its own bypass any
better for us as a nation or community? If the purpose of
the bypass is to alleviate the threat to the village posed
by traffic congestion, all the bypass will do is shift the
visual and pollution-rich affliction further into the heart
of the village.
I acknowledge that prior to the announcement of this bypass
plan, traffic congestion, was the number one concern of the
residents, and I appreciate, that as our MP, you are only
trying to find ways to address this issue. However, I do
see a contradiction when on one hand you claim you want to
protect the WHS, and on the other that you support this
road, when potentially it could have such a detrimental
affect on the WHS and its setting/buffer zone.
It would be useful therefore, if you could clarify your
stance on a few specific points. 1) In line with current
thinking within the Department of Culture, Media and Sport,
do you acknowledge the importance of buffer zones and what
purpose, to your understanding, do they serve? For example,
to physically protect WHSs, to help preserve their setting
and character, to prevent developments that will have a
visual impact etc? 2) In line with the Council's own local
planning policies, the Conservation Area Assessment, as
well as the documentation produced to support the
nomination of Saltaire as a WHS, do you acknowledge the
importance of Saltaire's setting and the views into and out
of it? (If not I would be grateful if you could state your
reasons why) 3) Do you acknowledge that a bypass through
Saltaire's buffer zone will have a visual impact on
Saltaire's setting and views? Would you see this as
detrimental to the character and enjoyment of the WHS? (If
not, again, I would be grateful if you could state your
reasons why) 4) When you state you wish to do no harm to
Saltaire's World Heritage status, could you please clarify
if you mean status or site, or do you see them as the same
thing? 5) How do you rectify your support for a bypass
through the buffer zone and all that that entails, with the
risks it will pose to the integrity, value and future of
the World Heritage Site and its setting (bearing in mind
the point made above, that rather than alleviate the threat
posed by traffic it will merely shift it further into the
village)?
I want to bring to your attention to two final points.
Firstly, I acknowledge that this bypass is the final 'leg'
of the transport network meant to help regenerate the Aire
Valley (e.g. Keighley) and that regeneration is a key goal
of Bradford Council. But I wanted to draw your attention to
the fact that Saltaire was once so run down it was
considered for demolition. It is now a thriving and very
proud community (and community in the truest sense of the
word). It holds an incredibly popular annual festival and
attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. It
has won a string of awards celebrating its success in
regeneration and has won, of course, the highest accolade
there is - a place on UNESCO's list of WHSs. It seems to me
beyond pity, that all that the village has achieved is
being put at risk. Of course, this is not to say that
regeneration programmes should not be implemented, but it
would be ironic if Saltaire's success in regeneration is to
be sacrificed to achieve it elsewhere, when surely there
must be other means.
The second point I wanted to make is this. The proposed
route of the bypass will have a direct physical impact on a
WHS, a buffer zone, two Conservation Areas, a registered
Historical Park, recreational areas, greenbelt, urban
greenspace, Sites of Geological or Ecological Importance,
Wildlife Areas, dwellings and ancient and semi-natural
woodland (inscribed on the national inventory of trees and
further 'protected' by Council Area Tree Preservation
Orders). If this wasn't bad enough, I wanted to make sure
that you are aware, that the bypass will also plough
through the Woodland Garden of Rest at Nab Wood cemetery.
We have been told that there is nothing to worry about and
it's only a concept under investigation etc. This is in
direct contradiction to private statements made by your
co-founder of Action Airedale, as claimed by an attendee of
the Saltaire Village Society meeting this week. It is also
very clear that this is the only 'option' being considered.
I hope, therefore, you will take my concerns seriously and
address the points of clarification I have raised so I
might better understand your stance on this matter. Please
be assured that my enquiries are meant with the greatest of
respect and I eagerly await your reply.
Your sincerely,
Chrissie Freeth
Dr Chrissie Freeth
Dear Dr Freeth
Thank you for your email. I am sorry for the delay in
replying to you.
Of course I understand your concerns. I fully support World
Heritage Sites. Indeed in our Select Committee report last
year on heritage I specifically asked for the
recommendation we included to give more support and
protection to them which as you know the government
accepted.
In answer to the 5 specific questions you pose:
1) I am well aware of the importance of the buffer zones to
World Heritage Sites for the reasons you set out.
Ultimately it would be for UNESCO to determine if any
bypass would be unacceptable to the status of the World
Heritage Site. Neither I nor Bradford council would support
or move forward with any plans which would threaten
Saltaire's World Heritage Site status.
2) yes I do
3) A bypass may or may not have a negative impact upon the
view and visual environment of Saltaire depending on the
route and the measures taken to alleviate any issues. That
is why I support the Council in seeking to undertake a
feasibilty study. It also means I will not support any
bypass anywhere.
4) I see both status and site as heavily overlapping. The
status will only be preserved if the site is considered not
to have been adversely affected.
5) I don't accept the premise of the point you make here. I
think Saltaire is currently negatively affected by the
congestion and the rat running which takes place.
As you acknowledge, resolving the congestion at Saltaire
Roundabout is the top local priority for my constituents
and I therefore think it would be negligent of Bradford
Council not to explore a possible solution and for me not
to support them in that endeavour.
In letters I have received from Bradford Council which I
have passed on to some local residents they have made it
clear that their proposal is in no way a hard and fast
route but merely a proposal which is likely to change.
There are some people who are against all bypasses on
principle. That is a perfectly honourable position to hold
but one which I simply do not share.
I would like to see a solution to the congestion at
Saltaire and I do believe that a bypass could well be the
best solution.
However any bypass would be many many years in the future,
and I will certainly ensure that all of the views of local
people are taken into account by the Council. Indeed I have
already been doing this.
Although you may well disagree with me about this issue I
do hope you at least appreciate my honesty and are somewhat
reassured by my pledge not to support any scheme which
threatens the status as a world Heritage Site.
If you email me with your home full postal address I will
happily make Bradford Council aware of your concerns and
send you their response when I receive it.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Yours sincerely
Philip Davies MP