Welcome

The 'Flitwick at the Crossroads' residents action group (FATCRAG) exists to provide a way to represent the collective views of Flitwick residents on various proposals for development in or near Flitwick.

Among other things, this site contains:

The Objectives of FATCRAG

Minutes of meetings and other FATCRAG documents

Links to articles in the local press about the proposed developments and FATCRAG

Latest news

General Election 2010 - 'Meet the Candidates'

An opportunity to meet and question the Mid Bedfordshire constituency candidates

  • Nadine Dorries (Conservative)
  • John Cooper (English Democrats)
  • Malcom Bailey (Green)
  • David Reeves (Labour)
  • Linda Jack (Liberal Democrat)
  • Bill Hall (UK Independence Party)

Tuesday 4th May 2010

Flitwick Village Hall, Dunstable Road, Flitwick MK45 1HP

7.30pm to 9.30pm

Past news

21st February 2010: Minutes of the latest Executive Committee meeting (Word document) are now available.

Of immediate urgency is the Central Beds consultation on housing, employment and green space allocations and we have prepared a possible collective response to this which is available (Word doc). Please let me know if you would like to make any changes or suggest additional material. The relevant web references are:

  • Core Strategy and Development Management Policies http://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/images/CSDM%20design%2019-11-09_tcm5-23718pdf – pps46-50,64-67, 90-93 seem particularly relevant
  • Site Allocations Draft Submission http://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/environment-and-planning/planning/ldf/north-ldf-site-allocations-document.aspx
  • http://www.talktocentralbedfordshire.co.uk/parishes/flitwick/ - Appendix 3 includes the FATCRAG response to the first consultation

You will note in the minutes that we have it in mind to do another Meet the Candidates session, this time with the prospective parliamentary candidates for our area, and also to invite our Central Beds Councillors to our next AGM to see what they have been doing on our behalf and what we would like them to do in the coming year. Watch this space.

29th November 2009: FATCRAG has sent A Response to the East of England 2031 Scenarios for Housing and Economic Growth Consultation

6th October 2009: Notes from the Flitwick Town Council meeting on 15th September 2009 (Word document), at which Jon Cliff from Central Beds spoke about the Flitwick town centre plan,are now available.

2nd July 2009: New documents on the website:

19th April 2009: The minutes of the last Exec Committe meeting (Word document) and the minutes of a meeting held with the Town Council (Word document) on 6 April at the request of the Councillors are now available. This was constructive and there was much common cause. You may also have now received the TC leaflets relating to the use of the Town Precept and also the TC's plans for land it owns. The TC are keen to get FATCRAG's support particularly for divesting some land off Station Road to a private developer to build sheltered housing which is sorely lacking in Flitwick at the moment. Any comments gratefully received.

For the TC meeting we updated the FATCRAG Vision statement (Word document) and we will also be presenting this to the Town Meeting on 22 April - I very much hope you will lend support at this meeting. Another meeting we have suggested and this was also picked up by the TC was with the candidates for the Central Beds Council elections to establish their stance on the issues we consider important. As soon as we have a date (likely to be towards the end of May) we will let you know.

8th March 2009: Flitwick Annual Town Meeting is on 22nd April. FATCRAG has flagged up the need for a discussion on the Town Centre Redevelopment at the Town Meeting and the need for independent consultation and analysis.

8th March 2009: From Jon Cliff at Mid-Beds: 'The next round of public consultation for the Town Centre Development will not now take place in April, but has been postponed until the summer, probably June/July. I note your comments about independance in relation to the consultation process. This needs to be led by the promoters of the development, in this case the main landowners/developers, as the focus of the consultation will be proposals to be put foward in their planning applications. They will commission their own specialists to carry out the consultation, but I would expect that the Council will be able to influence the scope and content, and seek reassurance about the independance of the analysis of the consultation results. I am happy to put your suggestions about the use of the Electoral Reform Society to the developers.'

23rd February 2009: Minutes from FATCRAG AGM are now available: AGM Minutes (Word Doc)

15th January 2009: We are sure you will be pleased to hear that this afternoon at the Midbeds Development Control Committee, the applications for listed building consent and full planning application to turn Flitwick Mill into a private house were refused. The grounds were that the change of use and alterations proposed by the applicant would not be in accordance with the regulations governing the appearance, preservation and historic use of a listed building. The Residents group set up to explore how the mill can be restored as is and its use as a proper community amenity will be negotiating on how this can be achieved on the basis of its initial ideas. The Group is extremely grateful for the support it has received and would welcome offers of help and expertise in taking our ideas further

9th January 2009: There is still a chance to stop Center Parcs building in Warren Woods, please help us now! On the 27th January there will be a public enquiry against closing the current the foot-paths and bridleways through Warren Wood and re-routing to make way for Center Parcs building a holiday village. We need letters of support.