Baxters Field Campaign

Success for SVAG

Debbie was very pleased last night to attend the Planning meeting at Stroud District Council to decide the application for the building of homes on Baxters Field. Over 80 concerned local residents also attended and there were many eloquent speeches by residents and their representatives. It was no surprise then that the Committee voted unanimously to refuse the application by Gladmans. Unfortunately the hard work really does starts here as Debbie has been informed that Gladmans will appeal the decision.

Debbie is very pleased to see that the Planners are recommending refusal for this planning application. As well as being out with SVAG last Tuesday she will also be at the Planning Meeting at Ebley Mill on 23rd April. Fingers crossed the trains will be on time

Debbie said "I am confident that this application will be turned down, given the issues of traffic and the impact on the AONB. The real campaign will be when this goes to appeal, and I am happy to be part of the continuing objections"

Debbie has been campaigning hard throughout the Stroud Central Division. She is here with supporters Vicky and Dorcas who are part of a large team helping Debbie. this week she has been out supporting Slad Valley Action Group when the Planners came on a site visit and was featured in this weeks Stroud News and Journal.

Debbie organised and attended a meeting with Brandon Lewis, Under Secretary of State for the Department of Communities  and Local Government to discuss Neighbourhood Planning. Neighbourhood Planning will ensure that development occurs where local communites feel it is appropriate. There is £30,000 available to the District Council for each Neighbourhood Plan for Officer support for those groups wishing to undertake the work. In addition there is £7,000 to be paid directly to each of those groups to support their work. Undertaking a Neighbourhood Plan will ensure that unwanted development such as Baxters Feild and Rodborough Fields will not happen in the future.

Debbie said "The planning application by Gadmans for Baxters Field has now gone in.You can comment on the application on the Stroud District Council website using the reference S.13/0166/OUT. Make your views known"

There has been much talk recently about house building with the new Local Plan being discussed at Stroud District Council. Debbie was a major player is developing links with Don’t Strangle Stroud, who believe that numbers of homes needed are much lower than those planned by the Council.

Views such as this of  Baxters Field and the Slad Valley may well be destroyed if developers are able to build the up to 11,500 new houses planned by SDC. Debbie has worked with local residents of Summers Street in Stroud to find reasons why development would not be suitable here. She is also keen to encourage Chalford Parish Council to adopt a Neighbourhood Plan which would be fundamental in opposing development in the Parish in areas where it would be inappropriate. 

Debbie was also part of making an amendment to the numbers of houses built when it was discussed at Ebley Mill in October. Unfortunately this amendment was defeated.  Debbie’s view is that “Conservatives will fight to ensure the people of Stroud District have a say in how their communities are shaped by the local plan and will oppose inappropriate, unsupported estimates that give a free rein to housing development.”

Debbie continued “The Localism Act provides an opportunity to adopt a far more imaginative approach to development. I support, assisted living schemes for the elderly that increase mobility in the housing stock, a wider mix of housing types with a focus on truly affordable homes, schemes to accommodate young people within their community, flexible live/work development for brown field and redundant industrial buildings and appropriate new development to help drive economic growth and regenerate our heritage architecture"

Update

Debbie went to the exhibition hosted by the developers, Gladman, and was keen to support Mary and Eric Jarrett who are leading the campaign to stop development