Town leaders anger at land deal (From Stroud News and Journal)

Town leaders anger at land deal

COMMUNITY leaders are furious that they have been kept in the dark over a land deal which they fear could surround their town with industrial development.

A protective covenant on a field between Bristol Road and Bonds Mill Industrial Estate at Stonehouse could be lifted to make way for a hi-tech business park, if Stroud District Council members give it the go-ahead.

But Stonehouse Town Council members were upset over the proposed £100,000 deal because they said they did not know about the recommendation and believed it would open the floodgates for more development. "No notification of the covenant's situation was received by the town council," said Cllr Richard Williams on Monday night.

The covenant was placed on the land in the 1930s by Major Claude DeLisle-Bush, to protect it from development.

But in 1996 Cristie Electronics won a planning appeal for a hi-tech business park there.

Now SDC planners have been in talks with developer Robert Hitchins. Officers believe that the firm more usually known for house building could successfully appeal against the covenant, as outline planning permission still stands.

Although SDC scrutiny committee has called the matter in for discussion tomorrow night (Thursday) town and district councillor Chris Brine was upset that it will be behind closed doors.

"I'm disappointed that this issue of the covenant will not be scrutinised by the public," he said.

SDC full council has yet to consider the cabinet's recommendation that the covenant is sold.

Robert Hitchins was not available for comment as the News & Journal went to press.