Buyers line up for controversial greenfield site (From Stroud News and Journal)

Buyers line up for controversial greenfield site

ANGRY Stonehouse community leaders are considering their legal options after Stroud District Council voted to sell a protective covenant on one of the last green fields around the town.

They believe SDC has not done its best to uphold the covenant on a field west of Bonds Mill Business or on an agreement drawn up with previous owners of the land and another field to the east.

Both are now ripe for development, with developer Robert Hitchins lining up potential buyers this week for its western site, opposite the former Gartners factory.

On Thursday night the council effectively ignored pleas made earlier in the week from Stonehouse Town Council (STC), David Drew MP and townspeople to fight to maintain the covenant, which they believe protects the land from development.

Robert Hitchins contended that the covenant could not be maintained and it would have had to appeal to the secretary of state or the Lands Tribunal - this would have taken about a year and SDC would not receive compensation.

The Conservative-led council voted behind closed doors to release the covenant for £100,000.

"They ignored us," said Stonehouse mayor and Labour district councillor, Mattie Ross.

She said STC will be taking legal advice to determine whether SDC was within its rights to release the covenant.

Town and district colleague Chris Brine was also upset.

"It was an opportunity to receive £100,000 and they did not think of the consequences until it was too late," he said.

Stonehouse Town Council believe the covenant is strong enough to maintain, although if the field is developed, it should at least be switched to the eastern field opposite Avenue Terrace, as was agreed with the previous owner.

At a heated public meeting on Tuesday townspeople told SDC leader Cllr John Stephenson-Oliver (Con, Painswick) they would feel betrayed by the council if it released the covenant.

"It looks like a done deal - we want the district council to stand up for us" said one woman.

But at the final reckoning at the district council meeting on Thursday, that plea and many others counted for nothing.

"There was no choice really," said Cllr Stephenson-Oliver afterwards. "If the covenant had any legal status - unfortunately it did not - then we would not have released it.

"It was a decision which was taken with a very heavy heart."