Development fears are voiced (From Stroud News and Journal)

Development fears are voiced

FEARS have been voiced at Ebley Mill that developers could be given carte blanche to build hundreds more houses following county council moves to delay the massive Hunts Grove development.

District councillors have slammed a Shire Hall decision to put its flagship project near Quedgeley back from 1,000 to 500 homes by 2011.

Planning chiefs fear house-builders could use the resulting housing shortage as a weapon to win planning appeals across the district, trumping objections from residents and councillors.

Cllr Barbara Tait, cabinet member for planning at Ebley Mill, has already written to county colleagues outlining council fears and asking for the change to be dropped.

"We are certainly going to dig our heels in," she told the SNJ. "Where are we going to put these extra homes - it would be impossible.

"What makes me really angry is that we have spent all this time doing our local plan and just had the inspector's report back. This could delay us even further."

Cllr Tait added her concerns that the council could even be dragged into a planning inquiry over the issue, potentially costing the taxpayer hundreds of thousands of pounds.

But Shire Hall are keen on bringing in the changes in order to focus on the mammoth 2,600-home development at nearby Eastchurch, vital for securing £6 million from developers Quedgeley Urban Village Ltd for the planned south west bypass. Cllr Tait's opposite number on Gloucestershire County Council, Dr John Cordwell, said:

"All we are going to do is change the phasing slightly to allow the Eastchurch development to get going. We do not get the £6 million until the 200th house has been occupied.

"We do not think the re-phasing is going to be that serious from the point of view of Stroud District Council but it is vitally important to us that the Eastchurch development gets going."

The proposals were formally approved by Shire Hall's cabinet on Monday, December 20 as part of the county's structure plan, due to be formally approved by the council on Wednesday, January 26.