Fury as rural status goes (From Stroud News and Journal)

Fury as rural status goes

PROTESTORS walked out of Ebley Mill in disgust on Thursday after a decision y Stroud District Council to strip towns and villages around the Five Valleys of their rural status.

Despite 364 objections the decision went ahead to incorporate Nailsworth, Stonehouse, Thrupp, Brimscombe and Woodchester in the Stroud urban area.

Although the council insisted that the decision will not 'significantly' affect planning policy, the rural area is already being cited in one planning application as a reason not to include affordable housing.

Brimscombe resident Jason Page told the SNJ after the meeting the decision was a disgrace. "Having sought public opinion, which was overwhelmingly against this, they are now ignoring our objections," said Mr Page, 36, of Swellshill. "They have gone along with the path of least resistance."

At the meeting, which was packed with members of the public, Cllr Martin Whiteside (Green, Thrupp ward) put forward a motion to have the last minute changes to the urban area removed.

He also defended the SNJ, which was criticised by officers for inciting an 'emotional' reaction to the plan by focusing on the urban issue. His passionate speech, and that of his seconder Cllr John Marjoram (Green, Trinity ward) were met with deafening applause from the public gallery.

But officers advised that the motion was likely to delay the adoption of the plan, and reminded councillors that if there is no local plan in place by July 2006, a government officer will take control of planning policy.

Of the 40 councillors present, only Cllr Linda Townly (Independent, Uplands) added her support to the motion, which was defeated before the plan was unanimously adopted.

Council leader Chas Fellows (Con Chalford) said he respected Cllr Whiteside's efforts to represent his electorate."However, as councillors we not only serve individual wards but Stroud district as a whole," he said. "I hope we can now all support the local plan."