A BARRISTER has been appointed to fight Stroud District Council’s housing plans for the district.

The radical decision was taken following a meeting on Monday night of the Strategic Planning Alliance, a newly formed alliance of parishes, town councils and community groups in the Stroud district.

The group voted to use funds to employ a planning barrister and professional planning team to challenge the council’s revised Local Plan.

District councillors are due to vote on changes to the draft of the Local Plan on Tuesday before it can be re-submitted to the government for assessment.

The Stroud local plan sets out the strategy for new housing, employment and community development within the district until 2031.

In June this year planning inspector Stephen Pratt released a report on the original draft which was submitted in April following a public examination.

He concluded that the council had not provided sufficient evidence to support its housing and employment figures and gave it six months to get its figures in order using an alternative methodology.

The revised plan now includes an additional 1,700 houses.

The new figure takes into account homes which have already been built or have planning permission as well as an additional 150 homes in the Stroud Valleys and 1,350 homes west of Stonehouse.

Campaign group Don't Strangle Stroud(DSS), which is a member of the Strategic Planning Alliance, claim the evidence for the new figure is 'badly flawed'.

“According to the Office of National Statistics(ONS) the district population is forecast to grow by 12 per cent over the next 20 years but on Tuesday councillors will be voting for a 22 per cent increase," said Daniel James from DSS. “Back to school councillors, this just does not add up.”

The group fears that if an unrealistic housing target is set, Stroud planners will not be able to fight speculative planning applications at appeal and it also claims that the plan has failed to include appropriate housing for the elderly.

According to Peter Edis-Bates (DSS) the increasing elderly population does not lead to an increase in houses but should lead to an increase in the number of care bed facilities.

A spokesman for Stroud District Council said: "On a subject as contentious as the local plan we expect to be on the receiving end of passionate and vocal criticism from communities close to potential housing sites.

"Our professional planners and consultants have worked extremely hard to put together a report which we feel addresses its concerns and meets the requirements of the inspectorate. This is essential if we are to guard against uncontrolled development.

"Councillors will be able to consider the report and any other opinions put forward when they vote on the plan next week.

"Those opposed to the plan will still be able to raise their concerns with the inspector at the next stage of the ‘Examination in Public’ early next year.”