STONEHOUSE High Street will once again be ‘wrecked’ after it was confirmed the cabling connecting the incinerator at Javelin Park to the grid connection at Ryeford will go directly through the town centre.

This comes only a year after the High Street underwent a large refurbishment and with further significant disruptions in the past four years.

In November Gloucetsershire County Council (GCC) revealed that Urbaser Balfour Beatty were planning to run five miles of cabling through the High Street and this news was met with dismay by residents and business owners.

Last month there were discussions between GCC and Stonehouse Town Council to send the cabling on an alternative route through Laburnum Walk. 

However, these plans failed to materialise after GCC confirmed the cost to be around £2.2 million.  

On hearing the news yesterday county councillor for Stonehouse Lesley Williams was left devastated by the decision.

“'I am absolutely furious that after many months of prevarication GCC have decided that the cable link from Javelin Park to the grid connection at Ryeford will go along the B4008 and therefore through Stonehouse High Street,” said Lesley who was re-elected in May.

“Before this work is carried out GCC must carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment on using this route.

“This would look at the socioeconomic effect on the businesses on the High Street, how traffic flows along the route will be managed, the impact on Standish and its historic buildings. GCC must also work with the businesses in the town to financially support them.

“Two routes were proposed when the county council was applying for planning permission for the incinerator, neither went through Stonehouse.

“Now we have no forum in which to object, GCC have decided to wreck the High Street yet again. GCC must conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment of this new route, consult with all those affected, and seek approval from the planning inspectorate.”

While GCC have said that work would not begin until February 2018 Western Power Distribution has said work will begin in October with the High Street being affected from January 2018 until March 2018.

Following concerns raised by the town council, the county council will be making £120,000 to cover the full cost, ensuring the High Street is returned to its current standard

Nigel Riglar, commissioning director for communities and infrastructure at GCC said: “The new energy from waste facility at Javelin Park will allow us to treat the rubbish that currently goes to landfill in a clean and efficient way.

“As part of the work we need to ensure there is a power cable running to and from the site. This will power the site, but also take the clean electricity the plant generates to power 25,000 homes at the same time.

“Western Power Distribution (WPD) and Urbaser Balfour Beatty (UBB) have been working to find the best route for the power cable. WPD has a statutory duty to provide the optimum and economically viable route for customers for any connection, which in this case follows the public highway through Stonehouse High Street.

“We’ve worked with UBB and WPD to take into account the views of the local councillor and local businesses, but the cost of an alternative route, at around £2.2million, was just too high for the council to afford.  WPD will keep working with local businesses to minimise disruption during their works.”

Neil James, WPD’s Gloucester Distribution Manager said: “We have been working closely with Gloucestershire County Council and Stonehouse Town Council throughout the development of this project.

"We do appreciate the disruption that the works may cause and have been working with the councils to limit this disruption where possible. 

“We will also be sending letters to business and residents along the route.” 

UBB have been approached for comment.

If you are concerned about the damage this work could cause to the High Street email – sev@stroudnewsandjournal.co.uk