COLUMN by Siobhan Baillie MP. 

The Local Plan and Stroud District Council’s failure to get their plan signed off by the Planning Inspectorate despite years of trying has been a big local topic these last few days.

Hundreds of my constituents, conservative councillors and various authorities and organisations have been raising concerns about the council’s proposals about how we manage housing development for decades to come. 

Matters reached a head last week when the independent Planning Inspectors said it might be better for the council to withdraw its draft plan and for the current examination in public process to come to an end over serious doubts about it.

Sadly, the issues raised by the inspector are not new or a surprise.

I have also had cause to raise concerns about the Local Plan in parliament and in the local press on many occasions too.

No amount of spin in a council press release saying it has decided to pause the plan will deflect from what is sadly looking like they based their large development sites in areas without nailing down how vital infrastructure can be delivered.

 To blame Highways, government and anybody else they can think of for this is slopey shouldered.

It’s their plan and no-one else’s.

It is serious the planning inspectors have recommended a withdrawal and the lack of expert confidence in the plan is loud and clear. To claim there should only be a pause when the inspector says otherwise is frankly ludicrous.

All this has serious consequences for our communities because where houses are built and the infrastructure needed is so important.

I am calling for the inspector’s intervention to be taken as an opportunity to look again at important planning for housing in our precious and beautiful towns, villages, and countryside.

The council could now also adapt to check we are benefitting from all the most up to date environmental protections and new planning laws the government is working on in Westminster.  

A Stroud District Council spokesperson said: We have requested a short pause in the Local Plan process so that we can address Planning Inspectors’ concerns, and ensure development takes place in the most appropriate way. We will submit an action plan shortly on how we will address these concerns.

“None of the concerns previously raised by the MP about the Local Plan were raised by the Inspectors in their letter to SDC.

“Their main concern is capacity of junctions 12 and 14 of the M5 and we’re keen to work collaboratively with other partners including National Highways to resolve this. The Inspectors said they “fully recognise that issues with the capacity and safety of the strategic road network cannot be resolved by SDC alone.

Also during the short pause we are proposing, we would work on solutions for public transport at Sharpness and a bridge over the M5 between Cam and Slimbridge.

“We’re pleased the Planning Inspectors do not have any issues with the majority of our draft Local Plan which would map out where 70 per cent of new homes would be built.”