A VISION for the controversial development of Glebe Farm in Minchinhampton has been presented to the public.

Archstone and Redrow Homes hosted a community exhibition of their current plans at the Hub in Minchinhampton on July 1.

The presentation outlined the developer’s ideas for the land including new homes, a larger doctor’s surgery and a public open space in the town.

Proposals for approximately 150 new houses were included in the draft, of which 30 per cent would be made available through a local housing association as affordable homes.

As well as these new homes, the scheme highlighted the possibility for a community orchard and further allotments.

Another key feature is a new surgery, which would be double the size of the existing building and nearer the town centre.

While some residents were happy to see the plans, others voiced stern opposition to the expansion.

Fred Gardner, who lives on Tetbury Street, is worried that it will bring more traffic to the town; creating more congestion and posing more dangers to pedestrians, riders and cyclists.

“The main issue is quite simply the volume of traffic such a development would entail, especially given the nature of the town’s roads, which find themselves clogged by traffic even now,” he said.

“Minchinhampton is a small, rural, beautiful town, and the recent developments on green field sites have already gone too far.

“To add further houses to an already saturated area is quite simply stupid, and I am genuinely surprised that such a development is even being considered, the centre simply cannot and will not ever be able to cope with the increased numbers.

“We cannot allow greedy developers to suck everything of natural beauty from our precious land.”

A number of community action groups in the town have already voiced opposition the proposals as well.

One of these is Protect Our Space, a group set up to promote the development of a Neighbourhood Development Plan for Minchinhampton and protect green areas.

Its spokesman, Phil Smith, said: “Here is yet another plan for housing on a greenfield site in Minchinhampton. This underlines how vulnerable the town is to speculative development while there is no local planning framework in place.

“We urgently need a Neighbourhood Plan, to allow local people a say in shaping future growth.”

Dr David Pouncey of Minchinhampton Surgery welcomed the idea however, explaining that the practice had been looking for a suitable site for a new centre for more than a decade.

He explained the existing surgery at Bell Lane wasn’t capable of cost effective extension, which was particularly pressing for a parish where the elderly population is twice the national average.

“The proposed development at Glebe Farm provides a rare opportunity of a well located, affordable site which will strengthen our bid to secure funding from the NHS to deliver much improved facilities for our patients,” he argued.

Proposals for the development of Glebe Farm were first drawn shown to the Parish Council AGM in May last year.

Since then Archstone and Redrow Homes have met with the Parish Council, Stroud District Council, Gloucestershire County Highways and the Cotswold AONB Board about plans to develop the site.

The developers added that a full planning application was currently being prepared for submission later this summer.