PLANS to build 2,550 homes in the Stroud district are unsound according to county highways chiefs as fears mount over more traffic chaos if the houses are built.
Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd’s wants to build the new homes on a 320-acre site on land in Whaddon.
The proposals, which include new access points from the A4173 and Naas Lane, have sparked alarm among some residents who a key roundabout would not be able to cope with the extra traffic.
Hundreds of people are also opposed to the planning application which was submitted to Stroud District Council due to concerns over the impact it would have on nearby roads and junction 12 of the M5.
In March, Gloucester City Council lodged its opposition to the scheme which also includes a community centre, 150 space transport hub and a primary and secondary school.
And cabinet members at Gloucestershire County Council revealed the highways authority is also opposed to the current plans.
City Councillor Lorraine Campbell (C, Tuffley) asked Shire Hall chiefs if they would agree that absolutely no suggested changes or mitigations to St Barnabas roundabout in Tuffley could ever make it able to cope with the resulting extra traffic caused by any large housing development along the A4173 Stroud Road.
“The route is already under considerable pressure for a number of reasons, including an increase in school run cars for St Peter’s, due to bus service cuts,” she said.
“The idea of even more vehicles impacting on this road system is obviously unsound, and always will be, surely?”
Environment and planning cabinet member David Gray (C, Winchcombe and Woodmancote) said the current proposals for the site are unsound in the eyes of the highways authority.
“Before any changes could be implemented a number of phases would need to be completed; there would need to be agreement that the allocation of the site within the local plan was approved – with a high level justification on transport issues.
“The proposer or developer would then need to submit an application in respect of a site, with proposed transport mitigations; and SDC as local planning authority would then need to agree the mitigations through the planning process.
“We have given evidence to the local plan inspector about our views on SDCs local plan proposals for Whaddon which are that the plan is unsound.
“Any potential wider solutions are for SDC to develop as part of their local plan proposals and they would then be responsible, in their role as local planning authority, for approving any planning permission that would ultimately be brought forward by the landowner or developer. Hence, I would encourage you to make representations to SDC about your concerns.
“However as stated the county council would be a statutory consultee in any process as part of our role as highway authority, but until any such proposals come forward our position remains the same in that the current plan proposals are in our opinion unsound.”
Stroud District Council has yet to consider and make a decision on the proposals.
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