Agenda item

This report provides an update on the preparation of the Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople Site Allocations DPD and sets out the next steps

Judith Chubb (Chair, Stanton Drew Parish Council) in a statement [a copy of which is attached to these Minutes as Appendix 14 and on the Council’s website] spoke of the dismay amongst her parishioners over the lack of progress on the DPD and the perceived mishandling of the two planning applications and urged the Cabinet to resolve the numerous issues.

Simon Whittle (Stanton Wick Action Group) in a statement [a copy of which is attached to these Minutes as Appendix 15 and on the Council’s website] asked for all references to the Stanton Wick site to be removed from all documentation and that the Cabinet’s decision taken in September 2012 to remove Stanton Wick from the list of sites would not be reversed under any circumstances.

Sue Osborne (Stanton Wick Action Group) in a statement [a copy of which is attached to these Minutes as Appendix 16 and on the Council’s website] asked why no progress had been made in developing the Bristol Road site as agreed by Cabinet in September 2012 which she felt was leaving the Council vulnerable to inappropriate planning applications.

Karen Abolkheir (Stanton Wick Action Group) in a statement [a copy of which is attached to these Minutes as Appendix 17 and on the Council’s website] said she believed that the pursuit of a site at Stanton Wick was highly inappropriate.  She felt that the delays had caused stress and uncertainty to the local community.

Clarke Osborne (Chair, Stanton Wick Action Group) in a statement [a copy of which is attached to these Minutes as Appendix 18 and on the Council’s website] highlighted failings in the progress of the DPD and in the way planning applications had been handled.  He regretted the resulting estrangement of settled and travelling communities.

Chris Ree (Stanton Wick Action Group) in a statement [a copy of which is attached to these Minutes as Appendix 19 and on the Council’s website] felt that the reviewed site assessment criteria document was too brief.  He regretted that the scoring matrix had been abandoned in favour of a new process.  The progress made since September 2012 had been unsatisfactory.

Phil Townshend read a statement on behalf of Tony Heaford (Chair of Publow with Pensford Parish Council) [a copy of which is attached to these Minutes as Appendix 20 and on the Council’s website] in which he said that the process had been badly managed and had distressed the local community.  He asked for care to be taken in dealing with the major planning application at Stanton Wick.

Councillor Geoff Ward said in an ad hoc statement that this had now become extremely urgent because of the need to agree the Core Strategy.

Peter Duppa-Miller (Secretary, Local Councils Association) in an ad hoc statement [a copy of which is attached to these Minutes as Appendix 21 and on the Council’s website] urged the Cabinet to finalise the assessment of the sites as soon as possible to remove the uncertainty being experienced by the settled communities.  He asked whether Cabinet was uneasy that the Inspector might decide that the Core Strategy was rendered unsound by the delays to this issue.  He offered the help and co-operation of the local councils in finalising the assessments, since they held much information which was of relevance.

Councillor Dave Laming observed that over 700 travellers on the river had no right to the services of doctors and other services.

Councillor Tim Ball introduced the item by thanking all the contributors.  He promised to reply to all the new comments made.  He thanked Peter Duppa-Miller for his offer of co-operation, and agreed to take up local councils on their offer.  He referred to the comments made by Judith Chubb-Whittle and explained the process for handling planning applications which he understood could raise concerns in local communities; however, he believed the planning system was designed to be open and transparent and the views of third parties were always sought.

Councillor Ball assured the Cabinet that the Council actively continued to assess sites for suitability.  He was pleased to report that a pre-planning enquiry for Lower Bristol Road had been completed in April and further work could now be done in preparation for a planning application, including detailed site surveys.

He moved the proposals.

Councillor Paul Crossley, in seconding the proposal, explained that the Core Strategy needed to understand the range of housing needs across the entire district.  He assured the Cabinet that the slow pace would not threaten the Core Strategy, because so long as consultation was under way the Inspector would not intervene.  There was no hidden agenda.  He was very hopeful that sufficient progress was being made on Lower Bristol Road that it would be included in the Core Strategy document.

Councillor Crossley observed that the Council had no control over who made planning applications, nor how many applications they submitted.  In response to the criticisms of the Council’s Planning Department, he praised Planning officers for their professionalism in getting the Council to this point.

Councillor Tim Ball summed up thanking the Planning officers for their hard work on an issue which he felt should have been tackled a number of years earlier.

On a motion from Councillor Tim Ball, seconded by Councillor Paul Crossley, it was

RESOLVED (unanimously)

(1) To NOTE the progress on the preparation of the Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople Site Allocations Plan; and

(2) To AGREE the revised programme for the preparation of the Plan, and the consequential amendment to the Local Development Scheme.