Planning today

Photo left of the valley on Sunday - was drizzling and raining - but lovely to be out walking - and pleased to see all the sewers seem to be behaving themselves in the valley at the moment! Anyhow traffic in Stroud yesterday was terrible - took me 75 mins to go into Stroud and back yesterday afternoon due to a burst water main - and today was nearly late for Development Control Committee meeting at 10.00 this morning due to a huge volume of cars trying to get out onto the Cainscross roundabout.

The papers for todays meeting took over 4 hours to read over the last days - you can see the whole meeting on the webcast on the Council's website including picking out the various applications for which you are interested. Some councillors literally don't speak during the meeting, others ask many questions and debate lots. You'll see I had a fair few questions...I've not quite got used to the webcast as it is delayed slightly - the mike comes on quickly so we start talking but picture comes later so often misses a whole sentence or even the question - I'll have to be more patient!

You can also see all applications online - an excellent facility - but here is a flavour of some of the applications:

I have to say I am disappointed with the decision to approve the development of 7 houses on the Land Adjacent to Sunny Ridge, Townsend, Randwick. This site already had Outline Planning Permission granted in March so there was very little we could object to - it has no affordable housing, no renewable energy, is on a piece of land that I think should be part of the green seperation between Randwick and Cashes Green, isn't a great design...I could go on but this application has now been passed.

Also in this area the renewal of outline planning permission was given for a detached bungalow at the end of Field Road in Whiteshill - again passed - little had changed since original. More interesting was the application for 9 houses on land adjacent to 222 Westward Road, Cainscross - this was recommended for permission by Officers but was rejected - Highways and the Parish Council had recommended refusal - this is due to the relationship, as noted by the County, of the parking places of the proposed western terrace of the properties is likely to result in parking in the vicinity of the junction of the access road with Cedar Close - this area is already very difficult.

There were various other large developments discussed like 36 flats in London Road, Stroud near Waitrose that got passed and the development at Ebley Saw Mills off Westward Road, Cainscross.

One of the most depressing aspects of this 'job' is that these houses are largely still being built without renewable energy - and being built with only bog-standard insulation etc. We are meant to be building houses for a future without oil and we are meant to be cutting back CO2 emissions dramatically. Other Councils have for more than 10 years been putting renewables into new developments - I've said this all before - yet because we do not have it written into our Local Plan we cannot insist on it for developers.

Greens have been pushing this every which way and at last we have movement - on Tuesday next week we have a meeting to look at how best to proceed - Greens will be trying to ensure we get the best standards not spin - developers in many cases seem to be having a far too easy ride - we need to start looking at the economics long term - renewables pay back in only a few years - it is crazy that they are not being insisted on by Government, Councils and all. It should not be only a few of us having to shout about this....

After the DCC meeting, at 4 I then with Martin Whiteside attended a briefing with senior Officers of Aston Down - a potentially 'Major Development' at the old airfield near Aston Down. It was good to get up to date on the site - we were told it is likely to come to DCC in February, the County have already objected, but there maybe ways to mitigate their objections. As a member of DCC I cannot comment on the development - will have to see all the facts at the meeting.

...enough here... time for a cup of tea and the last bit of chocolate cake bought at the Randwick School bazaar last Friday - very yummy indeed!