Farmhill Lane: 'Investment Opportunity' for sale in Stroud?

Well it looks like the 'Gladwish' plots are up for sale again - two plots advertised at £17,475 and £19,575 - see here.

Photos: plots from Property website giving impression that site could be a great housing development on that slope and below a photo taken from Randwick across to the fields.

Nothing illegal here as they are clearly advertised as agricultural land with no planning permission. That is a lot of dosh for a quarter of an acre - locally we are seeing about £6,000 per acre ie those plots should be about £1,500 each. But the advert claims: "However, the vendor is of the opinion that it will command a high price in the event of a successful planning application."

Well of course - pretty well any land will do that - I have already had two people contacting me over the last year asking what to do with their plots that they had bought as they can't fence them and planning permission to them seems very unlikely. One plot holder has tried to grow vegetables but has seen their crops vandalised. There is huge opposition to any development on the site. When residents discovered in 2004 that the field had been sold to a landbanking company over a 100 filled a hall without any public notice going out (see other comments re landbanking by clicking on label below).

Since then the Ruscombe Valley Action Group has met and still keeps an eye on the fields - personally I see it as very sad indeed as the only winner seems to be the landbanking company. If any planning permission is sought there will be huge opposition - indeed there was cross-party support for not developing this site at the last election. So at the moment the land remains in a condition where it is getting worse - before it was grazed - that is much better for the land - but now it is at least it is cut but nettle areas are extending and the best use of the land is not being made - mind so are the badgers extending - well that's good news to stop any development!

What a pity that what many people locally are calling 'greed' of a few is blighting those fields in this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.