5 Jun 2011

Save the Slad Valley

The proposed development at Wades Farm is understandably creating concerns from many.  Nearly 600 letters of objection have been made.

Photo by Matt Archibald: taken from campaign website - see link below 

For me this is proposed development is wrong on many counts - but in terms of planning it is outside the settlement boundary and in a particularly important Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Both these factors should be good planning reasons to oppose this development, but sadly this is not always the case. The campaign group are right to muster as much support as possible to challenge this development.

I am also concerned that the proposed development is located in Flood Zone 1. This will increase flooding risk into the Slad Road from the Slad brook where issues regarding the current problems of flooding are still to be resolved. I would urge all to make your own comments to the local planning departtment.

The comments can be submitted online at: http://www.stroud.gov.uk/docs/planning/planning_application_detail.asp?AppRef=S.11/0812/FUL

They are then transferred  by the Planning Office to the reference: S.11/0899/MISC which is where you will find all the comments are listed.  http://www.stroud.gov.uk/docs/planning/planning_application_detail.asp?AppRef=S.11/0899/MISC

See the campaign website at: http://www.saveslad.blogspot.com/

6 comments:

Philip said...

Update...

Planning officers use balloons to help with application

Planning officers at Stroud District Council are using a novel approach to help with a controversial planning application.

The application at Wades Farm in Stroud to build 48 homes in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) will be decided upon at a planning meeting later this summer. In advance of the meeting, planning officers will be using helium-filled balloons to help assess the visual impact of the proposed housing development.

Phillip Skill, Stroud District Council's head of planning, said:

'The proposed site is in a piece of land, surrounded by other fields. To help councillors and members of the public assess the potential impact of the site we will be pinning it out with helium balloons. It will be a cheap way to assess the heights of the buildings for both local residents and from distant views across the valley, and it will help planning committee members get a visual feel for the scale of the proposals.'

Yellow helium balloons, each three feet in diameter, will be inflated on the site on the morning of Thursday 9th June and taken down the following evening. Residents who have a view on the application are also encouraged to take photos from close-up or from a distance and send them in to planning@stroud.gov.uk

PeterKVT80 said...

This is what the field looks like with the balloons.
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/W8ReuPPjgrveDHojBWWPvw?feat=directlink

Philip said...

Thanks! Are there more pics? I guess the official ones will be out soon?

PeterKVT80 said...

These pictures were taken to illustrate a news story rather than to show the visual impact. They are all unofficial ones. It was difficult to find good views of the balloons because much of the surrounding land is private and there is a lot of cover from mature trees in full leaf. I have added three more pictures at the same link.

Anonymous said...

I have just read the article in the Sunday Times regarding Barratts' planning application.
Ralph Hawkins, development director for Barratt, states that "there is a shortage of family homes for local people to live in and the proposed development will help tackle the problem".
As the plan is for Barratt Homes to build 48 'executive properties', am I to assume that all the residents of Slad are executives? I think not!
I wish you all the best in your campaign.

Anonymous said...

Well it has been turned down by Stroud but an appeal could see it pass - far from giving local control we seem to be seeing more of centralism.