Farm Lane victory buys us vital time, says Martin (Cheltenham Liberal Democrats)

Cheltenham Liberal Democrats <info@cheltlibdems.org.uk>

Farm Lane victory buys us vital time, says Martin

March 12, 2009 3:00 PM

CHELTENHAM MP Martin Horwood has welcomed a victory for local residents over developers trying to fast-track a so-called 'urban extension' in Leckhampton but warned that this only buys us time in the battle against overdevelopment in the area. The planned development of 360 houses at Farm Lane in Leckhampton was furiously opposed by local residents, led by the Leckhampton Green Land Action Group (LEGLAG). Martin argued strongly at the appeal inquiry in November that developers were trying to jump the gun by treating this highly controversial part of the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) as if it had already been agreed. The Inspector accepted that 'the site has not yet been identified as an appropriate location for strategic development through the RSS process as the final RSS has yet to be approved and may change.

The draft Regional Spatial Strategy is currently in its final stage of development - consideration by the Secretary of State. She has already proposed the last-minute inclusion of 1,300 houses south of Cheltenham near Leckhampton but Martin and others have argued furiously for this 'urban extension' to be taken out again.

The final RSS should have been issued by now but has been met with a deluge of 35,000 objections from all over the south west of England and final publication is not expected now before the summer. Responsibility will then pass to local councils to implement the plan. Gloucester, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury councils are planning a 'Joint Core Strategy' to implement it in Gloucestershire. The development in Leckhampton would have pre-empted this whole process.

But the inspector's judgement was not all good news for protesters: it did not accept that the increased urbanisation of the area would damage the landscape or add to flood risk and agreed with the developers that the council had been unable to show they had five years' supply of housing elsewhere. But the prospect of a poor quality development and the conflict with the RSS timetable swung the decision against the development. The only option open to the developer now would be to challenge the Secretary of State in the High Court.

Martin commented: 'I want to thank all those of every party and of none who campaigned so hard against this proposal and in particular to congratulate LEGLAG on all their hard work. The inspector's judgement is not all good news but it does buy us vital time. The Inspector basically accepted the argument that since the RSS hasn't been agreed yet, developers should not be allowed to jump the gun. This sends a very important message to other developers trying to rush through applications at Brizen Farm and Oaklands in the area that they won't get away with it.'

'The Leckhampton urban extension was put into the Regional Spatial Strategy at the last minute because three government inspectors spent five minutes in the area and ignored the wishes of thousands of people. This gives us more time to build up political pressure on the government to amend or, better still, scrap the whole RSS process. The Liberal Democrats at least are absolutely committed to returning these responsibilities to local level but a General Election is probably still a year away so in the meantime we have to keep campaigning as hard as we can.'