Page 8 - link magazine

8 swindonlink.com • December 2010
Labour starts to regain seats House builders must complete the job

on Swindon Council North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson’s move to force developers to
deposit money in a council fund before they build new homes received
Labour’s Jennifer Millin won the Conservative held seat in a by-election an unopposed first reading in Parliament on 27 October.
in early November for the Swindon Council seat vacated by Stephanie In presenting his Developer Bond “Residents complain to local
Exell who resigned because she could not defend the Conservative’s bill, Justin spoke of the problems of councillors who are frustrated that
approach to cuts after consultation.
getting house builders to complete the local authority does not have
Toothill and Westlea councillor Steve Wakefield announced he was their developments after people the power to enforce completion
going to join Labour on 15 November. have moved in. He told other MPs of works. The developer bond will
Steve left the Conservative group to become an independent in 2009 his personal experience as an Abbey become part of the planning system
after his year as mayor and now believes he can best serve the people of Meads councillor where the largest whereby a house builder makes
Toothill and Westlea within an organised opposition to the £45 million part of his caseload was following a deposit to be repaid if their de-
cuts being implemented by Swindon Council. He said, “I am frustrated up residents’ complaints about the velopment is completed within a
with the current political situation in Swindon and the choice being areas they lived in. satisfactory time frame. However
offered to the people of Swindon by the ruling group. Swindon people “Most developers see the need if street-scene works are not done,
expect to have a real choice offered to them at election time.” to finish their sites so that the local the local council will have power to
Read the full story at www.swindonlink.com authority can adopt roads and land- do the work and claim the money
From the September Link, Steve pictured left, with members of the Toothill community scaping. Others seem happy to wait on deposit.”
welcoming the £1m Big Lottery grant to Toothill from left, Denis and Tina Mackie, years before their area is finished to In the debate, Justin name-
Dr Peter Swinyard, Heidi Edwards, Pastor Gabriel Adegboyega, Annette Kennedy an acceptable standard. Ash Brake checked Redhouse Residents’ Asso-
has been blighted like this for 15 ciation for identifying parts of North
years which is totally unacceptable. Swindon in need of completion.

Developer appeals against
Grange Park housing decision

Government policy to give residents more power in planning decisions
is to be put to the test after developers Primegate Properties (Hook
North) lodged an appeal against Swindon Council’s planning com-
mittee’s decision on 12 October to reject a plan to build 175 homes on
the last field between Grange Park and Lydiard Park.

Residents, councillors and MPs protesting against development by Lydiard Park
The November Link reported the Hook, and also 800 houses north of
delight of Grange Park residents Peatmoor at Ridgeway Farm - both
after the committee meeting where areas outside Swindon in Wiltshire
officers stated the site is outside Council.
Swindon’s defined urban bound- However Les Durrant, manag-
ary whilst the scale, layout and ing director of Swindon planning
density of the Primegate proposal consultants DPDS, said his client
was deemed inappropriate to the has grounds to mount a challenge.
site next to Lydiard Park. “After taking the considered advice
Councillors spoke against the of a top QC at the Planning Bar, as
application saying approval would well as our professional team, an
encourage further proposals for appeal is being lodged. We do not
development on unallocated green- accept any of the reasons for refusal
field sites across the borough. Spe- as being valid. As an example, in re-
cifically councillors and residents fusing the Hook North application,
expressed concern that more houses the council claimed that there is not
would place pressure on an already an issue about the five year housing
inadequate road network, on local land supply within the borough, as
schools and on health services. required by government advice. In
There are considerable fears fact the actual supply position is
that heavy rain water flowing off between 2.5 and 3 years supply.”
the site would not be contained in A forward planner at Swindon
proposed flood storage ponds and Council confirmed that the Hook
would again flood homes in Grange North site had never been part of a
Park and further afield in Westlea. land allocation for housing and will
There are also major fears that the not be as it is not a preferred site
Hook North proposal represents a for an urban extension of the town.
wedge to prise open the door to The independent planning en-
development of 2,000 houses south quiry will take place in public in
of Lydiard Park to join Swindon to the Spring.

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