It was with dismay that I heard that Cheltenham Borough Council voted through the Joint Core Strategy which ear marks green field and greenbelt land around Cheltenham for massive housing development. The Lib Dems and the Tories have both promised to protect the greenbelt yet they vote through a plan to build on it, and have failed to listen to consultations.
The people we vote for are both spineless and powerless. Planning inspectors, the government and developers lawyers can easily overturn their objections. Call this localism? The housing target has been shown time and time again to be based on unrealistic estimates of economic growth and immigration to the area. Yes, we need homes but for local people but we need to develop brownfield sites first, something the council has failed to promise.
I commonly walk the fields around Swindon Village before breakfast with my 7 year old son, he loves it, we learn about nature and experience the beauty together. The loss of green space will be felt most sorely by his generation. We need to start valuing quality of life rather than GDP. Please sign our petition http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/52608.
October 27, 2013 at 2:45 pm
I do like how you loud few make out that farmers WANT or can afford to keep farming. They can’t afford it and don’t want to. If they choose to sell up to have a better life then who are you to stop them?? Just so you rich few can enjoy ‘walks’ ? Think about the majority rather than the few. Most people need these developments and not pokey like hovels built on the few strips of ‘brownfield’ sites. Of course you want them shove into brownfield sites!! Keeps your house price and lifestyle up.
Such a selfish attitude, of course these consultations are only attracting the few NIMBY types. That’s why the council shouldn’t listen! A few hundred ‘no’s’ is nothing to the amount who want this and just don’t bother turning up.
October 21, 2013 at 4:57 pm
The majority do not want these developments. Some 90%+ of respondents to the first JCS consultation voted for much lower housing figures. The council is using the wrong population projections, with 24% growth in Cheltenham housing over 20 years, yet Bath is planning for only 17% growth.
The government is also acting keep house prices unaffordable by helping young people get into massive debt with its Help-to-Buy scheme, and risky the whole economy by government underwriting. Even though I own a house I’d prefer house prices to drop, the reason they are so high is due to a housing bubble.
Plus, we do not speak the loudest, our influence is tiny and we arerun on a tiny group of volunteer. The developers by far speak and loudest and have the ear of the local council. You are welcome to set up your own organisation supporting the building of these houses.
September 30, 2013 at 8:13 pm
Your petition says it finishes in July 2014?? Hopefully they’ll be houses for us poor people to buy by august 2014 🙂
September 30, 2013 at 7:16 pm
So because you happen to be rich and live near a field people of my generation should suffer being shoved in tight brownfield sites to protect you rich few?? Get over your NIMBY attitude. The majority WANT these developments but as usual you few speak loudest as most people have basic life to concentrate on
September 29, 2013 at 10:02 am
I’ve signed the petition and shared it with family and friends. Well done for a powerful blog post