Feb 2018
The Great Oldbury development, previously known as West of Stonehouse, is continuing apace, with planning applications for Reserved Matters, which include layout, house design, landscaping, and buffer zones have started to arrive on the Planning Officer’s desk at Ebley Mill at a faster rate than before. These applications are being submitted by individual building companies, Redrow and Barratts, to whom the plots of land have been sold, while Robert Hitchens still has control over the Masterplan.
Please be assured that Cllr Stephen Davies and myself will do all we can to get the best results for Eastington parish residents. At the planning meeting at Ebley Mill earlier in January, we both supported Eastington Parish Council’s statement and its comments on the application that was in front of the planning committee that evening, in addition, Cllr Davies asked for broadband cable ducting to be installed in all new roads as they were being built, to prevent them being dug up later, while I asked for the Highways condition on installation of wheel washing facilities on the sites to be extended to include catchment tanks for those washing facilities, to prevent contaminated runoff entering local watercourses.
We understand that the Ecotricity proposal to build an “Eco Business Park” adjacent to the northern side of the A419 close to J13 of the M5 has been shelved indefinitely. Instead, it is now proposed to build the new stadium for Forest Green Rovers FC on that site, as close to the M5 slip road as is possible. The area will have one outdoor practice/training pitch, and an area for goalkeeping training to be held. All the car parking will be at the Shell Service station end of the site. These plans are in Outline at the moment, and still have some way to go before any decision is made.
While all drivers are more than fed up with the current phases of roadworks and traffic lights in the area, there are Highway plans for works to all the roundabouts between J13 and Horsetrough at Stonehouse to be implemented soon, to “Improve Traffic Flow” on the A419. So the daily commute may not improve in the near future. Lets hope the local by-roads will not have to take the brunt of drivers’ frustrations.
As ever, if we can be of any help in any matters, either at SDC or County level, please contact
Cllr John Jones on 07808922918, email cllr.john.jones@stroud.gov.uk
Or
Cllr Stephen Davies on 07802595307, email cllr.stephen.davies@stroud.gov.uk