Every 6 or 7 years, Stroud DC have to review the Local Plan. It affects Housing and Industrial Land allocation in particular, and the new plan will run from 2022 to 2040
The Good News
No further commercial house building is planned outside of Great Oldbury.Specifically, no sites are planned for around Alkerton, although all other villages of similar size will have an allocation (e.g. Whitminster, Frampton, Minchinhampton).
Thanks go to the Parish Council for sticking to our Neighbourhood Development Plan and to ECLT for building the homes that are required by Housing Needs surveys, ensuring that they are exclusively affordable homes primarily for Eastington-connected people. (see page 2).
The Bad News
Land at Junction 13 has been ‘allocated’ for a football stadium north of the A 419 and an industrial park south of the A 419. This closely resembles the Ecotricity/Forest Green Rovers recent proposals (but does not give them any ‘right’ to it) . Please see the on-going saga of the football stadium on page 15, which is now urgent.
KER says: Allocating industrial land so close to Junction 13 seems a poor strategic idea. It can be described as a “honeypot” site which will attract all the demand for new factories and drain the life out of more dispersed sites at e.g. Oldends Lane, Littlecombe, Cam, Sharpness and the Stroud Valleys.
- Stroud DC own dozens of factories and workshops in all these dispersed locations and will lose considerable income to the “honeypot”. How’s that for an “own-goal”?
- All workers will have to travel by car – what price Stroud Zero-carbon 2030?
- The dispersed industrial sites were properly strategically planned – by Stroud DC.
Public Consultation
Stroud DC will conduct a series of open-days in December where you can browse the plans and discuss reasoning with the Planners (send complaints to local.plan@stroud.gov.uk). Nearest open days:-
- 4th December – Stonehouse – The Magpies Pavilion at Oldends Lane (across the railway) 2pm – 6pm
- 16th December – Slimbridge Village Hall – 2pm – 6.30pm (and 17th December 9.30 – 12.30)
Consultation is open to January 22nd. You can see plans at www.stroud.gov.uk/localplanreview
Keep Eastington Rural