The shock of coming to terms with the INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S preliminary findings on the soundness (or not) of the Core Strategy, has still not left me.
At first I thought I must have mis-read the document.
Or perhaps the Examiner had forgotten to attach the Appendix relating to Thornbury?
Surely all those hundreds of hours of investigation and research, documentation, letter-writing and representing, public meetings, enquiries, and finally the whole day of EIP relating to Thornbury, must have elicited SOME response from the Examiner?
But unless your reading of the publication is different to mine, it would appear that Paul Crysell has made ZERO reference to the scandal that is Park Farm, with its proposal for housing to encompass our national heritage Medieval Fishponds, and concrete over the last traces of the Tudor Deer Park.
No mention of the Sustainability Appraisal that never was an appraisal.
Not even an oblique reference to the new Planning Framework that was supposed to strengthen the protection of Heritage Assets.
No requirement for flooding risks to be carried out sequentially as prescribed by law.
No acknowledgement that building at Park Farm will in no way realise a Castle School unified on a single site, nor revitalise our Town Centre.
No nod to the potential brownfield sites that might adequately meet local needs in the coming years.
No recognition of the hundreds of local representations opposing the CS proposals, nor taking to task of a Council that failed to engage in meaningful consultation because it was already too closely entwined with the housing developers.
No reference to the bias and dishonesty and flawed data that has informed the process at almost every turn.
How we had hoped for more from an INDEPENDENT Inspector!
We are rocked to the core, but cannot give in yet. We will reflect further for the time being.
We would welcome comments and suggestions from sympathisers.
The Inspector has invited responses to his preliminary findings, over the next 6 weeks. We have an opportunity to let him know what we think of his findings. As always, address them to Kath Thorne the programme officer at SGC who will be passing them on to Mr. Crysell.
We will advise further in the next week or two.
Gareth D
on behalf of STGH
.
I have all the same feelings but in my case it is about the North Yate New Neighbourhood. The Brownfield at Filton could easily have mitigated away the need for the 3000 new greenfield houses planned for Yate - but South Glos got around this by inflating projected housing need by 23% to justify housing at Yate & Filton. From day 1 it was clear that The Builder's Friend (Paul Crysell) was here to get more houses on greenfield - not to be independant. Still, although he is unpopular with many around here; I am sure he will always receive a warm welcome at Heron International. Gareth Leadbetter - Wickwar
ReplyDeleteYOU HAVE MY SYMPATHY GARETH.
ReplyDeleteIT'S SHOCKING HOW THEY ARE PUSHING FORWARD WITH ALL THESE MASSIVE BUILDS, SUCH AS YOURS, AND EVEN ON POOR LITTLE THORNBURY, AND WEVE NO POWER TOO STOP THESE MAD MEN/WOMEN