The experience of sitting through nearly 7 hours of legal
deliberations over the soundness of the Core Strategy relating to
Thornbury, was utterly exhausting, and frankly a bit disorienting.
The Inspector asked many questions, but he had already indicated in advance more or less the line of questioning he would follow. What he didn’t do was give much away as to what he thought about the quality or significance of the answers. So if like me you went to the hearing believing that the Core Strategy for Thornbury is deeply flawed and therefore unsound and unjustified, there was nothing on offer to make you change your mind. What did seem to come across, however, was that the Inspector wishes to see more rather than less houses being built across the whole of South Gloucestershire.
The Inspector asked many questions, but he had already indicated in advance more or less the line of questioning he would follow. What he didn’t do was give much away as to what he thought about the quality or significance of the answers. So if like me you went to the hearing believing that the Core Strategy for Thornbury is deeply flawed and therefore unsound and unjustified, there was nothing on offer to make you change your mind. What did seem to come across, however, was that the Inspector wishes to see more rather than less houses being built across the whole of South Gloucestershire.
To my mind there are now three scenarios:
- The current Inspector agrees with the previous Inspector, and SGC’s own Heritage Officer, that Park Farm is unsuitable for the development of 500 new homes, but approves one or more of the other development options around Thornbury, which can yield between 500-1000 extra houses to meet both local and strategic need.
- The Inspector finds the CS to be sound in relation to Thornbury, and approves Park Farm as the preferred option for 500 houses to meet local need.
- The Inspector advises along meeting as much strategic need as possible for SGC in terms of housing quotas, and approves all of the development sites around Thornbury, including Park Farm, and all along Morton Way, and even possibly a small development off the Bristol Road, near to the Leisure Centre. This could mean up to 1500 extra houses for Thornbury meeting both local and strategic needs.
The one outcome that seems highly unlikely, is the one put forward by
Save Thornbury’s Green Heritage, and supported by the NorthWest
Thornbury Town Councillors, that all local housing needs should be met from
within the current footprint of the town, using brownfield sites as and
when they become available. Only at such time as improved
infrastructure, employment opportunities and transport links are on
offer, do we believe that Thornbury is really ready for outward
expansion.
We wait and see. Inspector’s verdict may not be until early autumn.
Tomorrow (Tuesday 17th July at 7pm at the Town Hall,)
the Town Council will again be considering Barratt’s second planning
application for Park Farm. Did you know for example that according to
SGC the latest proposals include a link road being constructed from the
new development through into Alexander Way (in the vicinity of the Old
Peoples Home which is due for closure in the next few years)? All
residents are welcome to come along and voice their views.
It's also not too late to send in objections to the latest Barratt housing application at SGC.
For reasons unfathomable to many in the community, Thornbury Town Council (at least the LibDem majority) have been intent on locating more housing at one of the least sustainable and most inappropriate heritage sites in our town. When the worst site gets a green light, this naturally encourages other developers with more sustainable credentials to chance their hand. Consequently, Bloor Homes are now believed to have submitted their own planning
application for housing development at the northern end of Morton Way. Things are hotting up for Thornbury. Let's hope the floodgates have not been well and truly opened.
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