New plans for Starvehall Farm in Prestbury to be submitted in ten days
NEW plans for the controversial Starvehall Farm site could be put before planners next month.
But campaigners fighting the proposed Prestbury development fear it is being timed to cut the number of objections put forward.
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Bob Stark
They believe that many of those opposed to the application will be away on their summer break – leaving just a handful of people to fight it.
The initial plans, lodged by Nash Partnership on behalf of the Gloucestershire County Council, met a hostile reception from residents in the village .
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They have mounted a campaign against the application – with the Prestbury Green Working Group co-ordinating opposition. The proposal, which included plans for a 50-bed care home, an 80-bed nursery and up to 152 affordable homes, was originally due to be heard by Cheltenham Borough Council's planning committee in December.
But it has been repeatedly postponed to allow for a series of meetings between planners and applicants Nash Partnership, who are representing the county council.
Among the areas of contention is a road linking New Barn Lane with Prestbury Road and the loss of green space, leading to more problems with flooding.
Bob Stark, from the working group, said he had been told this week that the application would be submitted in the next 10 days.
He added: "The parish council meeting had been told this two weeks ago.
"We are really in the hands of the developers as to when they decide to submit them.
"As they would say at Heathrow, we are still in a holding pattern and are waiting for permission to land.
"I would think that we would be looking at August now before it comes before the planning committee. The cynics among us believe they are going to great lengths to make sure it is submitted at the beginning of the school holiday.
"It would mean there would not be the same number of people to fight this; people will be thinking about looking after their children or going on holiday rather than focusing on this."
But Mr Stark said the campaigners had been helped after the recent decision by the planning inspectorate to turn down an application for hundreds of home in nearby Hunting Butts Farm.
"It was good news for us about Hunting Butts," he added.
"If it had lost on appeal, then there would have been no hope for us in fighting this.
"This gives us confidence that the planning inspectorate will give us a voice which will be heard."
Comments
by buffersyeoman
Saturday, June 30 2012, 9:46AM
“Here we go again. There is no such thing as affordable homes.
The first to buy will dictate the price, whether to buy or buy to rent.
The first buyer pays £175,000 for his rabbit hutch, is someone from the developers or the planners saying that the first buyers cannot sell their properties for more than the initial price of £175,000?, I don't think so. The fact is that within a very short period of time that initial price will be over £200,000. There is NO SUCH THING AS AFFORDABLE HOMES!!!! As soon as the 152 houses are gone, they are gone!!! and everyone will be out to sell at a profit and rise up the ladder, that's what it all about! I suppose the developers are really concerned about any shortage of houses here in Cheltenham , ( If that is the case?) or anywhere else in the country? I doubt that very much.....LOL it's a pity that the CBC gave away the former cattle market and the baths etc; to Waitrose, these developers could have built houses here, but I would expect that they would not do so because it was not a GREEN FIELD.”