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08:00 - 23-July-2008
Opponents of the scheme, including councillors and action group members, are furious that the council pulled the rug from under their feet at the hearing by settling its differences with applicants Sportoptima.
It was at the 11th hour that the council team agreed to a new access to the site off Dudbridge Hill, which has the potential for around 100 new homes.
The council side also approved Sportoptima's offer of a synthetic multi-use games area on the site to make up for the loss of a protected playing field if the scheme was allowed.
But the council's action angered many, including Stroud Town Councillor Chas Townley.
He told inquiry inspector Stephanie Chivers the key issue was that the games area was not an adequate replacement for the existing sports facility.
“Fromehall Park has a tradition of being used for community events for more than a century . . . the council has negotiated away this sports facility,” said Coun Townley.
He then earned applause at the inquiry when he went on to demand “an inquiry into how the district council has handled itself in this appeal”.
The mayor of Stroud, Coun John Marjoram, was also angry.
He was a member of the district council's development control committee that originally refused the rugby club plan.
“The issue clearly is who authorised them to change tack at the beginning of the inquiry?” Coun Marjoram said.
A main thread of the protest campaign was that the extra cars from the proposed new estate would clog up already heavily-congested Dudbridge Hill.
But the council team at the hearing agreed to an alternative access further downhill.
Caroline Brookes said her Fromehall Park Action Group were “utterly taken by surprise” by the district council's u-turn.
A council spokesman said later that a “unilateral undertaking” addressing issues between the authority and Sportoptima was submitted just before the two-day hearing last week.
“The inspector was obliged to consider these updated proposals,” he said.
Stroud Rugby Club wants to relocate to larger facilities, it hopes to develop at Eastington Park Farm if it can sell Fromehall Park for housing.
The result of its first appeal, for permission at Eastington, is currently awaited.
Mrs Chivers' ruling on the Fromehall housing development idea will be announced later.
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