Next SamDev consultation round from Shropshire Council

[Maggie 65]

The next round of consultation for the Sam Dev process is now open on Shrops Council's website, and I recommend everyone who cares about their area to have a look at their local section.  This is the document which designates areas for future housing and development up to 2026 and, because of the perceived housing pressures, things like the previous development boundaries, and presumptions not to build on open countryside have been thrown out.  This consultation is open until August 23rd,  and really, if you don't speak up now you haven't got any grounds to grumble when they start building houses somewhere you feel is inappropriate.  

 

This is the main page

http://shropshire.gov.uk/planningpolicy.nsf/open/9F75B1E4E30A1E3B80257922004CC8EE

 

and detailed stuff about our area is here 

http://shropshire.gov.uk/planningpolicy.nsf/open/EF8FDBEED394ED40802579BC004265C2

 

Good luck! (there is an awful lot of detail and tables to plough through, covering things that affect us, such as Simple Simon's route to Oswestry (apparently costed at £2million), and plans to build close to Old Oswestry Hillfort.)

 

 

 

 

[Simple Simon 36]

And another thing...although Shropshire Council welcome input and comment, they prefer digital communication. So, if you know anyone offline that may be affected, please inform them and speak on their behalf.

[Maggie 65]

Well said!  I have wondered for a while how 'democratic' decisions are now a lot of people are excluded from commenting or knowing about things (e.g. planning applications!).

[Robmit 7]

What a pity that important planning applications are not put out to a local public referendum.   I guess though that the apathy of the general public makes this unlikely.    However it would be one way of ensusring that our elected councilors paid head to the wishes of those who elected them.

[Simple Simon 36]

This from Henry Thomas:

 

The SAMDev plan includes an appraisal of the former coal yard at Gobowen (site GOB024), and concludes that it is a realistic site for housing subject to dealing with flood risk, but not a preferred site. Despite this it seems likely that developers will seek to build high-density housing there.

 

The SAMdev options appraisal rightly takes account of access to sustainable modes of transport by potential residents of each development site. Extraordinarily, though, it does not seem to consider which areas of land are necessary for improvements to sustainable transport networks. In this case:

·         The station car park (on the east side of the railway) is already full on most days, and additional capacity is urgently needed as rail passenger numbers continue to increase. The car park cannot be extended southwards because Network Rail use the area for track maintenance, and the coal yard is the only other land available close to the station.

·         The proposed Oswestry to Gobowen cycle track/footpath alongside the branch railway will need to cross the coal yard site (or be diverted to a longer on-road route).

·         Cambrian Heritage Railways propose to build an additional platform in order to run steam trains as a visitor attraction (as well as shuttle trains to Oswestry), which will lead to yet more demand for car parking.

Any sensible planning process would ensure that adequate land in the coal yard is allocated for these uses, and protected from other development (although parts of the site could probably still be used for housing).

 

The Council’s “Core Strategy 7” states that “A sustainable pattern of development requires the maintenance and improvement of

integrated, accessible, attractive, safe and reliable communication and transport”. It mentions the need to encourage improved rail services, rail-related development, cycle networks, etc., but at Gobowen there is a failure to translate this to detailed policies.

 

If this issue concerns you, make sure you take this opportunity to tell the Council. Otherwise we will have to continue cycling up the main road to Gobowen, or finding somewhere to park in the side streets around the station, or driving to a distant railhead!