Plans to test resolve of decision

Steve Hayes

12 February 2010

CONTROVERIAL plans for a housing development in the town will be the first to test the resolve of a council decision to protect a number of sites until at least next year.
Last week a district council cross-party committee confounded recommendations of officers and refused to lift a ban on large housing developments or allow development on three 'reserve' sites in the district.
The move means the sites should be protected until at least 2011, when the current Local Plan expires.
But one of the sites, in Bishopton, is subject to an ambitious application to build 77 homes which was set to go before the council's planning committe yesterday (Wednesday) and officers again advised the plans were given the thumbs-up because of a housing shortage.
Developers Taylor Wimpey have applied to build a number of flats and houses, a third of which will be affordable housing, on the land on Bishopton Lane - which is currently an egg-packing station.
The application has drawn a mixed response with Stratford Town Council lending its support to the bid but local residents and conservationists expressing opposition.
Janet Way and other residents in nearby The Avenue, expressed concerns about excess traffic.
She said: "This is a private road and as such is maintained by the residents, any extra traffic would cause damage to the surfaces and traffic on what is a quiet residential road."
And Maureen Pekenc said she was immensely worried about theth impact on traffic congestion and said the area had already become 'impossible' due to tailbacks.
Chair of Stratford Voice, Martyn Luscombe, questioned why the application was even being heard considering it was listed as a reserve site.
But despite the site being listed as a strategic reserve site the application could still be granted on the basis work does not begin until after March 2011. And council officers have recommended the development is given the green-light.
In a report before yesterday's meeting an officer said the release of the site would help to ease the demand for housing.
They said: "On the principle as to whether the site should be released for residential development at this point in time, I conclude, given the lack of a five-year housing land supply, the status of the application site as a strategic reserve and the modest scale of the proposed development, it would be reasonable to do so."
One of the other two reserve sites, near Shottery, is subject to a long-running and highly controversial application for a much larger 800 home development and a relief road which is set to be heard at a later date.

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