Protesters take GLH fight to the government

PROTESTERS against plans to build a 3,000- home new town at Gaydon and Lighthorne Heath (GLH) have made a formal request for the government to intervene in the latest stage of this planning saga.

Members of Stratford-on-Avon District Council’s east area planning committee voted by five to two in favour of allowing 1,000 homes of the massive project to be built off the Old Gated Road at Chesterton.

The GLH development is part of the council’s adopted core strategy to provide 14,500 homes in the district over the period between 2011 and 2031.

But Lighthorne Parish Council has asked Communities Secretary Sajid Javid to call in the planning application for decision by himself.

In an e-mail to the Department for Communities and Local Government Cllr Laura Steele, who is also chairman of the protest group FORSE, said: “We believe that the decision regarding these 1,000 houses, in addition to an application for 2,000 houses for which outline permission has been granted, is more than of local importance. We submit that it is of national importance.”

She questioned the accuracy of a specific traffic forecasting model known as TRICS because the model was not designed to make predictions about future traffic impact for developments of this scale and required the assessment of 20 compatible sites in order to be meaningful.

Cllr Steele highlighted alleged lack of consultation about traffic issues with the major employers Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and Aston Martin Lagonda (AML).

She said: “The decision is one of national importance given the consequences of this application for employers of national significance, Jaguar Land Rover and Aston Martin Lagonda. The traffic impact on the B4100 is of vital importance to both employers.

“The transport assessment produced is fundamentally flawed, not least as the TRICS analysis system used, within its own guidance states that it should not be used for developments of this type and size as it has no comparative data to base traffic flow predictions upon.”

Cllr Steele said: “The transport assessment is flawed from the outset and a new assessment should be prepared with accurate data before any decision is made.

“The flow of traffic on the B4100 and the ability of the network to cope are key issues for both JLR and AML. Given that outline permission has been given for 2,000 houses it is now even more key that the traffic flow is properly and adequately predicted.”