Stratford Lib Dems look for answers about relief road and Gateway projects

Further confusion over the Gateway Project has been caused by the emergence – out of the blue – of two planning applications to convert commercial premises on the site into residential accommodation.

The applications have been put forward by Gateway One Ltd, the company run by West Midlands’ entrepreneur Peter Warwick, and with whom the district council and other bodies are negotiating to try to get the project under way after at least ten years of delay and frustration.

The Gateway site extends from the junction of Arden Street and Birmingham Road through to Windsor Street. The project is crucial to the district council’s vision for the town because a key part of it involves the creation of a World Shakespeare Centre.

And there is ongoing anxiety about the increasing dilapidation of the Windsor Street car park, which is due to be demolished under the plans and has thus been allowed to deteriorate through lack of repair as the years have gone by.

Last month the Herald reported that hopes were rising of an imminent loosening of the deadlock that had stalled the proposed Gateway development for several years. But at that point no one knew of the planning applications that have now been put forward.

The applications are for a change of use of an existing office building at 28 Arden Street to create 17 residential units, and for change of use of an existing office building at Apex House, 27 Arden Street, to provide 16 residential units.

It’s being said that the applications have come “like a bolt from the blue”, and there’s concern that the imminent breakthrough envisaged last month might not be as imminent as had been hoped.

Yesterday Cllr Juned said she’d asked Mr Buckland to bring her up to date on both the Gateway Project and the South Western Relief Road proposals in “the first and most urgent briefing” of her tenure as leader of the council.

Of the Gateway Project, she said: “The West Midlands’ Combined Authority and others are trying to put forward a coherent plan. It’s been a long time coming.

“It’s urgent. It’s to be one of our top priorities about what is going on and what’s in the best interests of all the parties as well as the town.”

Cllr Roger Harding, the Lib Dem who defeated Tory council leader Tony Jefferson in Welcombe ward – in which the Gateway site is situated – told the Herald: “It’s a problem site and it needs sorting out. It’s just a waste of space at the moment. It doesn’t do Stratford’s image any good.”

The South Western Relief Road is another issue that’s been dragging on for years with no satisfactory conclusion in sight. Originally it was supposed to be paid for by the developers of the Long Marston scheme as their contribution to the community under what was then known as a Section 106 agreement.

But at that time a cost of £34 million had been mentioned. Since then it has ballooned to what some people have speculated could be in the region of £200 million – though this figure has not been confirmed.

In any event, the developers complained that the price was getting too high for them and various consultants’ reports were commissioned.

The latest study has been tasked with the job of looking for a sustainable alternative to the relief road. At the moment it is unclear whether this report is still being prepared or whether it’s been completed and sitting on someone’s desk.

Cllr Juned will be hoping to find out more about this – and the Gateway Project – when she’s briefed by SDC’s chief executive shortly.