Gary's views

Gary's weekly views

Each week an article by Gary has appeared in the Plympton Plymstock and Ivybridge News in South West Devon. The articles are published here

LOCAL DECISION MAKING

I am sorry to bash on again about the new town but it is just about the biggest thing happening in these parts and likely – if it ever happens- to impact many of our lives, one way or another. I start with a reminder that none of us wants it, but it is being imposed upon the reluctant South Hams council by the top-down planning process and they have no choice but to smack a new settlement of roughly 3,500 dwellings into their revised local plan, roughly on the edge of Plymouth.

Next week the second phase of a process called “Enquiry by Design” begins in which invited participants gather to try and agree where is the best place for the proposed new settlement (within the context of the Sherford Valley). The idea is to try and see if a consensus can emerge that we can all live with.

There probably is a consensus that could emerge from next week’s deliberations, namely if we have to have this thing at all, it should be clustered as closely as possible around the area south of the deep lane junction of the A38, should contain an eastern green boundary that would prevent further sprawl and should specifically not impact Elburton and Brixton nor push further traffic onto the A379 or through residential areas of Plympton.

At a packed public meeting recently at Coombe Dean school local people voted unanimously against any development on the edges of their communities. All of the councillors for those communities are against any such development. Almost certainly the South Hams council – if they go for the deep lane option – would oppose it. So that should be it then shouldn’t it? The settled will of the local community.

Unfortunately not. There is a commercial landowner on the scene pushing like mad for these southern parcels to be included. They talk about “finishing off Elburton” as though they are doing the locals a favour. They must be firmly resisted. But even if their self-serving proposals are thrown out, they could launch an appeal and an external planning official would make the final decision.

The system should be changed. If a clear consensus emerges from within a community that delivers government targets for new housing in a way that meets local need – it should not be capable of being set aside from outside under pressure from those with the deepest pockets. What do you think?

posted by Nigel on Tuesday, October 05, 2004