Home protestors now have to wait for decision (From This is The West Country)

Home protestors now have to wait for decision

11:00am Wednesday 24th October 2012 in News

CAMPAIGNERS fighting plans to stop a housing development on the outskirts of Chard have said they have done “all they can” and now have to wait.

A two-day public inquiry took place last week at the Guildhall in Chard into Redrow Homes’ proposals to build 61 houses on land at Mitchell Gardens and Snowdon Farm.

The inquiry was held after Redrow’s appeal against South Somerset District Council’s decision earlier this year to turn down the developers’ scheme following a wave of opposition from people living near the site.

The council opposed the proposals because they were outside Chard’s development limits, were on a greenfield site and not in compliance with the town’s regeneration scheme, and would generate unacceptable extra traffic and put more strain on town centre roads.

People fighting the proposals attended the inquiry to tell the Government-run planning inspectorate the development would not be welcomed with concerns ranging from the threat to wildlife to the density of the planned homes layout .

Cllr Brennie Halse told planning inspector John Wilde that the Redrow scheme had been rejected unanimously three times by Chard Town Council, failed to gain support at neighbouring Tatworth and Forton Parish Council and at the district council’s Area West committee.

One campaigner Bert Sams, of Mitchell Gardens, said the town needed more employment opportunities, schools and help with already congested roads before extra homes were built in the area.

Representatives of Redrow once again stood by their original arguments that Chard was in desperate need for new homes.

A spokesman said the town urgently needed more houses and that Redrow could start building in the New Year as the company owned the land and was ready to proceed. They argued that the extra traffic caused by the development would be minimal.

Both sides now have to sit and wait for a decision from the planning inspector.

Cllr Halse, speaking on behalf of the opponents to the scheme, said: “We have done all we can now. We will just have to wait and see what the inspector decides.”

Inspector Mr Wilde is expected to make a decision in December.