CONSERVATIVE BRANDS LASTEST HOUSING PLANS

CONFUSING AND OUTDATED!

A Conservative Councillor has branded the Authority's latest plans to build 10,000 homes across the city 'confused' and 'outdated'.

The Lib Dem-run Council has just produced its revised draft Site.

Allocations and Development Management Options Document, which purports to identify sites suitable for new house-building schemes.

For ease of reference this major planning blueprint is subdivided into the city's fourteen Neighbourhood Partnership areas.

All of the proposals represent the so-called 'preferred approach' to the use of identified land and a public consultation is set to run on them from March until May 2012.

However, local Conservative Councillor Richard Eddy has already expressed his concern that this important planning document appears to be 'dangerously confused' and 'lacking relevance', judging by the recommendations listed for his own Bishopsworth Ward.

Cllr Eddy (Con, Bishopsworth) said: "Many of the plans announced for the Dundry View Neighbourhood Partnership area are uncontroversial.

"Whilst I clearly recognise the demand for more housing locally, I am very concerned that the Council is proposing development on land which has previously been reserved for employment or leisure purposes.

"One such site is the land of the Bristol Water Depot, in Bishopsworth Road.

"In addition, it appears that the Lib Dems have now got themselves all confused and mixed up with the progress which has been made in their Parks and Green Spaces Strategy. Something, I suspected would happen once they had decided to run two separate but similar and overlapping planning consultations at the same time.

"After significant local opposition, the Cabinet agreed in 2010 to ditch plans to develop land to the south east of Kings Head Park for residential use. Yet, strangely, this deeply unpopular proposition makes a reappearance in the Site Allocations options paper.

"Furthermore, the suitability for disposal of land lying south of Withywood Park, off Paybridge Road, is due to be considered by the Dundry View Neighbourhood Partnership in the spring. However, this plot is also contained in the revised Site Allocations plan.

"I have to say that anything which seeks to preempt this discussion and decision is clearly premature and potentially invalid."

Back to Local News Index 19th January 2012