This week saw a public information evening very well organised by Newton St Loe Conservation Group who are dismayed at proposals in the B&NES Core Strategy to build 2000 houses next to their village.

Senior Planning Officers attended the meeting to explain the position of the Regional Spatial Strategy and the Council’s Core Strategy. They explained that while the RSS was held up there was an opportunity for unplanned development through the planning process so they were putting together their own Core Strategy as a defence against speculation.

The Core Strategy Housing Development is based on 15,500 extra houses over the whole district with the preferred option for Bath’s allocated 2,000 extra being the land between the Globe Inn at Newton St Loe and Twerton on the edge of Bath.

Local residents attending the meeting were from Newton St Loe, Corston and Twerton and had a series of written questions which were addressed to Council officers. Officers stressed that this was only the first draft of the Core Strategy and urged residents to take part in the consultation, particularly if they had other alternatives to suggest.

The meeting was also addressed by CPRE (Campaign for the Preservation of Rural England) representative Georgie Biggs who also urged residents to write in to the Council with their views. She said people power can make a difference as has been proved by the legal challenge to the east of England RSS.

Gail Coleshill and Louise Bray, Liberal Democrats, who have been helping the local group to advertise their meetings and supporting their campaign were there to listen.

She said: “The leaders of the Conservation Group were clearly dissatisfied that several of their questions to officers went unanswered. Towards the end of the meeting some local residents expressed their dismay that this site appears to be the most favoured by officers because the Duchy who owns the land is keen to develop it on the lines of Poundbury.”

“This is a special landscape area which includes some of the flood plain of the river Avon. I am concerned that in their efforts to reduce transport and communication costs the Council is wrecking good agricultural land for ever. I urge all residents to submit comments as soon as possible.”

Any elector in Bath and North East Somerset can put forward their views as part of the consultation on the Core Strategy. Remember you need to make your comments on the Options document by 11th December 2009. Visit www.bathnes.gov.uk/corestrategy for more details.