A CAMPAIGN group fighting the building of 500 properties in Bromsgrove has hit out at the developers for submitting an overly-complicated and long-winded transport assessment which was not in the spirit of the planning system.
Whitford Vale Voice made the claims in response to the latest application by Catesby Estates Ltd and Miller Homes Ltd for 490 homes on land off Whitford Road and up to 15 more on the site of the former Greyhound pub which would be demolished to make way for the development.
WVV transport spokesperson John Gerner said: “Following Worcestershire County Council’s BaRHAM traffic model being declared unfit for purpose last year the Whitford developer has ripped up and replaced part of its transport assessment.
He said the latest set of paperwork included an 816-page revised transport assessment with appendices, a 690-page transport assessment addendum with appendices and a 55-page transport statement. He said residents would struggle to work out what was applicable, not applicable, valid, not valid or updated as they tried to make sense of the proposals before commenting.
And he accused the developers of a ‘lack of transparency’, labelling it unacceptable and ‘contrary to the principle of openness and fairness in the planning system’.
“WVV will be calling on Bromsgrove Council to compel the applicant to consolidate all this paperwork into a single document so that residents can take part in a meaningful consultation.”
His calls were backed by Coun Luke Mallett who said the developers had ‘submitted a forest of new documents’.
“I have demanded the council allow the public and community groups such as Whitford Vale Voice adequate time to review and analyse this data.
“The consultation period should be restarted.
“Whitford Vale Voice will I know be providing residents detailed information on the flaws and objections they have identified to this latest hairbrained scheme.
“Let’s be clear these developers and the Highways department have submitted badly flawed information and modelling in the past.
“That is why this application was previously rejected, a decision that was upheld in the High Court.
“Based on what I have seen I will be continuing to oppose these proposals as clearly Bromsgrove is gridlocked already, and these proposed developments will only make things much worse.”
But the developers said the paperwork had to be submitted in accordance with the regulations, adding there was already a ‘non-technical summary’ detailing the transport and environmental impact assessments which could be read in isolation of the other documents.
Catesby’s planning director David Morris said it had been working closely with Bromsgrove District Council and other stakeholders since 2013 to deliver much-needed homes and, in line with the council’s requirements, 40 per cent of the Whitford Road properties would be ‘affordable’ bringing 202 affordable homes.
The application also includes a shop, a public open space, landscaping, drainage and two new accesses onto Whitford Road.
Residents have until Monday, February 12, to have their say, either online at http://www.bromsgrove.gov.uk/planning using the reference number 16/1132 or by writing to: Planning Department, Bromsgrove District Council, Town Hall, Walter Stranz Square, Redditch, B98 8AH.
