I would like to voice my disgust at the planning committee and planning inspectorate and the decision to approve the proposed development off Small Drove in Weston.
Despite opposition from the parish council and residents, the planning committee failed to make a decision and the planning inspectorate subsequently passed the application.
This may be a little known fact as the application is still showing under appeals on SHDC’s website and you need to navigate several links to read the decision.
The planning committee needs to be held to account for its ostrich-like behaviour in allowing this development to be approved.
The argument that we need more housing cannot be used as justification for developing a quiet area of the village and creating a dangerous road junction at Broadgate and Small Drove.
Small Drove is an unclassified road and could not cope with potentially 90 more cars created by the development, aside from the construction traffic.
In the planning inspectorate’s report it is referred to as a narrow country lane without pavements, but it also states the development would have very limited impact on the surrounding highway network. I would like to see if the planning inspectorate’s view is still the same when people are queuing to get out of the junction and Small Drove is at standstill due to the amount of two-way traffic trying to get down a one way lane with limited passing places!
Why have people closed their eyes and ears to valid and reasonable objections and lost all common sense in approving this development, just because we need more housing?
Why have the parish councillors not done more to prevent this development? And why did the planning committee just allow it to be passed on a technicality when the objections had been discussed at length during a planning committee meeting despite advice that the recommendation would have been to refuse the application?
SHDC needs to get its act together and stop being afraid of saying no to developers before they ruin our villages just to provide more housing.
I wish I had the money to take this application to judicial review which is the only option available to stop this potentially dangerous development from happening. It is, in itself, disgusting that development cannot be stopped on the grounds of safety and, ultimately, common sense!
I would appeal to the landowner to rethink their decision to sell the land to a developer but I believe the land has been sold following their death. No doubt they will be turning in their grave at the prospect of a beautiful corner of the village overlooking open fields being destroyed by housing.
Rachel Reeve
Weston
