Redhouse Cafe Culture Sold Out for Housing

The Swindon Advertiser posted a picture for the Tomlinson family album as mother and son posed together in the foreground of a promised land. 

Why they look so proud of their achievement is questionable.  The gang of four are at it again.  Bulldozers and building is all they understand and, though many promises were made to Priory Vale residents about the state of the art Village Centre, residents now find that a back door application has been processed to build 33 extra houses.   

Not one in the gang of four called it into planning committee for consideration thus sealing the fate forever of the cafe culture that residents were promised. 

It appears that the developer, Crest Nicholson, is being blamed for the fact that it was asking for a fair market price for its land holdings.  Surely, Conservative councillors would support free market, striving businesses? 

Therefore Crest Nicholson, as developer, has only done what is expected. Yet, Justin Tomlinson MP tells us that developers would not try to take advantage.  How can an MP say one thing about development in an article one day and then contradict himself the next day in an article in the same newspaper. 

People in Priory Vale have expressed dismay that there is a definite possibility of a maybe that at some point in the future there could well be a community building of sorts.   

What we do know, that is definitely happening, is that there is no doctor’s surgery, nursery provision, retail units or a pub being built on that site.

Now that’s outrageous and it’s scandalous that our local politicians have done it again so soon after Tadpole Farm and Mouldon Hill Country Park.

 

The Puzzle of Redhouse Village Centre

Planning approval has been given for 33 more houses on land at Redhouse Village Centre where there should have been a doctor’s surgery, retail units and other community facilities.  Residents are asking some questions: 

Ø  Why was no planning committee held to make this decision?

Ø  Why did local councillors pay the developer £240k for some land at the Village Centre?

Ø  Why did a local councillor say, at two public meetings, that the land was going to be given to SBC for nothing?

Ø  Why did a local councillor admit to seeing Village Centre plans in 2011 but didn’t obtain a copy of that plan for local people?

Ø  Is this the end of the much heralded cafe culture promised by local politicians to the residents of Oakhurst and Redhouse?

Redhouse Pub Site: Suitable Falls at Becher's Brook

The report to cabinet on 20th March concerning the suitability of school sites in North Swindon states:

3.18 In addition to the site assessment further investigation with the developer in ownership of the Redhouse Pub Site option has identified;

3.18.1 The site is not under the control of the Council and the developer has indicated that they are working on bringing the site forward for local centre uses in the immediate short term,

3.18.2 The land is not big enough to accommodate a school and playing pitches,

3.18.3 There are complex contractual arrangements between the members of the North Swindon Development Consortium relating to the funding of infrastructure land which could affect the purchase price for the Council.

Redhouse Village Centre site - As Clear As Mud then?

 

Communication from an SBC planning officer in response to a query from a member of the public. 

 

In accordance with the Council’s approved Scheme of Delegation 2012, the application was determined under delegated authority by the Service Manager-Development Management. No Borough Councillor or the Parish Council requested the matter to be placed before the Council’s Planning Committee for determination.

The decision was authorised and issued on 6^th March 2013. This is recorded on the application file.

Whilst the ‘hard’ file documents are clear that the decision was made under delegated powers, the electronic database, as you have pointed out, recorded otherwise. The database has been amended to reflect this.

This is a guest post

 

 

 

 

Is this Crunch Time for the Profligate and Inept?

Crunch time is coming when the lead member for schools and North Swindon councillor must lay his cards on the table for the site of the 2014 North Swindon School. At the moment, the public has been invited to consider Redhouse as one of the potential sites.

http://www.swindon.gov.uk/northswindonprimary

Would this be the same Redhouse for which the planning system shows PA S/12/0711: application for 33 houses and a charge of £240,000 to SBC for the land for a community centre?

http://195.89.201.121/PublicAccess77/tdc/DcApplication/application_detailview.aspx?caseno=M45QHRPT97000

PA S/12/0711 which states it was granted approval on 6/3/2013 by committee but for which no minute of presentation to or approval by the planning committee exist? Are elected members no longer necessary in the decision making process? Or was someone trying to hide this from public view?

Redhouse Village Centre Update

ORA have learnt today that planning permission has been granted for 33 houses at Redhouse Village Centre and the permission gives further news on the community centre site.

Residents have been asking us what is happening to the Redhouse school site in light of comments made yesterday in the Adver by Cllr David Renard, who was still driving forward the Mouldon Hill site.

This planning decision signals the end of the cafe culture promised to so many residents who bought their houses in Priory Vale and effectively signals the end of the proposed school site nearby. 

The consultation ends in two days and there will be disappointed residents who were hoping for a site at Redhouse.

It appears that building houses still comes before a doctor's surgery, school places and retail units. 

What's new there?