Plan will help prevent town from becoming ‘one big housing estate’

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Tuesday, 9 July 2019 16:07

By Carmelo Garcia - Local Democracy Reporter

Ross-on-Wye councillors have reassured residents the neighbourhood plan would help prevent the town from becoming ‘one big housing estate’.

The local plan will help guide development in the town until 2031 and will soon be formally submitted to Herefordshire Council.

One of most contentious issues surrounding the plan concerns its policies on the privately-owned green space at the Chase Hotel which is set to close for good on September 30 – many residents fear the site will be carved up for housing.

Speaking at last night’s meeting, Sue Brazendale called on the town council to protect all of the green space at the Gloucester Road site.

Another resident said it was important to protect the area which acted as a wildlife corridor from Chase Wood into Ross.

“It would be a tragedy to lose a charming and important for the space and the town for the future,” she said.

“Are we going to turn this charming town into one big housing estate? Please don’t do that.”

Mayor Jane Roberts said the plan’s steering group recognised the strength of feeling on the issue.

She explained the land was privately-owned and the plan could not create recreational value or public access over it.

“The neighbourhood plan cannot diminish the existing protection that exists under national planning law which has protected the site,” she said.

“Everybody recognises the importance of this site for the town and the desirability to put safeguards into the plan.

“No one is suggesting the site should be covered in housing.”

Councillor Chris Bartrum said between £30,000 to £40,000 has already been spent on consultants to develop the plan.

“We’ve got to decide whether we go with the professional advice of the professional advisers who have been assisting us for two, three, maybe four years.

“The disagreement we have now is because at the Chase Hotel we have the possibility of the owners building a development there.

“We must support the professional opinion of our professional advisers.

“I understand the professional advice is that if we put the green space in the plan there is a 95% chance it will be struck out by the independent examiner which would lead to more delays, more money and more uncertainty.

“We should get on with the plan as amended. We’ve done the best job that we can.”

Councillor Tracey Burford said she felt reassured as a Waterside resident that the plan would go some way to safeguarding the green spaces.

Other councillors feared there would be a rush of planning applications coming in before the neighbourhood plan gets to regulation 16 if it were delayed further.

The town council agreed to formally submit the amended neighbourhood development plan.

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