The lead Devizes story last week, that the land speculators from Glasgow are appealing against the refusal of planning permission for their proposed development at Coate Bridge, is unwelcome, but no surprise.
The speculators are very determined because planning permission will hugely increase the land value. These people know how easy it is to bypass local planning decisions by lodging an appeal. The Government will send in a planning inspector with instructions to find reasons to overturn the local planning decision, as has happened here several times before. We now have major traffic and air pollution problems and overloaded GPs’ surgeries because of previous decisions at planning appeals.
After much lobbying from within our community, Wiltshire Council’s planning strategy now recognises that the Devizes area has been overloaded with housing developments, so numbers of new houses must be strictly limited.
Speculators have persuaded the Government to boost house building to kick-start the economy before the next election.
Unfortunately, the adverse effects of unnecessary new housing estates here will continue long afterwards.
Several local organisations will formally contest the appeal, but what can local voters do about it? Express your opposition to the Coate Bridge proposal and disapproval of Government planning policies to our MP and directly to the minister.
Contact Claire Perry MP: clairefordevizes@googlemail.com and The Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP, Dept for Communities and Local Government, London SW1 5DU, eric.pickles@communities.gsi.gov.
Ted East, Chairman, The Trust for Devizes.
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