Taunton Deane council has thrown in the towel at the planning appeal against TDBC’s refusal to allow Gladman Developments to build 250 homes at Rockwell Green. The surprise end came when the council’s barrister Scott Stemp said to the inspector Philip Ware: “I invite you sir to grant planning permission without delay.”
Wellington councillors reacted with dismay to the defeat. “This is absolutely horrendous news. There is going to be uproar in the town,” said Cllr Janet Lloyd. Cllr Bob Bowrah added: “I’m very, very disappointed. People have fought long and hard against this scheme.
“I just don’t know why the council have caved in and done a U-turn on this,” added Cllr Bowrah, who is also chair of the TDBC planning committee and will be certain to want an internal post mortem on how Taunton Deane’s carefully organised opposition to the Gladman scheme fell apart after four-and-a-half hour’s cross examination from Gladman barrister Sarah Reid.
The developers had maintained that TDBC could not meet its five-year plan for housing land supply, that extra elderly-care units were needed, and that Rockwell Green was a ‘sustainable’ area for the development. The council had repeatedly stated its belief that the area is an unsustainable location, that the primary schools were already full or close to capacity, and that it can deliver its five-year supply of houses.
However, during the three days of this appeal, adjourned three times since it began in February, Taunton Deane backed down on each of its grounds of objection to the application. It may be significant that Gladman agreed not to seek costs against Taunton, perhaps suggesting that the council decided not to lose hundreds of thousands of pounds as well as the appeal itself.
“All we can do now is fight to make sure that we get the full 25% quota of affordable housing at Bagley Rd and that the infrastructure is properly built,” said a shocked Cllr Bowrah.
TDBC later issued this statement: “As the Inquiry progressed (and on advice from the Council’s legal advisors) the Council concluded that the previously-expressed views on policy conflict were not maintainable, that the appeal proposals did not conflict with Local Plan policies and that it would be unreasonable for the Council to continue to contest the appeal.
“Accordingly, the Council has withdrawn its objections to the grant of planning permission for the development, subject to the imposition of suitable planning conditions and legal obligations.”
This is so wrong and conceded on the wrong grounds. Taunton Deane are in shambles. At the first hearing Mathew Bale told the inquiry he was leaving Taunton Deane at the end of the week. In the second attempt at an inquiry Mr Woods was taken I’ll and no one could take his place at short notice. At the third attempt Taunton Deane barrister changed because the first one had resigned due to ill health. Mr Gardner who took over Mr Woods place re housing was a joke and didn’t know his stuff. He didn’t even have all the relevant files on hand to answer questions from Gladman solicitor. It was a shambles and Taunton Deane have conceded for monetary reasons. SHAME ON YOU ALL.
I attended the Inquiry on Tuesday but unfortunately, due to personal reasons, I could not attend on Wednesday, something that I now regret, but on reflection, perhaps was just as well as I would not have been able to control myself when Taunton Deane capitulated on this issue, I may have been arrested for a public order offence!! I am absolutely astounded by this U turn from Taunton Deane planners. The others issue is, will this open the flood gates for other planning applications within Taunton Deane?
As this development is now, unfortunately, going forward, we as a town need to make sure that everything that the developers say in their application is undertaken, eg play areas, access roads and other infrastructure details and as these issues will be managed by Taunton Deane Borough Council rather than the Town Council, we need to ensure that everything is completed within the prescribed timescale as per the planning application, something else that Taunton Deane Borough Council are not very good at. In Wellington we will need to keep very close tabs on the planners and enforcers to ensure that everything is undertaken as planned. My next concern, and you may think that is frivolous, is where will the annual carnival fun fare now be held? I have lived here for 28 years and it has always been held there and will the carnival floats be able to muster down from the Perry Elm roundabout or will there be access roads to the new estate there?
I find this capitulation by TDBC deeply concerning.
TDBC planning should be hanging their heads in shame over this.
One Tory councillor has stated that he is, “I’m very, very disappointed. People have fought long and hard against this scheme”.
I ask how hard have they fought for this.
TDBC have failed to defend any of its reasons for refusal.
“The four reasons for refusal related to i) the location of the development outside of the settlement limit and the resultant effects on sustainability and accessibility , ii) highways, iii) protected species and the iv) provision of affordable housing, children’s play facilities and a travel plan.
Now the flood gates have opened and I believe the other planning appeals Gladman have lodged will swiftly find in Gladman’s favour.
” … I believe the other planning appeals Gladman have lodged will swiftly find in Gladman’s favour… ”
Of course they will – developers have very deep pockets.
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JimD
Not necessarily true that other Gladman appeals will be allowed. Very unfortunate that Bagley Road Application was allowed, but hope that other applications have much stronger reasons for refusal. Look at the submission on Taunton Deane Planning Portal( 43/17/0002) where you can see the reasons why Gladman were successful in this case. No one in Wellington wanted this development and it’s unfortunate that it looks like it will happen.
Like many of my fellow Wellington residents, I was hugely dismayed to learn of TDBC’s recent U-turn during the Appeal Hearing last week against its original refusal of large, national housing developer Gladman’s request for planning permission for homes at the contentious Bagley Road site in Rockwell Green, Wellington.
Having vehemently opposed the plan previously, TDBC appears to have given in with scarcely a word, an action which may well open the flood-gates to similar schemes to erect new developments on land outside that set aside in the council’s own 5-year core strategy, thus making a nonsense of having any core plan in the first place!
This sudden capitulation has been slammed not only by local Wellington Town Councillors of all political persuasions, but also some Conservatives who currently hold the reins of power at TDBC, and it is an outcome which can only add further to the impression of meltdown from the top as instanced by the sudden disappearance of Councillor Habgood – hitherto holding the portfolio for planning and transport – just this last week.
Frankly, to my mind, none of us would be blamed for thinking that the current mess over Brexit at Westminster is being mirrored here, at home, within our own local government echelons. Instead of the deepening Brexit turmoil which nationally is distracting attention from a whole wealth of other urgent issues – eg. our looming social care crisis – here we have the ill-thought out merger with West Somerset which is rather doing the same in microcosm, resulting in an eye-off-ball Conservative-authored débacle like this one at Bagley Road.
As a council tax payer and LibDem, I agree very much with Janet Lloyd’s comment above saying that we here locally in Wellington will from now on need to keep a very close eye on TDBC’s handling of the development, to make absolutely sure that Gladman adheres strictly to its plan which includes infrastucture like children’s play areas, access roads, &c &c. Gladman may well be rubbing their hands at winning this particular round, but that doesn’t mean the game is over, not by a long chalk…