Update from Luke Hall MP:
Following our community's dedicated work and campaigning, planning inspectors have publicly expressed their serious concerns about the housing plans for Thornbury, Charfield, Iron Acton, Coalpit Heath and Yate. I am incredibly grateful to everyone who attended the recent public hearings, to voice their objections to the Joint Spatial Plan. The controversial housing plans for South Gloucestershire have been thrown into doubt, with inspectors agreeing with the concerns I outlined as our local MP in 2017, that the way in which the plan was put together has been flawed.
In a letter to the local authority, inspectors have noted that “significant concerns remain” in regards to the proposed development and stated that “withdrawal of the JSP from examination may well be the most appropriate way forward”.
The inspectors expressed a series of concerns, most notably in relation to the locations suggested in the Joint Spatial Plan, and expressed concerns about the “soundness” of several other aspects of the plan, which will be set out in further detail in due course.
Fighting the JSP: Our campaign so far
Westminster Debate
As our local MP for Thornbury and Yate, I took the fight against the JSP to the House of Commons, where I lay out the robust and technical arguments as to why the plan in its current form were flawed. The Inspectors' letter this week echoes and mirrors concerns which I raised in Parliament in 2017.
You can also read the debate in full at the following address:
https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2017-03-29/debates/17032944000001/JointSpatialPlan(ThornburyAndYate)?highlight=buckover#contribution-1914A6D2-0F31-4147-92DC-A0CC380A114D
Raising concerns in Government
In my role as our local MP, I previously raised our community's concerns at the very highest level in Government, and met with the previous Secretary of State on a number of occasions – ensuring that Government did not back the Buckover element of the proposals.
Development Surveys
Supporting local residents, I conducted development surveys to every household in affected towns and villages, which demonstrated whole sale opposition to the proposals.
In each of the affected areas, over 90% of residents voiced their objection to the JSP.
Supporting local groups and residents
I have been working alongside our local campaign groups such as TRAPPD, VALID, Fighting for Charfield, and Iron Acton Parish Council, in standing up and continuing to make the case for a sustainable development plan for our area, and will continue to do so.
Responding to consultation
At every official consultation opportunity, I have as our local MP, personally submitted robust technical submissions, as well as my own objections and serious concerns.
What happens next?
I have consistently and fiercely backed our communities in fighting these proposals at every step. Our campaign has been hard fought and testing for us all, from the huge community support and response to my surveys in 2016, taking the technical fight to the highest levels and successfully stopping support for Buckover – we kept faith and never relented.
I am encouraged that inspectors have agreed with the case that I put forward in 2017 as our MP that the plan as it stands has always been flawed. I now urge the West of England to think again, involve our communities and go back to the drawing board.
The independent planning inspectors have found that they have not been “persuaded that there is evidence” of the way in which the sites where allocated were on a robust, consistent and objective basis – and as such the plan is fundamentally unsound.
I am encouraged that inspectors have agreed with the case that I put forward in 2017 in my role as our local MP, that the plan as it stands has always been flawed. I have now written to the inspectors to reiterate the arguments I have consistently made as our local MP at every step in the process asking they hold firm in their view that there are concerns over the locations and how they were designated, and that tinkering further evidence will resolve those concerns.
