My name is Allen Keyte, I am Deputy Leader of Borough Council and Lead Member for the Finance Portfolio

I represent the TBC Ward of Hill. The parts of my ward impacted by this proposed development are the villages of Gotherington, Oxenton and Woolstone all to the north of Bishops Cleeve.

These villages have around 420; 25; and 55 houses…a total of around 500 houses. The three villages lie within the same ecclesiastical and many of their activities interlink although they all maintain their own identities. The typical small village atmosphere pervades the villages and it is this very feeling that the villagers do not wish to lose. They do not wish their village life to be destroyed and subsumed into a large unit.

Key Infrastructure Issues of Concern to these Communities:

• Highway crowding and lack of parking in Bishops Cleeve shopping centre, and the roads around Bishops Cleeve and on the A435 to . So-called green transport policies do not and cannot work in a rural area – they are applicable to the urban scene. Existing proposals to limit use of Gotherington Lane at peak times will triple traffic through Gotherington and establish a ‘rat run’ scenario. • Medical Services overcrowded already – not only in Bishops Cleeve but also at main hospitals in the area (from local experience including my local experience) • Schools overcrowded and even those living in the same road as the village junior school in Gotherington have to go on a waiting list! • Local Supermarkets are near capacity and linked to parking problems cause longer journeys (increasing congestion further) for basic food shopping

Other Concerns:

• Quality Agricultural Land would be lost at a time when we are importing almost 50% of our food supplies • Quality Landscape abutting the AONB would be lost – which is typical of the best landscape that attracts tourists, a vital business, to • Greenbelt ‘Leapfrogging’. By emphasising the importance of the green belt, the impact is for development to leapfrog it causing urbanisation and sprawl in the open countryside

Local Focus: Recent Survey

Last, but not least, the views of the people. The government keeps telling everyone that it wants local people to be listened to and for them to take an active part in consultation on the future of their communities.

I recently completed a survey of the 3 villages of Gotherington, Woolstone and Oxenton – to the North of Bishops Cleeve and most impacted by potential coalescence.

A total of 231 out of 500 households responded i.e. 46.2%.

1. 98.25% were opposed further development at the Homelands 2 site 2. 96.90% were opposed to the new development at Cleevelands 3. 92.60 said that Homelands 1 was a mistake – but a small number said that they thought that this would provide all of the housing that Bishops Cleeve needs for the foreseeable future. Sadly some see development taking place whatever they say or whatever the real needs might be in the locality. I was told that ‘If the needs of the community itself are always ignored by the authorities, what price Democracy?’

I don’t see this happening. That is why an enquiry such as this is taking place. We at Tewkesbury Borough are preparing our Core Strategy jointly with the neighbouring authorities of Cheltenham and Gloucester – in line with government advice. I believe that we are representing these communities that have these concerns, and it is down to us to make sure that we do not let them down. We shall shortly produce a strategy for the future of this area based on the demographics and economic needs of our communities – and not the motives of somebody coming into our area to develop!

The Homelands 1 application was permitted under the flawed Regional Spacial Strategy which certainly did not listen to communities. Fortunately this strategy is being scrapped under the Localism Bill. I believe that both the Homelands 2 and Cleevelands applications are opportunistic and premature to a locally based strategy which will better deal with the needs of our communities – and which will be produced fairly soon.

In addition to the Borough Council suggesting areas for development to the Communities – on what we used to call brownfield sites (as far as possible) we also anticipate, and shall be offering encouragement, that communities themselves come forward with ideas for smaller developments in their villages which will enhance their communities and have the support of them. These would deal with such needs as retirement bungalows to allow residents to downsize (and thus freeing up family homes) and starter homes for the younger families. Whatever the needs of the local community.

The Bishops Cleeve area needs a settling down period where the 450 homes already permitted can be absorbed into the community and the infrastructure substantially improved to meet current day needs. But as only a handful of these homes have been built in the 3 years since permission was granted, clearly there is not currently any significant demand.

Thank you for listening my comments and those of the Community that I represent. I urge you to recommend refusal of this appeal for all of the reasons stated.