By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
Controversial plans to build thousands of new homes on the outskirts of Gloucester are still without the support of highways chiefs amid concerns over M5 and local road capacity.
Land at Whaddon south of the city is earmarked for housing in the blueprint for development in the Stroud District.
And Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd submitted an outline planning application to build 2,550 homes, a transport hub as well as a community centre and primary and secondary school in December 2023 – a decision is yet to be made on this.
However, there has been strong opposition to that particular application throughout.
There are serious concerns over the impact it would have on the road network if highways improvements are not forthcoming.
Former Conservative County Councillor Andrew Miller asked what Gloucestershire County Council’s view is on the development of that area and highlighted the inappropriate plans for traffic management on the Stroud Road and at St Barnabas Roundabout.
He submitted a written question to full council on July 16.
Shire Hall chiefs said they remain concerned about the scale and total need of funding needed to make motorway junction improvements and they have not agreed off-site highways mitigation with developers.
Dr Miller said: “Given the on-going saga of the Stroud District Plan, and specifically to land referenced as G2 being in Whaddon, can the council reconfirm its ongoing opposition to the current plan not only on the basis of inadequate funding for junction improvements at M5 junction 12, but also on the grounds of the inappropriate plans for traffic mitigation down the Stroud Road and in
particular at the St Barnabas Roundabout?
“What active steps are being taken to reinforce the view that it is this last point in particular which poses a potentially insurmountable challenge to the plans in respect of G2 (the land allocation in Whaddon)?
Business, economic development, planning and infrastructure cabinet member Julian Tooke (LD, Pittville and St Paul’s) said: “Gloucestershire County Council’s position on all draft Stroud Local
Plan review allocations is made clear in a number of documents on the Stroud District Council Examination Library website.
“These published documents make clear that: ‘Gloucestershire County Council officers remain concerned about the scale of the total funding that needs to be raised to deliver two motorway junctions, and that there is currently no funding strategy that secures the funding required’.
“The examination library also includes a statement of common ground between Gloucestershire County Council and the site promoter at Whaddon which clearly states that: ‘The scheme of off-site highways mitigation has not been agreed between the promoter and the County Council’.
“No new evidence has been presented to Gloucestershire County Council officers and the position published on the examination library therefore remains.”
The Taylor Wimpey development is expected to be decided by officers at Stroud District Council.