Sneedhams Green: Open Spaces campaign helps stop access routes

Animals are often seen on Sneedhams Green

An application to build access routes across common land near Gloucester has been refused, delaying the construction of hundreds of homes.

A planning inspector refused commons consent for works on Sneedhams Green.

The Open Spaces Society, the leading pressure group for the protection of commons in England and Wales, has welcomed the decision.

"If developers want part of the common, they should replace what will be lost," said case officer Hugh Craddock.

Black Box Planning Ltd had applied to Gloucestershire County Council's planning inspectorate for approval to build access ways across the common, which is south of Matson and close to the M5.

The access ways would have linked Bromford Housing's Snow Capel development site, which is the subject of a planning application for 180 homes, to Winnycroft Lane.

The Open Spaces Society objected to the application because the applicants failed to offer any new land to add to the common to replace what would be lost to the new access ways, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

The developers wanted to build access ways across the common

Mr Craddock said the society is not opposed in principle to the housing development.

He said the developers might have had the necessary consent by now if they had agreed to an exchange of land and proposed cattle grids or gates.

"The new access ways would also have opened up three new breaches in the common perimeter," he said.

"The developers had no regard for the exercise of commoners' rights - a practice which has likely gone on here for centuries.

"Now their timetable has been set back by a year or more," he added.

Chas Townley, the society's local volunteer, said Sneedhams Green is the last remaining common with graziers' rights within the city of Gloucester.

"This is a significant decision which demonstrates the importance of providing replacement land for common land lost as a result of development proposals."

Bromford Housing has been approached for comment.