Gloucestershire housing blueprint to be discussed at meeting

Stroud District Councillors will debate a major housing blueprint for M5 Junctions 12 and 14

A major blueprint for housing and other developments in Gloucestershire at two M5 junctions will be debated at a special meeting.

Stroud District Council (SDC) leaders will hold an extraordinary meeting on 25 January to discuss the local plan.

The local plan is a document which sets out proposed future development and growth for the area until 2040.

Last year inspectors raised serious concerns over the viability of the document.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the concerns were over the need to upgrade junctions 12 and 14 of the M5 to accommodate the expected growth.

They highlighted issues with the provision of the pedestrian and cycle bridge over the motorway for the Wisloe development.

And at the time they called into question the sustainable transport proposed for the planned new garden village at Sharpness.

Council leader Catherine Braun raised concerns about the additional "unnecessary" cost that will be incurred by the meeting

The progressive alliance administration at Ebley Mill said they welcome the Conservative group's request for a meeting.

But council leaders say the special meeting will cost taxpayers more than £1,400 in terms of staff and resources.

Calls for the extraordinary meeting came after the Conservatives missed the legal deadline to submit their questions to December's full council meeting.

The Conservatives say the progressive alliance takes exception to their wish as opposition to examine the "excessive" spend on what they believe is "clearly a flawed" draft local plan.

Conservative group leader Lindsey Green is calling on the council to withdraw the local plan

Council leader Catherine Braun said she already updated councillors at the December council meeting, and there will be nothing new for SDC councillors to discuss or decide at the meeting on 25 January.

She said the local plan document is now entirely within the control of the planning inspectors.

Conservative group leader Lindsey Green is calling on the council to withdraw the plan and reshape it to genuinely reflect the broad desire of residents for a more dispersed strategy that is not reliant on 'wishful thinking' public investment.

The meeting will take place at Ebley Mill on January 25.