Tuesday 10 December 2013

Last chance to Say No to the destruction of Bath's Green Belt

Protect Bath, SOBA's fellow Green Belt campaigners, have created a simple online tool to make responding to the public consultation much easier.

Instead of having to fill in Word documents and attach them to an email, or write a letter, just click on the link below and fill in the form - and if you can personalise it, even better...

It only takes a minute or two to respond to Bath council's public consultation. Click here now!

Sunday 8 December 2013

Last chance to object to Bath council's plans to bulldoze the Green Belt

DEADLINE: DECEMBER 20

If you haven’t already responded to the council’s second public consultation about plans to build on South Stoke Plateau, the clock is ticking.

This is your last chance to influence events. Only those responses received by 5pm on December 20 will be considered by the Planning Inspector who will hold a public inquiry in the New Year to hear representations and then make a decision.

You can send in your objections by:

  • Filling in the council’s online comment forms (found at http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/services/planning-and-building-control/planning-policy/core-strategy-examination/consultation-core#four). These must then be attached to an email and sent to core_strategy@bathnes.gov.uk
  • Writing a letter which needs to be sent to Planning Policy, Planning Services, Bath & North East Somerset Council, PO Box 5006, Bath, BA1 1JG 

Please try to use your own words as much as possible to reflect your own opinions. There may be others you might wish to add - for example, Southstoke Road is already a busy highway in the morning rush hour - just imagine it with roundabouts or traffic lights at either end! And with the 800 houses planned for the ex-MoD site at Fox Hill, just think of the congestion if 300 additional houses are built on South Stoke plateau.

The four key issues relating to South Stoke Plateau that the inspector will take into account are:

  1. Bath’s UNESCO World Heritage Site (WHS) status, the Green Belt, the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), and The Wansdyke ancient scheduled monument.
  2. Access problems, local infrastructure.
  3. Core Strategy housing numbers. Are they excessive? Should there be any need to bulldoze the Green Belt and AONB?.
  4. Is Bath a special case?


Bath’s UNESCO status is particularly important - the reason our city is a WHS is not just because of the buildings, but also its setting, which includes the hills around it.

If you require further guidance, the Sulis Meadows group have organised a meeting on Monday. Councillors and others will be there to answer questions and advise further.

PUBLIC MEETING FOR ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION THIS COMING MONDAY DEC 9 AT
ST GREGORY'S CATHOLIC COLLEGE 5-7.30PM

Please spare 10 minutes to either print off a comment form and send it back to the council, or complete a comment form via a Word doc and email which can be found by clicking on the link below, where the process is fully explained:

http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/services/planning-and-building-control/planning-policy/core-strategy-examination/consul