Radstock Methodist Church was the scene of impassioned pleas last Wednesday, as residents and representatives from NRR and Linden Homes sat before B&NES Council's Development Control Committee, which voted to permit both the outline scheme for the whole development and a full application for 'Zone Two', in the area of the Victoria Hall and existing car park, which will deliver all of the affordable housing first to secure Homes and Community Agency money. B&NES Council say that work on the road scheme will now commence as soon as possible, so that the regeneration of Radstock can finally begin, after more than a decade.
The decisions took nearly five hours in total, with over an hour dedicated for each side to speak. The applications will now be delegated to permit by Council Officers once conditions have been agreed, but there will still be much to 'iron out'.
The whole scheme will provide 190 dwellings in the town, with retail and business units, the conversion of the Brunel rail shed and the diversion of the Sustrans route through the new development. The full application for Zone Two will see seventy dwellings built, 47 of which will be affordable, with retail floor space and a public car park with just fourteen spaces, replacing the informal arrangement which currently stands on this land for over forty vehicles.
Chair of the meeting, Cllr Gerry Curran, (Lib-Dem, Twerton), firstly read a statement by Lib-Dem Radstock Ward Councillor, Simon Allen, who welcomed regeneration. He said: 'This development is of vital importance for the future of Radstock. It is a town with a rich history, active community and so much more.
'However, it has its fair share of issues, with a high numbers of cases of domestic abuse and shortened life expectancies compared across B&NES as a whole. Radstock deserves regeneration and I believe it starts here. No plan is perfect and this one is not. But it creates the best chance for new homes and the economy. Radstock, naturally, is a focal point for motorised transport. I believe the new road scheme will provide Radstock with the flexibility to close off parts of the road for events such as markets. This scheme puts people first. It is not the total answer, but a signficant part of it.'
B&NES' Case Officer, Sarah James, noted that there had been 75 further objections received for the outline application, with seventeen in support and 51 objecting to the full application for Zone Two, with twelve in support. Both the Susan Hill School of Dance and Royal Mail had said whilst not against the scheme, they were concerned about parking and highways arrangements. Parking was consistently brought up during the meeting, with residents arguing that regeneration could not occur if visitors were unable to park and spend any time in the town. With B&NES having to carry out the roadworks, the parking aspect will also be its problem, not the developer's, as the informal car park is on NRR land. There was talk of Royal Mail possibly being offered space in the public car park behind the library, which is very often busy and with the site of the old Homemaker building, at Waterloo Road, earmarked for social housing, this could be a serious problem for the Council.
Resident, Caroline Green, spoke against the application. She said: "We have been promised regeneration, but what I see is loss for Radstock, the loss of potential open spaces, loss of habitat and loss of heritage features. I see a loss of economy, the loss of the railway and, primarily, the loss of parking, which will undermine regeneration. I know that people are frustrated, but this is the wrong scheme at the wrong time."
Many protestors of the scheme are arguing that the rail link to Frome will no longer be possible, should building on Area Three go ahead. Nigel Bray, from Rail Future, spoke at the meeting and said that the application could, in his opinion, severely curtail or stop the rail project, which he claimed is supported by our local MP, Jacob Rees-Mogg. Mr Bray argued that the key to Radstock's economic recovery could be in exploiting its industrial heritage – through the railway. He urged the committee to look at the long-term proposals and avoid making a short-sighted decision for the sake of starting the project.
Commenting on the rail issue after the meeting on Wednesday, Cate Le Grice Mack, Director of NRR, said: "The potential for use of the remaining rail line alongside the cycleway up to the South East edge of Area Two is protected by an agreement with Sustrans/B&NES and Mendip/SCC.
"We explored its development as a light rail link very positively with GoCoop, but unfortunately, the pro rail people did not take an active part, so we have not pursued it.
"The advantage of light rail is that it is far more flexible, likely to be more in proportion to existing demand and link in with the current popularity of the cycleway for leisure use. It does not rule out heavy rail in the future and costs a great deal less to start up.
"We have to be realistic about demand on this route – even when it was running, it was the least used of the three routes out of Radstock (the other two being along the Somerset and Dorset to Bath, and the route through Pensford to Bristol), and it was closed pre-Beeching for being uneconomic. That means that if it is to be valuable to Radstock residents and businesses in the future, it will probably have to reflect a rather larger economy for the town."
On Wednesday, Ms Le Grice Mack also said that NRR had already been "approached by retailers" who were interested in the development's new retail space and that a twenty-year ecological management plan for the land would be put in place.
At the meeting, John Wilkinson, Divisional Director for Commercial Regeneration, said that Radstock's economy is "underperforming" and that the plans are "a substantial step forward" with the new road layout "an integral part of the scheme".
Councillor Paul Crossley, Leader of B&NES Council, also addressed the meeting. He said: "This has probably been the most debated application in the country. It is now time for this committee to bite the bullet and say yes to housing, yes to jobs. We NEED to pass this scheme.
"There was a time where people were against the idea of revitalising the Victoria Hall and said 'no, stop', and look how successful it has been. It is time to say 'yes, go', proceed, pass this application."
Having the last word, Labour Ward Councillor for Radstock, Eleanor Jackson, said: "This is a historic decision, whichever way you take it. Radstock is a wonderful place. The people here are enterprising and resourceful and have a great sense of humour, which, my goodness, they need. Simply saying 'something must be done' is very dangerous and not the right answer – the right thing must be done in the right context, at the right time."
Both planning applications were delegated to permit, with ten in favour and two against. Councillors' main concerns were the lack of S 106 funding and B&NES' compromise on affordable housing. Cllr Vic Pritchard (Conservative, Chew Valley South), said: "This application is still not ready, despite discussions over a decade. I don't agree that rail is an unrealistic aspiration – just look at the old railway line in Bristol, which is now dominated by cyclepath. I wouldn't want the same to happen to Radstock. We need to support infrastructure first – the twin roundabouts were meant to be a temporary measure, this new road scheme preserves them!"
Following the approval by B&NES, the Cabinet has announced that work will start as soon as possible on the road network. Speaking this week, Councillor Paul Crossley, Leader of the Council, said: "It is excellent news that Bath and North East Somerset Council, NRR and Linden Homes can now move ahead with the regeneration of Radstock.
"Everyone has had a chance to have their say about the planning applications. It is now time for everyone in the town to work together and make this project work for the good of today's residents and future generations.
"The Council will now be working as hard and quickly as possible to start work on the road network upgrade, necessary to support new homes and new jobs. Together with our recent refurbishment of Victoria Hall for community use, the future is looking much brighter for Radstock."
In response to issues raised during the Development Control Committee meeting about parking availability during the regeneration works, the Council will be liaising closely with landowners over the coming weeks to identify potential locations to increase temporary parking whilst works are underway on the former railway land. Many will argue that a much longer-term arrangement will need to be sought!
An announcement with precise timescales for the road network works will be released as soon as they are available.