Campaigners opposing social landlord Curo’s plans to build 89 homes on Greenlands field in Peasedown St John were celebrating last Friday, with the news that the current reserved matters planning application, recently submitted to B&NES, has been withdrawn.
The site has been highly controversial, won at appeal previously by developer Edward Ware, and sold to Curo last year. The steeply sloping green site saw plans to build concrete terraces with retaining walls to level out the field, potentially towering up to twelve metres above the existing ground level.
The withdrawal also comes days after B&NES Council told Curo that the removal of a hedgerow on the site was ‘unauthorised and unlawful’, telling the campaign group, Residents Protecting Peasedown that Curo had been ‘informed of the seriousness of this action’ and that it had been ‘strongly advised to cease all works on site’ until the application was determined.
A spokesperson for Residents Protecting Peasedown said this week: “It’s great news that Curo has withdrawn its pernicious plan. For months, we’ve been saying that its proposals are unworkable and we are glad it has finally seen sense.
“Curo’s handling of this proposal has been shambolic. Its consultation with people living in the village was totally inadequate. Its plan to build huge walls just metres from people’s homes suggested an entirely callous attitude towards local residents. The way it has responded to people’s concerns has been seriously flawed.
“Curo says it wants to resubmit plans in May. Before it does, it needs to take seriously local people’s concerns about the impact of this new estate on our village, and come up with some sensible solutions, rather than seeking to duck its responsibilities. It then needs to hold a proper, well-organised and fair consultation on the details of its plans, so that local people can take an informed view on what’s being put forward. We suggest to Curo that to do this properly might take longer than a few weeks.”
Peasedown St John’s Ward Councillors have also welcomed the news. Cllr Karen Walker (Independent) said: “This is fantastic news. As well as the plans being deeply unpopular with residents, the design drawn up by Curo in no way took on board any of the affected residents’ concerns or comments.”
Cllr Sarah Bevan (Independent) added: “Over the last six months, scores of local people have attended exhibitions, lobbied Curo and their local Member of Parliament, and submitted their comments to the council’s planning department.
“Residents do have the right to be listened to, and have their legitimate, well researched concerns acted upon. In this case, these included: landscaping, flooding, architecture, traffic and parking among others. Curo has now accepted that they need to go back to the drawing board – literally.”
A spokesperson for Curo told The Journal this week: “We can confirm that a section of hedgerow on the Greenlands Road site was disturbed as a result of archaeological investigations that we are required to carry out as part of our planning permission. An ecology officer was in attendance during the work to ensure that no nesting birds were affected. We are now in discussion with the team at B&NES Council to agree the best course of action to rectify the hedgerow issue, in line with our amended Reserved Matters Application.
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“We’ve had a high level of engagement during the consultation period, and have received a number of comments from the community and the local authority. We would like time to properly consider these comments and are working towards resubmitting in May.”