D-Day looms for South Stoke Plateau

We have had an exclusive preview of a map outlining Bath and North East Somerset Council's revised plan for South Stoke Plateau (or land adjoining Odd Down) - and it's bad news. 

A six-week public consultation begins on November 11

If the plan for 300 houses goes ahead ahead, virtually all the fields will be bulldozed for housing expect the far east and far south-west - in effect doubling the area of Sulis Meadows.

The plan will be available via www.bathnes.gov.uk/corestrategy on November 11 and this will be followed by a six-week public consultation during which presentations will be made in South Stoke and Odd Down (see story below) We'll also get the chance to respond directly to the council.

B&NES wants the comment forms returned no later than 5pm on Friday, 20th December 2013.  Comments received by this deadline will be forwarded to the Planning Inspector for his consideration.

Needless to say, it's vital that as many of us as possible respond so the Inspector is fully aware of the strength of opposition to ANY incursion of the green belt.

Council to reveal revised housing plans for South Stoke Plateau

Bath and North East Somerset Council will announce its plans for the South Stoke Plateau (or land adjoining Odd Down) on November 11.

This will then be followed by six weeks of public consultation where you will be given the chance to object to the building of hundreds of houses on the plateau.

The council will also stage two presentations on November 13th so that you can see the plans for yourself:

• South Stoke Village Hall, 3-5pm
• St Gregory's Catholic College, 6-8pm

Flashback to our SOBA summer protest walk

We will keep you up to date with the latest news over the coming crucial weeks. It's essential that we all make our voices heard when the consultation period opens because the Planning Inspector will see all the comments when his Examination in Public begins again, probably in the New Year.

In the meantime, if you live in one of the communities surrounding the plateau, we urge you to put up a "Save Bath's Green Belt" protest board in your garden, write to/email your local councillor/MP and encourage your friends and neighbours to join the campaign. 

SAY NO to council's crafty plan to build on the plateau

The Planning Inspector has accepted Bath and North East Somerset Council's Core Strategy proposal – despite developers asking for it to be rewritten to include Bristol’s housing needs.

Threatened South Stoke plateau

He will now hold a public meeting in Bath (date tbc) to hear objections from people who responded to the May 2013 consultation.

In the meantime, the council has decided to select a specific location on South Stoke Plateau for housing. In so doing they have circumvented the Core Strategy consultation process.

The next stage of the council's plan is to launch another consultation with communities around the plateau (in November), asking whether we agree with their choice of location for house-building on the Plateau.

Please look out for any consultation letters/emails in November and reply ‘NO’ to any South Stoke Plateau house-building location.

plateauAny building on the plateau will represent the thin end of the wedge. Tomorrow, the rest of the plateau, then more green belt around Bath.

B&NES plan for 12,700 homes clears another hurdle

A public hearing into Bath’s planning blue print is to continue in late November after Planning Inspector Simon Emerson decided to proceed with Bath and North East Somerset Council’s Core Strategy.

Mr Emerson has been assessing whether the draft core strategy is legally sound and there had been concerns that the plan did not take into account the housing needs of other areas such as Bristol.

The Core Strategy, which earmarks sites for 12,700 homes over the next 15 years, includes Green Belt at Weston and South Stoke.

Councillor Tim Ball (Lib-Dem, Twerton), Cabinet member for homes and planning, said: “The Core Strategy focuses development on brownfield sites as far as possible and seeks to limit the use of Green Belt land to achieve our homes target to support local need.”

The South of Bath Alliance supports the focus on brownfield sites, but we believe the Green Belt should be non-negotiable and Bath should be treated as a special case.

D-Day for Bath’s Core Strategy next Wednesday

The Bath Chronicle is reporting that there will be a ruling next week about whether a blueprint for the future of development across the Bath area needs to be ripped up and started again.

The Chronicle says “Simon Emerson, who is assessing whether Bath and North East Somerset Council’s draft core strategy is legally sound, has raised a series of questions about whether the authority has earmarked enough land for new homes”.

BBC Points West reported on  Mr Emerson’s  September 17 meeting with B&NES on that night’s programme and reporter Ali Vowles filmed a piece on South Stoke plateau.

Link: http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/Inspector-rule-week-Bath-homes-blueprint/story-19811024-detail/story.html#ixzz2fL2TylEk

Future of Bath's valuable Green Belt hangs in the balance

It’s big week for Bath and North East Somerset Council. It’s attempting to prove to the Government’s Planning Inspector that its planning blueprint (known as the Core Strategy) is legally sound.

Under threat: Bath's South Stoke plateau

Earlier this summer Planning Inspector Simon Emerson raised serious questions about whether the council has earmarked enough land for new homes.

Mr Emerson was backing concerns from developers that the council had not taken enough consideration of the housing needs of adjacent local authority areas, because cities such as Bristol have traditionally provided jobs to people living in B&NES.

B&NES Council insists its strategy to build 12,700 homes over the next 15 years ticks all the Government’s boxes.

The Core Strategy will also determine the future of green belt land at Weston and South Stoke.

Our fear is that it if the decision is made to build on green belt, it will be open season for developers all around Bath.

Not only will this threaten Bath’s unique setting, but also our status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Here's a link to the BBC News Online version of the story http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-24123087

South Stoke plateau art on tour

There's another chance to see artwork by local artists inspired by the South Stoke plateau this Saturday.

Watercolour by Mary Liddell

Organiser Sally Muir will have a stall at South Stoke Village Hall between 11am-5pm .

The aim is to draw attention to our campaign and demonstrate what Bath will be losing if the housing development goes ahead.

The paintings will be sold at a later date (proceeds going to the campaign to save South Stoke plateau).

If you haven't signed our petition, visit http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/protect-precious-green-belt-in-bath-from-a-300-home-development