26-home scheme in Gloucestershire refused over Japanese knotweed
ESE Capital LTD wanted permission from Stroud District Council to develop 5.1 acres of land near Dursley
Last updated 20th Jun 2024
A controversial scheme to build 26 homes in Gloucestershire has been rejected by planners amid fears over Japanese knotweed.
ESE Capital LTD wanted permission from Stroud District Council to develop 5.1 acres of land near Dursley.
Their proposals have been hugely controversial with residents and more than 100 people objected.
The council’s planning officers recommended refusing the scheme on ten different grounds.
They said the benefit of the proposed development at Bowers Lea, in Cam, did not outweigh the harms it would cause.
And the applicant had failed to address concerns about the large stand of Japanese knotweed within the north-western corner of the woodland, which is spreading to the centre of the site.
Councillor Christopher Evans (C, Cam) told the development control committee on July 24 that he fully supported the officers’ recommendation to reject the scheme.
He said many people have concerns about the access for the site and road safety.
“Access to the site is next to a nursery and a footpath which goes to Woodfield School which is also popular with dog walkers,” Cllr Evans said.
“Manor Avenue is undulating and twisted at this point and lines of sight are limited.
“This is made worse at peak times when cars are parked on the road outside the nursery.”
He said the parking is sometimes so bad that bin lorries cannot collect the waste from households and he called on the committee to reject the proposals.
Cam Parish Council representatives and residents also spoke against the scheme and said there was no lack of large developments in and around the village.
Councillor Loraine Patrick (C, Dursley) proposed rejecting the scheme and this was seconded by Helen Fenton (Independent Left, Chalford).
Cllr Patrick said it was an excellent report and officers had gone “above and beyond” trying to engage with the developer.
“Yet again we’ve got another absentee applicant. It doesn’t fill me with any kind of faith from the developer’s point of view. I will definitely not be supporting it and will go with the officer.”
Chairman Martin Baxendale (G, Stroud Valley), who has been involved in planning for more than 30 years, said he has never come across an application with so many genuine reasons for refusal.
“I would question the sanity of a committee that actually approved this. The fact the agent hasn’t even bothered to turn up today is telling.”
The committee voted unanimously to reject the application.