Temporaty Road Closure

Dear Clerk, Chair and Councillors,

 

I regret to inform you that the Bellway Planning Application has been voted FOR by the Committee earlier today, with no further amendments.

 

Despite all your efforts and those of residents in writing and researching and coming up with strong counter arguments against the plan it has never the less gone through.

 

The Committees main reasons, as I saw it, to accept the Officers recommendations ‘as is’ was that they didn’t believe from their experience Bellway would change anything else.

 

And as Bellway had reduced the numbers of houses already from the last plan it was deemed rather unusual for a developer to do this, so they accepted it as a positive.

 

So after a fairly long discussion with residents arguments still being interjected by opposition Councillors and despite Cllr. Meredith’s, Mr. Leonards and my eloquent presentations, the vote unfortunately was:

 

FOR:

Conservative: 8

 

AGAINST:

Independents: 2

Liberal Democrat: 1

 

1 member was absent on the day

 

It was disappointing that ruling Members didn’t feel the arguments put forward were strong enough reasons to vote to send the amendments back for further consultation, probably because of the threat of an appeal, something of which I feel should not have been the reason to deny further negotiation.

 

There are a few details that will be left for Officer’s to decide in their professional opinion. Some of these are procedural and some more expert when it comes to flood prevention and watercourses.

 

I previously did request from the Council prior to the meeting for a more direct answer to the Culverting of the Water Course and I learn that Culverting is an option, not a definite.

 

However the final on this has to be decided by flood and drainage experts and therefore, I  understand, would have not been a condition as part of the vote today either way.

 

A full approval document will be on the Planning Portal in due course.

 

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kindest Regards,

Cllr. Terry Gill.

Independent for Dale Ward

East Riding of Yorkshire Council