Post by Sherford on Jul 15, 2006 18:04:02 GMT
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TRIO QUIT OVER NEW TOWN PLAN
11:50 - 13 July 2006
Community leaders in Plympton have quit a steering committee guiding the progress of a controversial new town on the outskirts of Plymouth.
Dr Keith Chapman from the Plympton Community Council, Alan Street from Chaddlewood Farm Community Centre and Freddie Mills from the Plympton St Maurice Civic Society stepped down from the Sherford Community Steering Group amid concerns that local opposition to the proposed new town was being ignored.
In a letter to South Hams District Council, the trio said: "As the Plympton community representatives, we have sought throughout our involvement with the Sherford Community Steering Group to maintain a stance of opposition to the location of the new development, while at the same time trying, by participating in the consultation process, to protect Plympton's interests and to minimise any harm to our communities if Sherford does indeed go ahead as planned.
"We are now at a stage in the process where we consider our position in trying to meet both these aims to be untenable."
The three men said they were dismayed that objections to the Sherford scheme from Plympton "are not afforded the significance and weight they deserve".
They added: "We now feel that we must put all our energies into ensuring that Plympton is not overlooked any further in the planning process.
"We also feel that these efforts would be constrained by our continued membership of the Sherford Community Steering Group."
Residents in the Plympton area say the 4,000-home Sherford proposal - which could grow to 5,500 - will cause massive traffic problems.
They are also objecting to the removal of a 'green buffer' which would have protected the Plympton and Plymstock area from westward expansion of Sherford.
Patrick Nicholson, the senior representative of Plympton on Plymouth City Council and chairman of the Plympton Area Committee, said: "I'm very pleased and totally supportive of Keith, Alan and Freddie's decision to resign and to fight Plympton's case openly and publicly with the backing of our residents.
"Throughout this debate the views of the people of Plympton have been ignored, and from now on we intend this to stop."
The Sherford Community Steering Group is backed by South Hams District Council, which originated the new town project.
Work on the site's first homes is expected to begin by 2008.
The project is being driven by Government insistence that more homes should be built in Devon.
Paul Tyler, SHDC's major developments and projects officer, said: "The Sherford Community Steering Group was set up to ensure close community involvement with the local authorities and Red Tree, the developer of Sherford.
"Gary Streeter MP has chaired these meetings, which have allowed an exceptional level of dialogue to take place on all issues of concern and to review the progress of the plans for the new community. A number of positive outcomes have been achieved as a result.
"Due to the strategic requirement for the development of Sherford, the district council has no choice but to deliver the new community. The key thing is to deliver a high-quality, sustainable development, which takes into account all the issues raised by the local communities and which addresses them in the best possible way.
"We deeply regret that the three Plympton representatives on the Sherford Community Steering Group have resigned, in order to pursue a course of opposition to the new community.
"We seriously believe that the interests of Plympton residents could be best served by their continued engagement.
"The district council would be happy to meet them to discuss their approach and their concerns, in the hope that they can be fully involved alongside the representatives of Elburton, Plymstock and Brixton who continue to be fully engaged in the Sherford Community Steering Group."
TRIO QUIT OVER NEW TOWN PLAN
11:50 - 13 July 2006
Community leaders in Plympton have quit a steering committee guiding the progress of a controversial new town on the outskirts of Plymouth.
Dr Keith Chapman from the Plympton Community Council, Alan Street from Chaddlewood Farm Community Centre and Freddie Mills from the Plympton St Maurice Civic Society stepped down from the Sherford Community Steering Group amid concerns that local opposition to the proposed new town was being ignored.
In a letter to South Hams District Council, the trio said: "As the Plympton community representatives, we have sought throughout our involvement with the Sherford Community Steering Group to maintain a stance of opposition to the location of the new development, while at the same time trying, by participating in the consultation process, to protect Plympton's interests and to minimise any harm to our communities if Sherford does indeed go ahead as planned.
"We are now at a stage in the process where we consider our position in trying to meet both these aims to be untenable."
The three men said they were dismayed that objections to the Sherford scheme from Plympton "are not afforded the significance and weight they deserve".
They added: "We now feel that we must put all our energies into ensuring that Plympton is not overlooked any further in the planning process.
"We also feel that these efforts would be constrained by our continued membership of the Sherford Community Steering Group."
Residents in the Plympton area say the 4,000-home Sherford proposal - which could grow to 5,500 - will cause massive traffic problems.
They are also objecting to the removal of a 'green buffer' which would have protected the Plympton and Plymstock area from westward expansion of Sherford.
Patrick Nicholson, the senior representative of Plympton on Plymouth City Council and chairman of the Plympton Area Committee, said: "I'm very pleased and totally supportive of Keith, Alan and Freddie's decision to resign and to fight Plympton's case openly and publicly with the backing of our residents.
"Throughout this debate the views of the people of Plympton have been ignored, and from now on we intend this to stop."
The Sherford Community Steering Group is backed by South Hams District Council, which originated the new town project.
Work on the site's first homes is expected to begin by 2008.
The project is being driven by Government insistence that more homes should be built in Devon.
Paul Tyler, SHDC's major developments and projects officer, said: "The Sherford Community Steering Group was set up to ensure close community involvement with the local authorities and Red Tree, the developer of Sherford.
"Gary Streeter MP has chaired these meetings, which have allowed an exceptional level of dialogue to take place on all issues of concern and to review the progress of the plans for the new community. A number of positive outcomes have been achieved as a result.
"Due to the strategic requirement for the development of Sherford, the district council has no choice but to deliver the new community. The key thing is to deliver a high-quality, sustainable development, which takes into account all the issues raised by the local communities and which addresses them in the best possible way.
"We deeply regret that the three Plympton representatives on the Sherford Community Steering Group have resigned, in order to pursue a course of opposition to the new community.
"We seriously believe that the interests of Plympton residents could be best served by their continued engagement.
"The district council would be happy to meet them to discuss their approach and their concerns, in the hope that they can be fully involved alongside the representatives of Elburton, Plymstock and Brixton who continue to be fully engaged in the Sherford Community Steering Group."