Campaigners to fight on after planning approval given for leisure village in Warwickshire
Dec 14 2009 by Tom Scotney, Birmingham Post
Campaigners have vowed to fight on after developers were given approval for a controversial leisure village in the Warwickshire countryside.
Regeneration specialist St Modwen has been given planning permission by Stratford-on-Avon District Council to go ahead with their £100m plans for the new leisure site at Long Marston.
St Modwen wants to use what was previously earmarked for one of the government’s housing developments as what they describe as a ‘leisure hub’, featuring 150 self-catering lodges and 150 holiday homes.
But campaigners said they were disappointed at council planners for ignoring the wishes of local residents and parish councils, who oppose plans to build 500 houses on the site.
The planning committee at the council voted by seven members to six to approve the “Long Marston Masterplan”, to the surprise and anger of many protestors at the meeting.
Maurice Howse is vice-chairman of Quinton Parish Council, the closest to the proposed development site.
He said many locals were “gob-smacked” when the planning committee approved the decisions.
He said: “The residents are very angry and they are angry primarily because the officers of the council decided to recommend the district councillors to vote approval for the plan. That ran contrary to what we were led to believe would happen.
“There are 21 of the surrounding parish councils who oppose the building of 500 houses on the site, and they have reservations about the employment that is supposed to be created.
“It isn’t home and dry for them but they are well on the way.”
David Bliss, the co-ordinator of the Joint Parish Councils Working Group, representing most of the objecting parish councils, added: “What level of opposition does it take for Stratford District Council planning committee to get the message that this large new settlement is neither wanted nor needed?
“Since the council clearly won’t fight to represent the best interests of the district’s residents, we shall.
‘‘We intend to take every conceivable step to prevent the long-term ruination of this much-cherished rural area, including seeking a call-in by the Secretary of State over this perverse decision.”
John Dodds, the regional director of St Modwen, defended the scheme, and said the new leisure facilities would be a boost for local tourism.
