Prehistoric or Roman settlement found at Baxter's Field

A search of fields in the Slad Valley where developers want to build 140 new homes has revealed ‘two small enclosures which might represent areas of later prehistoric or Roman settlement’, Gloucestershire County Council has said. Archaeologists have been excavating Baxter’s Field on behalf of developer Gladman after Stroud District Council turned down its application to build on the site. One of the refusal reasons was the firm’s failure to conduct a thorough archaeological assessment. 

 It has been suggested that the discovery of the enclosures could scupper the development but campaigners are being careful not to get their hopes up, with Gladman having already launched an appeal. Phil Coysh, of Slad Valley Action Group, said campaigners were taking a ‘keen interest’ in the search but were continuing to prepare their defence for the appeal on the basis of landscape heritage and sustainability issues.

Access concerns?

Highways are required to submit a report when there is a proposed housing development.

They are obliged to consider all concerns notified to them.
If you feel there is a problem with traffic/highways locally please email

southern@gloucestershire.gov.uk

or write to:

Mr Neil Troughton, Gloucestershire Highways,
Stroudwater Interchange
Whitminster.
GL2 7NJ

Overhead view of Mankley field

A recent satellite image of Leonard Stanley with overlay of proposed development site.

A clear 100% increase in the size of the village.   

Homes plan appeal rejected by Cardiff Council

Llanishen reservoir: Homes plan appeal rejected by Cardiff Council

Plans for hundreds of homes on the site of a reservoir in Cardiff have been rejected by the Welsh government.

Western Power Distribution (WPD) has been battling for more than a decade to build 324 houses at Llanishen reservoir.

But Housing and Regeneration Minister Carl Sargeant has now rejected a planning appeal.

Campaigners and local politicians welcomed the decision but WPD refused to comment.

The reservoir has not been used since the 1970s but campaigners say it has become a nature habitat and is also important for its engineering heritage.

Cardiff North AM Julie Morgan welcomed the refusal and called for the reservoir to be refilled.

WPD has been engaged in a long-running planning battle with Cardiff council over its plans to develop Llanishen reservoir, which includes proposals for homes and areas of conservation.

Campaigner Andrew Hill from the Reservoir Action Group said it was "brilliant news".

He said: "It's the most definitive result we could have asked for."

Mrs Morgan welcomed the refusal and called for the reservoir to be refilled.

She said: "I fully support the decision to refuse the planning appeal at Llanishen reservoir, which is in line with long standing local and national planning policies.

"It is the right decision and I hope that, after 11 years, this saga can finally be brought to an end."

Mrs Morgan called on PPL Corporation, which owns WPD, to join forces with Cardiff council to help secure the site's future.

Liberal Democrat AM Eluned Parrott said: "This is great news for the residents of Cardiff and in particular those who have been fighting this for well over a decade and it just goes to show that residents voices can and are heard by the corridors of power."

In February 2011, the High Court in London overturned Cardiff council's decision to designate the land for nature conservation.

The council had designated the land under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949, which gave priority to nature conservation over public access and recreation.

But the Public Health Trust Act 1875 already imposed a statutory trust over the land, giving priority to public access and recreation.


http://tinyurl.com/a7ba7ao

Hedgerow decline threatens wildlife

With many land developments comes destruction of Wildlife habitats, especially those which border water, as the Mankley field site does. 

http://tinyurl.com/d8ttkl7

Old but relevant link

Old but relevant Newsnight link concerning Slad valley.

http://tinyurl.com/c7rlepl

" There are no shortages of brownfield sites "

Download the poster to show your support !

Posters have now been created! These will be printed and displayed around the area. If you can't wait, get yours below !

http://www.savemankleyfield.co.uk/documents/poster.pdf

Car parking - or not as the case may be

Aside the complete absence of common sense, pictured here is one of the two proposed entrances to the Mankley field development.

Not pictured: 300 extra cars

New website now live!

We now have a new website live. Please go to www.savemankleyfield.co.uk for more details

Coming soon, Objection links to Stroud CC plus letter templates, address's and contact details to make your feelings known 

Fate of Slad Valley, Rodborough Fields and other green sites depends on High Court legal wrangle

The fate of Slad Valley and Rodborough Fields and other green sites threatened with housing could depend on a planning wrangle in Cam.

Developer Gladman has confirmed it will appeal against Stroud District Council's decision last week to refuse it permission to build 140 homes on Baxter's Field in the Slad Valley.

The controversial application had attracted 1,500 objections from residents and councillors rejected it unanimously.

Now Martin Twigg, project manager at Gladman, confirmed: "We will be pursing the matter to appeal."

But the council's head of planning Phil Skill has warned that the ongoing legal wrangle over 70 houses in Cam could determine the fate of green fields across the district.

The council has pursued a judicial review of a planning inspector's decision to allow Hallam Land Management to build the homes in Cam. It says the inspector used out-dated housing figures in his decision.

"But if the High Court agrees with the inspector the chances of winning the Baxter's Field appeal are in serious doubt," said Mr Skill.

The High Court is expected to decide on Cam in October.

"This could affect many other applications, including Rodborough Fields and the Leonard Stanley planning application which is about to go in," added Mr Skill.

He said the council had already found sites for 6,000 homes across the district but developers were not building on them because of the economic situation.

Andy Dickinson of Slad Valley Action Group said "We are worried about the appeal because of the Government's strong pressure to build new houses at all cost. It's vital a planning inspector does not foist this on us."