ECO PARK UPSET AS NIMBY TAIL WAGS TORY DOG

Cllr Dave Loveridge "Never seen
a more blatant show of Nimby-ism"

Barely a week after Sedgemoor Tories had voted through plans for an Eco Park on the Meads against the wishes of the Nimby Gang of Three (Cllr's Baker,Slocombe and Bown) they're now hopelessly split on the housing development off Durleigh road, which could have helped make the park a reality.

At this weeks Development Control Committee, a large  solar farm in the vicinity of the Meads (involving some 75,000 panels)   was  given the go-ahead, yet the same meeting  rejected the housing application in West Bridgwater by David Wilson Homes to build 187 houses off Haygrove farm, which had been recommended by Sedgemoor Planning officers.

Farce

Labour Councillor Dave Loveridge (Eastover) said " It was a split vote amongst the Tories with some voting for and some against or abstaining.So the chairman (Cllr Bob Filmer) had the casting vote as it was 7-7. Unusually the Chairman cast against the recommendation and so now  we have lost 50 affordable homes in the town, which I think is quite scandalous.  I felt that I was watching an old Brian Rix Farce.  And as for the decision to stop the housing but allow the solar farm and eco park it is so ludicrous as to be laughable. I have never seen a more blatant show of NIMBYism and one Wembdon resident was so vitriolic that she said we should  build it on brownfield sites  in the deprived area of Eastover, her words not mine, I was heartily sickened by the whole issue."

In similar cases to this, local authorities  have lost any subsequent appeal and  have had costs awarded against them whilst the applicant will make some minor changes and re-submit. For the Tories it spells trouble as it means the Nimby Tendancy has swung elements of the party behind them in resisting development in their areas whilst foisting it on the rest of the town.

Appeal

Cllr Loveridge added "I am convinced that it will now go to appeal and David Wilson Homes will win and inevitably cost SDC thousands maybe tens of thousands. The tail is wagging the dog here and they know that without the housing then the Eco park will not happen, as I said NIMBY rules in Wemdon and Durleigh. "