In support of residents in Gravenhurst and surrounding villages, Blake has filed an objection to application CB/23/00941/OUT (following a prior objection to CB/22/03378/OUT).
Gravenhurst’s Neighbourhood Plan is a shared vision of the village, and it identifies the site of the Proposed Development as a Protected View. It is important to the community that the rural character of the Parish is retained by protecting important and identified views such as this.
Further, the Proposed Development is
- outside of the Settlement Envelope and building in open countryside – as is proposed - would be contrary to several policies. There would be a permanent loss of agricultural land / paddocks to built-up sprawl;
- on a site that was assessed for Central Bedfordshire’s Local Plan and excluded from it. Given that Central Bedfordshire Council can also demonstrate adequate land supply this Proposed Development should also be rejected on these grounds. Indeed, approving this application would itself undermine the principle of having an adopted plan, which should be avoided.
As a resident in a neighbouring village rather than Gravenhurst itself, Blake's objection also focussed on the impact foreseen from increasing traffic volumes throughout the wider area.
