Sunday Times on Gladman again

It isn't just AudlemOnline that has focussed on the Downton Abbey link as the media takes an ever greater interest in the mass of house building applications by Gladman Developments across rural England.

For the second week in succession, the Sunday Times covers the story in a half page article centred on the village of Bampton in Oxfordshire, a film location for the popular ITV series.

Bampton also happens to be in David Cameron's constituency and a quote of his that might come back to haunt him is featured in the Sunday Times article, with the prime minister saying that what villagers really dread is a "great big housing estate being plonked down from above."

Two companies, including Gladman, now plan to build 287 houses there increasing the size of Bampton by 25%. Villagers say they feel powerless in the face of rich developers and a feeble council.

Comments from villages covered in the article reflect the Audlem situation. All accept that some building is necessary but dislike the sheer scale and the way it is being achieved because local authorities have failed to develop their own housing plans in consultation with local residents.

The article by Isabel Oakeshott and Robin Henry then says that Gladman has at least 40 developments planned in England, many on greenfield sites where councils have failed to produce or update the local plan.

The article ends by quoting a resident of a village in Surrey similarly threatened who suggests that these developments could become an issue in the next election.

AudlemOnline has heard, in this context, that local MP Stephen O'Brien, on the Monday immediately after the Friday public meeting he spoke at in Audlem almost two weeks ago, lobbied Communities and Local Government Secretary of State, Eric Pickles, about the housing issue.

Hopefully this, and the mounting national coverage in influential media such as the Sunday Times, will mean that housing developments are approved or rejected the right way, by councillors elected by residents, and not by appointed officials having to respond to well-financed speculative developers. We will see.

The Sunday Times article also summarises the legal situation and says that affected communities can create a "neighbourhood plan". With majority backing in a parish referendum, the plan becomes statutory, the newspaper adds, meaning the council has to consider it. "Vote out councillors who vote against" is the advice.

AudlemOnline readers may be relieved to know that the Sunday Times resisted the temptation of creating its own Downton Abbey episodes featuring the Earl of Grantham and David Gladman. Can't think why!

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