Controversial plan for 450 homes gets go-ahead
10:28 - 25-July-2008
The development, at Homelands Farm, has been approved by Secretary of State Hazel Blears.
The outcome had been delayed for one month after confusion over who was responsible for advertising the controversial site, which has outraged local campaigners.
Tewkesbury MP Laurence Robertson condemned the decision to allow building on Homelands Farm, calling it "disastrous and irresponsible" and vowed to continue fighting the development.
"This disastrous and irresponsible decision flies in the face of democracy," he said.
"For a very long time, people in Bishop’s Cleeve and Gotherington have fought against this development for good reasons.
"The proposals to build in this area were included in the recent Regional Spatial Strategy and they form the basis for the Secretary of State’s decision. This, together with the recent decision to allow the building at Longford, demonstrates why the Regional Spatial Strategy is so wrong and so dangerous.
"I will now be talking to local people and exploring ways in which we might, at this late stage, prevent such development taking place."
At a planning inquiry in March, residents voiced concerns the houses would merge Bishops Cleeve and Gotherington into one town, increase congestion and the risk of flooding, and stretch an already creaking infrastructure.