Letters to the Stratford Herald

Arrogance of eco-town developers

Sir: Bard dictatorial? Arrogant? Should disband? (Herald, 5th June). Who says? What about the Long Marston Estate Masterplan?

Last October we were invited to meet with the developer’s representatives to discuss the four options on offer, and return a form stating our preferences. Unbeknown to us at the time there had already been produced a very glossy brochure entitled ‘Middle Quinton’ which was submitted to government for an eco-town to be built at Long Marston. This was not even mentioned during the masterplan discussions, making the whole business of consultation something of a farce. Some might say that that was arrogance! As for discussions with the developers, there was a meeting on 30th May—to no avail it seems.

The Bard Campaign is trying to protect the interests of the nine or more villages around the area which would be severely affected should this development go through. Stratford District Council unanimously rejected the proposed eco-town as it conflicts with the planning authority’s approved local plan.

Would your unnamed correspondent be happy if the government rode roughshod over local concerns and went ahead with this development? Some democracy! Perhaps he or she would like to come to an open meeting to be held in Quinton Village Hall next Wednesday (25th June) and discuss these and other relevant matters more openly.

Cllr Michael Walsby, chairman, Quinton Parish Council.

Rail groups’ ‘eco-town vote’ misinterpreted

Sir: I write to challenge the statement in one of the headlines in the last edition of your newspaper. It states that “Rail groups back the eco-town.” This conclusion is apparently based on a poll taken at an open event at Long Marston ex-MoD base a week before.

I have read in another source that the open event there attracted some 3,000 railway enthusiasts but only 140 actually voted in favour of what they were asked. Hardly a ringing endorsement! Actually, what they were voting for, as you state later, was the restoration of the railway and railway buffs are likely to do that anywhere. Some were no doubt local but many were probably from some distance away, as the event attracted interest countrywide. I doubt if the latter understood the implications of the eco-town and, if they did, whether they would have cared.

As an enthusiast myself I am in touch and know a large number of railway enthusiasts locally and, to my knowledge, all are opposed to the eco-town proposals. They belong to a variety of groups. Of course we all support the greater use and expansion of railways. However, we are opposed to the ecotown as we realise the catastrophic effect it would have on the area we live in and love.

Mr Bird has been quoted as “delighted by the level of support shown by railway enthusiasts” and appears to be deluding himself. Of course he isn’t: it is just another piece of his propaganda. I wish to claim that your sweeping headline is far from the truth.

D H Cowan, Rother Street, Stratford.

Looking after my back yard

Sir: John Deegan’s knee-jerk, waspish letter in the Herald of 12th June caused me to look at the previous week’s publication of Jeremy Mansfield’s letter. Mr Deegan was described as a gamekeeper turned poacher, having left Warwickshire County Council then joined the Bird Group as a consultant.

The word lackey, however, must have touched a nerve. The dictionary says it means ‘‘servile follower” but those who have seen Mr Deegan and heard him speak could never imagine him being servile! However, there is an old saying that the piper plays the tune.

It is noted that Mr Deegan lives in Farnborough, surrounded by wonderful unspoiled countryside. I wonder if his support for the possible eco-town of 6,000 houses, plus all the ancillary bits the developers propose, would be as strong if instead he lived in Long Marston, Lower Quinton or Mickleton?

Welford appears on the developers’ map on the route to Birmingham (via nearby Binton). There is a pinch-point by the Bell Inn relegating traffic to single lane and an ancient hump-back bridge which is weightrestricted, hardly wide enough for two vehicles to pass whilst crossing it at the same time.

It is said attack is the best form of defence. But to attack residents of surrounding communities who love the area of South Warwickshire/Worcestershire/ Gloucestershire as much as Mr Deegan must love the Farnborough area is churlish. I accept something has to be done with the former MoD site, but it is the scale of the huge possible new town and the lack of infrastructure which is so mind-boggling. No, Mr Deegan, I am not a Nimby, but rather a Lamby— Looking After My Back Yard.

Another Welford resident

Eco-town obscuring the wider issue

Sir: The heated debate about the proposed eco-town for Middle Quinton is obscuring a wider house issue facing the Stratford district.

Under the government’s new housing plans covering the period until 2026, Stratford District Council is likely to be given a target of at least 5,600 new houses. In the previous round many of the new houses were built in Stratford itself because of the infrastructure requirements.

The Stratford Society is worried that whilst everyone is pitching in on the eco-town debate the wider issue of where the new housing is to be located is being overlooked. Warwick District Council, for instance, is currently undertaking a thorough consultation on the implications for their area.

At the same time the society is keen that there should also be discussion of the design of new housing. Some planning authorities managed to take a far tighter control of the design and planning process and it is to be hoped that Stratford District Council can do something similar this time.

Brian Wright, convenor of the strategy group, Stratford Society.

The price of rail groups’ support?

Sir: St Modwen and the Bird Group must be greatly encouraged by the recent support received from up to 3,000 rail group enthusiasts, people who in my experience spend their free time going from nowhere to nowhere and back again.

No doubt the price of their support will be a reversion to coal-fired locomotives!

A G R Hill, Tiddington Road, Stratford.

Nimbies, ‘Bets,’ ‘Babs’ and the eco-town

Sir: In reply to the letter from Mr Gilbert who enlightened us Nimbies (residents of Lower Quinton, Long
Marston and surrounding villages) with the huge benefits of the eco-town, it seems to me that this project is mainly supported by the “Babs” (Blind as bats) and the “Bets” (Believe everything they say) society.

The huge benefit of a railway link? So, 5,000 of us will be queueing to catch the train twice a day and what about the huge benefit of affordable homes for the young people of Stratford? Let us not forget that these houses will demand the market price, like all the affordable houses that have been built in the last five years, unless developers, who will pay millions for the land, then decide for the benefit of firsttime buyers, to give houses away at a cut price.

How pretentious also of Mr Gilbert to assume that we all agree with him that more houses are needed, we don’t agree with you at all, Stratford has had one of the largest percentage increases in housing development in Warwickshire and the more we build, the bigger the influx of people from outside Stratford will be.

Yes, we do like our picture postcard from our bedroom window, the countryside around here is beautiful, we need to preserve it, not destroy it.

Only joking, of course I fully support the development of the eco-town like all the “Babs” and the “Bets” on one condition though—that all 1,200 people who choose to live there must be made to use bikes or public transport.

I stopped believing in fairies and Father Christmas a long time ago; obviously some people are easily influenced by believing that the dream will be the reality. As a resident of an eco-town building city suburb in Sweden said: “The dream was great, the reality quite disappointing.”

Resident of Mickleton.

Middle Quinton developers not to be trusted

Sir: I choose to ignore the personal comments of John Deegan of Farnborough (Herald, 12th June) but would remind readers that he is a paid consultant of the Bird Group, the minor partner in the eco new town development, who will receive £90 million profit, if the plan is approved. His comments, therefore, are solely motivated by money; my opposition is driven by a desire to protect the area in which I live.

The joint developers finally intend to announce details of their proposals this week, just ten days before the end of the three-month consultation period which ends on 30th June. Their delay is a deliberate ploy to limit public opposition.

Residents of Upper and Lower Quinton will also recall being misled by St Modwen earlier this year. They were presented with three smaller more acceptable proposals for the Long Marston site, whilst the developers secretly schemed with central government to push the massive 6,000 density homes now proposed.

The message is clear—do not trust the developers and do not trust their paid mouthpiece!

Jeremy Mansfield, Welford.

View the Stratford Herald