Hardwicke Inclusion in SDC Emerging Plan to 2040

You will see that our officers have included Hardwicke as a possibility for Gloucester’s housing needs. We ask that Hardwicke is removed from any mention in the Plan for either Gloucester`s needs or SDC`s needs too. SDC has enough sites without Hardwicke being even considered.

The following is our justification for this request:

Hardwicke Parish since 2014 has or is absorbing 2755 homes already agreed (including 2500 Hunts Grove), and has a further 381 applications still live. This is more than any other district in Stroud has been subjected to in the recent past. We only have few fields left for nature lovers, dog walkers ramblers, giving an open feel to the village. If these fields are used for housing, as some developers would like to do, then the village of Hardwicke disappears and is just an urban extension of Quedgeley.

Hardwicke has an NDP which was approved by this council in October 2017 by a unanimous vote.

There are two parcels of land suggested for development.

  1. The fields in the rectangle between Green Lane, Church Lane, Pound Lane and the A38/B4008 .
  2. The fields as a southern Extension of Sellars Bridge.

 All of which are mentioned in our NDP and at the inspector's meeting he noted that

AREA 1 was to be designated as LOCAL GREEN SPACE status.

Area 2 As OPEN SPACE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPORTANT TO THE HARDWICKE COMMUNITY.

 Also, all the areas are outside the recently extended settlement boundary, and there is one Grade 1 Listed Building and eight Grade 2 Listed Buildings in the area`s mentioned, plus a variety of listed monuments in the church yard.

Therefore, any attempt to build on this land would be against the Hardwicke Approved NDP, and would be against the SDC Emerging Strategy as it is outside the settlement boundary.

On page 75 OF THE Stroud Emerging Strategy it states “Hardwicke’s village character and sense of community will be preserved”.

You can hardly equate this to building on the remaining fields/green spaces. Also, Hardwicke does not have the infrastructure to absorb any more housing.

It would be grossly unfair to the Hardwicke Residents to rob them of their only remaining open green spaces. I therefore ask you to support our objection to the Emerging Plan so that Hardwicke is removed in total and is not considered for any more housing for anyone.

The future consultation dates are: -

Final draft plan consultation Autumn 2019 A final chance to check that we have the right draft plan in place
Pre-submission consultation Autumn 2020 The formal stages of making representations on the plan
Modifications Summer 2021 Consultation on any proposed modifications to the plan
Adoption   It is anticipated that the new Local Plan will be adopted by Winter 2021/22

Please watch out on the SDC website for further information as those times approach, also you can email your thoughts now to: local.plan@stroud.gov.uk 

where hopefully the officers will take this into account even though the dates for initial consultation have passed.

Please copy me in to your emails at: Cllr.dave.mossman@stroud.gov.uk

David Mossman
Gill Oxley
District Councillors for the Hardwicke Ward