AN exhibition showing a development of 2,800 new homes by Webheath has been branded as a deliberate attempt to confuse locals – because planning permission for the site has yet to be granted.
The exhibition, from January 28 to 29 and mounted by Birmingham-based Bilfinger GVA on behalf of developers Hillfield, is at Redditch Town Hall, where planning inspector Simon Hetherington will hear objections to the scheme in March.
Local campaigner Malcolm Glainger, chairman of Bentley Area Action Group said: “It’s outrageous – it’s premature, prejudicial and the clear inference is that a decision has already been reached and I find it quite staggering that the Redditch and Bromsgrove councils could be either so overt or so inept to allow this to happen and I have written to Mr Hetherington expressing our views.”
David Rose of the Webheath Action Group added: “They are doing this right slap bang in the middle of a public enquiry, you have a developer asking for views from the public when in fact they should be sending their views through to the planning inspector Mr Hetherington.”
“I think this is very inappropriate, especially as the planning inspector hasn’t given it the go-ahead,” said County Councillor Robin Lunn (Lab, Redditch North).
“Hold an exhibition by all means, but only after a decision has been reached as it is quite dangerous to second guess what the inspector decides.”
Campaigners have been battling for years to stop plans to build 3,400 new homes on prime agricultural land from Webheath along the Bromsgrove Highway and back up to Cur Lane and Gypsy Lane.
A further section will run south west, bounded by the Spring Brook on one side and Pumphouse Lane on the other.
Last summer, at a previous hearing, Mr Hetherington sent Redditch and Bromsgrove Councils away to come up with a more coherent justification for why they want to build in that particular area.
He will hear their response in March at a further hearing in the town hall.
A spokesperson for Redditch borough council said: “This is a public event organised by the developer to show emerging draft plans for a proposed site. The event is being held in a public building as would usually be the case.”
Anyone wishing to comment on the plans should visit http://bit.ly/1n9APe6 .
Bilfinger’s public exhibition is at Redditch town hall on January 28 to 29 from 3pm to 8pm.
