Studley draws up objections to Redditch Eastern Gateway project - The Redditch Standard

Studley draws up objections to Redditch Eastern Gateway project

Redditch Editorial 18th Aug, 2017   0

THE battle against the proposed Redditch Eastern Gateway has stepped up after Studley came out unanimously against the development.

The project, described as a ‘game changer’ for Redditch by Worcestershire County Council and North Worcestershire Economic Development & Regeneration, was slammed by parish councillors from neighbouring Studley on Tuesday night.

Fired up by Stratford district councillor Hazel Wright (Lib Dem, Studley & Sambourne) they questioned the need for the development in the first place and the failure to address anticipated increases in traffic should it go ahead.

“A claim is made that this land is needed for employment purposes and yet there is little unemployment in Redditch and even less in Studley,” said Coun Wright.




“Who are the estimated 1,400 jobs for and how can it be anticipated which roads will be used to travel to work?”

She added the land in question – the equivalent of 50 football pitches, had been taken out of the Green Belt by Stratford district and would lead to greater urbanisation along the A435 and at the back of Winyates Green and Matchborough leading to a loss of countryside.


She added: “Employment opportunities are being created in Alcester and it is doubtful public transport will be available so there will be a reliance on the A435 to carry the workforce and HGVs, adding to the density of traffic.”

Any efforts to divert traffic through Redditch to the already congested A448 island at the top of The Slough would lead to further jams and create a bottleneck at the A435 junction at Spernall.

Parish chair Coun Paul Beaman added the proposals could see an additional 700 to 800 vehicles using local roads.

Councillors agreed to object to the plans on the grounds of visual impact, damage to historically important buildings like Gorcott Hall, the lack of need for the development, lack of public transport, failure to address the extra traffic generated, light pollution, and air pollution.

Coun Beaman said: “This development is wrong in every possible way – there are more than enough brownfield sites in Redditch to accommodate what is being proposed here and it is wrong to solve a problem for Redditch by creating another one for Studley.”

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