Anger as ‘urgent questions’ over major development blueprint blocked

Inspectors raised serious concerns earlier this year over the viability of the new local plan which has been put forward by Stroud District Council (SDC).

The document aims to set out future strategic development and details the levels and types of growth that have been planned for in Stroud district until 2040.

It is currently going through the examination stage but inspectors said junctions 12 and 14 of the M5 need upgrading to accommodate the planned growth.

The latest update in the examination stage was issued on Friday (December 8) and Conservative councillors said they wanted to table urgent questions on it at this week’s full council meeting yesterday, Thursday, December 14.

However, the deadline for questions is three clear working days before the meeting and as a result the question has been rejected.

Tory group leader Lindsey Green (C, Berkeley Vale) said: “The Green-led coalition running SDC are proposing support for a plan to spend hundreds of thousands of our residents money designing a motorway junction outside the district in the forlorn hope of rescuing their discredited Local Plan.

“My urgent questions to full council however, have been refused by the chief executive on the disputed grounds that they were not submitted in time.

“I understand that they would prefer to keep this quiet but I feel it is my duty to raise these questions in an open public forum, not a private leaders meeting as suggested by the chief executive.

“We all want a plan that works for the people of our district but what they are proposing isn’t it.”

Stroud Conservative group leader Lindsey Green

A SDC spokesperson said the legal deadline had not been met for questions on this occasion.

“The legal deadline for receipt of members’ questions at council meetings is clear and consistent in both the agenda and the council’s constitution.

"Unfortunately in this case, the deadline was not met.”