ACCUSATIONS of not properly consulting the public over the proposed Local Plan have been levelled at Rugby Borough Council by a protest group.
About Turn said the Council ‘failed to properly consult’ on the first draft of the Local Plan, a blueprint for the town’s housing and infrastructure up to 2031.
The accusation drew a comprehensive response from the Council, in which they detailed the online documents, public meetings, presentations and drop-in sessions they made available during the plan’s first consultation, which finished in February.
The protesters – an umbrella group comprising campaigns against new housing in Woodlands, Hillside, Rokeby and Dunchurch – criticised the Council for not publishing responses to the consultation until now, two months after councillors voted for a second consultation.
Spokesman Richard Allanach said: “The Council has put the cart before the horse. Councillors should have seen what people said about the first draft of the plan before they agreed what should go into the second draft.”
Sally Chant of Sustainable Hillside and Rokeby Education (SHARE) said: “National planning policy says new schools should be placed where they cause the fewest car journeys. The first draft of the Local Plan left this out and it looks as if the second draft will be no better.”
John Tautu of Stand Against Lodge Farm Village added: “The Local Plan will be vital for the development of the whole borough – yet only 284 people commented on the first draft. It is clear that many residents were unaware of the plan’s implications.”
Sara Herrington of Stop Ashlawn Road Development (SARD) said: “We put forward our reasons for not building on Ashlawn Fields and yet our proposals have not been mentioned by the Council.”
But the Council’s planning boss said they consulted the public properly throughout the process.
Coun Heather Timms said: “Following consultations in July 2013 and July 2014, we held a consultation on the Local Plan preferred options from December 2015 to February 2016.
“This consultation was publicised widely, including newspaper advertising, articles in the local press and interviews on local radio. We also attended a number of public meetings across the borough, where we gave presentations on the preferred options, and held drop-in sessions at local supermarkets and the Clock Towers shopping centre.
“All supporting documents were also published on the council’s website.”
She added the forthcoming consultation on the publication draft, which takes into account responses from the preferred options consultation, would start on September 26 and give residents the opportunity to have their say.
“We welcome all feedback, which we’ll take into account before amending the publication draft,” she added. “The draft Local Plan will then be considered at a meeting of full council before we submit it to a planning inspector.”
The Local Plan proposes to build 12,400 new homes and 110 hectares of employment land – more than half of which is already accounted for by current developments such as Houlton at the old radio mast site.
It features an urban extension to south-west Rugby, additional housing at Coton Park East, a new garden village at Lodge Farm to the south west of the A45, and smaller developments in surrounding areas including Brinklow, Long Lawford, Stretton-on-Dunsmore and Wolston.
The next public consultation will begin on Monday September 26, running until Friday November 11. Visit www.rugby. gov.uk/planning for more information.
