Tory councillor slammed by Libdem colleague over planning application.
December 3, 2006 1:30 PM
Richard Stevens objects to any more development in Stone
A Conservative councillor has been lambasted for his view that Stone Town Council should not object to every major development by Richard Stevens during a debate at last week's meeting of the Planning Committee.
Speaking during a debate about the proposed Development of the Crown Street Bowling Club site, Tory councillor Keith Wright said that Town Council were 'crying wolf' by objecting to every large development. He argued that the council should accept that planning law dictated that most sites would get permission and that the Council should only object where there were real grounds to refuse the application.
Cllr Richard Stevens, Libdem councillor for the Stonefield and Christchurch ward, rejected that argument. "The infrastructure of Stone cannot sustain any more development. Developers are looking at every available plot of land in Stone - nowhere is safe. Car parks, garages, back gardens - they're all being built on to the detriment of the town," said Richard. "I make no apology for objecting to every one of these types of application".
Richard later pointed out that during the life of the current Town Council (three and half years) developments had taken place or are about to take place on Westover (Large Victorian house and garden), Bibby's car park, Fairy Industrial's factory, Crown Hotel car park, Airdale Road (another large house and garden), Underwood's garage and filling station in Oulton Road and the Rising Sun pub in Newcastle Road. Applications to develop are pending on the Bowling Club in Crown Street, Lidderdales Garage in Newcastle Road and, soon, part of the ABB factory site.
"Enough is enough," said Richard. " This town is in danger of losing its identity and becoming a dormitory town with no soul. My message to any potential developer is "Go away, we don't need any more houses here". I shall continue to object to each and every such application and would hope that Keith Wright and his Tory colleagues would do so also"
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