REPORT: Wincanton Housing Crisis – Public Meeting
On Tuesday 18th November the Sweetman Hall at The Bear Inn was packed for a public meeting called by an informal action group set up to oppose further housing development in Wincanton.
The meeting showed unanimous opposition to the volume of development currently proposed and supported a proposal for a “Save Wincanton” peaceful walk to demonstrate the town’s opposition – this is planned for Saturday 6th December.
The meeting was chaired by Stuart Matthews, flanked by members of the action group, and the large crowd, many of whom spoke, included David Warburton, the new Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate, district councillors Tim Carroll, Colin Winder and Nick Colbert, parish councillors and at least 150 residents from every part of the town and from Bayford and Stoke Trister.
From the time the hall doors opened people flowed in steadily. All pre-arranged seating was quickly snapped up and by the time the chairman called the meeting to order even the overflow seating was almost exhausted. The hall was packed with almost standing room only.
Former Town Councillor Richard Darcy read out a statement from the action group which set out in clear and impassioned terms the case against more development, the impact of more development on the town’s already over-stretched infrastructure and the need for key issues such as education, healthcare, transport, traffic and employment to be properly addressed before any additional housing is approved.
The action group points out that more than 700 homes have planning consent, more than 130 properties currently for sale in the town, and planning applications for four developments totalling another 237 homes, including sites that are the subject of current planning appeals at Dancing Lane and Verrington Lane, and the large proposal for new housing east of the town at Windmill Hill.
This, says the group, would “result in the current imbalance in our town’s infrastructure being made much worse. In no way would this be ‘sustainable development done in a balanced way.’”
The statement calls for a period of years for Wincanton to be able to “digest” the expansion that has been allowed, “to permit the putting in place of the infrastructure necessary to cater for the requirements of its existing and its new residents and of those who are yet to fill its many empty homes.
“Collectively we must challenge any attempt to add to the current unbalanced structure which already exists within our town. We have a duty to try and ensure this imbalance is corrected and a balanced, sustainable structure is provided for future generations.”
Upon arrival attendees were asked to sign a register if they wanted to speak during the meeting. The chairman introduced each speaker in turn allowing them to share their thoughts and feeling on this highly emotive topic.
The first speaker from the floor was Claire Andrews, matron of Wincanton’s community hospital, who lives in Dancing Lane: “We are lucky to have a hospital which is fit for the future. The town has raised a staggering amount of money for the hospital,” she said. The government said care must be provided close to home, and Wincanton hospital provides excellent care for dementia patients and end-of-life care, in an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity. “If the planning application goes ahead the hospital will be compromised. The development will divide the site in half.”
Peter Munro from Stoke Trister said: “Developers have raped Wincanton and given nothing back. There should be a moratorium on development.” He encouraged the action group to learn from the successful Save The Vale campaign which fought plans for giant wind turbines at Cucklington a few years ago.
Shirley Hayward warned of serious problems with the health and well-being of the community with increased development not supported by improved infrastructure, employment and transport. “If people don’t have employment we could have big mental health issues,” she said.
Chuck Downton from the action group said Dancing Lane was a LANE with the school at one end and the hospital at the other. Yet two developments were proposed there. “It is ridiculous over-development,” he said. “Sustainability? it’s not there!”
Jean Crabb spoke about the impact of moving the health centre out of the town centre and the number of empty shops and premises, the eyesore of the burnt-out house near The Wagtail and other problems. “When my sister comes to visit, I am ashamed to take her through the town,” she said.
Fanny Charles from Church Street challenged developers’ descriptions of their plans as “sustainable” – their interpretations “insult our intelligence and mock the planners,” she said.
District councillor Nick Colbert said he and fellow councillor Colin Winder had voted against all the developments and fully understood the town’s feelings. The district council “didn’t want to defend Dancing Lane,” he said, but they had insisted that consultants should be brought in and the development was refused. He said the situation with Jamiesons, the empty former convenience store at the bottom of Church Street, was due to be resolved on 12th December under planning law. He had also asked for similar action on the empty Green Dragon premises in the upper part of the High Street. “Your councillors are on your side,” he said.
Margaret Kelly from Bayford spoke of the dangers of traffic speed and the number of accidents (often unreported) on Bayford Hill. She was also concerned at the loss of “beautiful green parkland” envisaged in the Windmill Hill application.
Tim McCall from Stoke Trister gave detailed comments on the road and transport problems that would be exacerbated by new development. The Highways Department was “not fit for purpose,” he said. He cited the issue of “prematurity” as grounds for refusing the current applications (because of the number of homes approved and not built, the status of the Local Plan, etc).
David Warburton, Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for Somerton and Frome constituency, said he had checked with the Department of Environment and “prematurity could be used to reject applications.”
On the Highways Department, Richard Darcy quoted the example of the houses recently approved in Devenish Lane – the Highways Department had not attended the site meeting and four new houses had been approved in a lane where two vehicles can barely pass.
The meeting heard that the deadlines for comments and representations to be sent to the Planning Inspectorate on the outstanding appeals on the Dancing Lane and Verrington applications are as follows:
Dancing Lane – 27th November.
Verrington, next to the hospital – 23rd December.
Asked if they would support a peaceful demonstration to show the town’s opposition to the volume of development, the meeting voted overwhelmingly in favour.
Doug Castle from the action group said there would be a demonstration walk on the morning of Saturday 6th December. The demonstration would line up at the Memorial Hall at 10am, walk down the High Street, round South Street, back round to Church Street and up to the Market Place.
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