The plans for the scheme have changed yet again! The 400 new houses remain, of which 30 per cent will be affordable for purchase, shared ownership or rent, but now a self-contained retirement village is included, plus an affordable Extra Care scheme for elderly people needing supervised care.
There are also to be five new shop units and space for a discount food store, also land for a new community building facing onto an enclosed public square. This would appear to be the 'new carrot' to appeal to the public, as the 'old carrot' of room for a new medical centre has finally been discounted by the Cornwall Primary Care Trust.
It seems to me that as Catesby delete items from their scheme, which they perhaps think will make it less likely to be approved, they replace it with an alternative which will be even less acceptable to the people of Stratton and Bude.
This is a 55 acre green field site, a Government report in 2008 stated that brown field sites must be used for building before using green field sites. I understand that there are smaller brown field sites in the Bude area, so why cannot these be used? Particularly as this scheme is to go forward in stages.
I also feel considerably concerned that it seems North Cornwall District Council had earmarked part of the Binhamy Farm for housing in 2007. As far as I am aware, this was not published in the media, and no consultation has taken place with residents of Stratton or Bude.
It has always been understood that green space would remain between Stratton and Bude to separate the two towns and avoid the ugly urban sprawl seen in other parts of the country. If this scheme goes ahead, the whole of the 55 acres will be covered in concrete and tarmac.
Regarding the 400 houses remaining in the scheme, will people from Cornwall be able to afford the 70 per cent more expensive homes? I think we all know the answer to that, and the 30 per cent affordable houses will do a little but not a lot to help those on the waiting list in the area.
Considering the 'self-contained retirement village', what does that mean? And, will pensioners from Cornwall be able to afford the houses there? I think not! In any case do we really need further provision for elderly people? Having been involved in the care industry for the elderly in the Bude area for the past 30 years, I would think that Bude is already well endowed with various types of care.
More importantly, it would appear that including the retirement village, the scheme must now propose in total, the building of at least 400-500 houses — a much larger number than originally envisaged. In fact the whole scheme becomes more hideous as time goes on and "it grows and grows."
I am hoping that Bude-Stratton Town Council will agree to hold a public meeting for local people to express their feelings about this scheme, but if not, I urge everyone who is against this scheme to lobby their representative on the Bude-Stratton Town Council, they do not decide the application but their decision for or against the scheme will go to the planning authority.
Further, it is vital that those against the scheme write letters opposing the application to the planning authority, when the application is published in the 'Post'.
Stratton.