27.07/08
For immediate release
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Council in denial about losing the Bullinghope case: when will they learn?
Dinedor Hill Action Association has reacted with astonishment to claims by Herefordshire Council* that they won two out of three points brought to the High Court Bullinghope judgement release on Thursday.
In fact the DHAA only brought one action - on housing at Bullinghope - which they resoundingly won. The other two points mentioned by council officer Kevin O'Keefe had never been raised by the group at all.
Association Secretary Becky Roseff said: "It's incredible that instead of learning a lesson the Council are in denial about losing the case. In the same interview the officer refused to admit that there was no affordable housing in the Bullinghope plans they have been forced to scrap. Anyone who has read the planning application knows there was no affordable housing, so why would he not admit this? It's continual smoke and mirrors with this authority."
"Do the Council's legal team actually know how to read a judgement? They seem to have misinterpreted this one so I will try to explain it simply for them: they lost!"
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*in an interview on BBC Hereford & Worcester's Andrew Eastman show on Thursday 24th
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PRESS RELEASE
24.07.08
Dinedor Hill Action Association
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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High Court tells Herefordshire Council to get it's act
together on housing
Campaigners have hailed the decision of the High Court to
rule out housing at Bullinghope to fund a road scheme as a
late but welcome victory for better town planning processes
in Herefordshire.
Dinedor Hill Action Association had brought an action to
the High Court under Section 287 of the Town and Country
Planning Act.
The Court ruled that the Council had manipulated the
democratic UDP process to allocate land for housing at
Bullinghope simply to fund the Rotherwas Road and had thus:
- ignored the findings of the Unitary Development Plan
enquiry
- Given inadequate consideration to the impact of
development on the area
- Prejudiced a proper countywide assessment of future
housing
DHAA spokesperson Peter Cocks said: "This victory puts the
Council on notice that it must adhere more closely to
proper planning processes. The Council must not use
inappropriate housing development to fund new roads."
"Allowing more housing in this area would have set an
appalling precedent for urban sprawl in Hereford with all
the implications that has for the destruction of valuable
countryside and increasing traffic congestion. We are
delighted that the High Court has backed the original
decision of the planning inspector."
"By not following proper practice the Council forced local
people to go to the High Court at tax payer expense. This
is completely unnecessary and all the Council need to do to
avoid it in future is follow the rules and stop treating
the public with contempt."
"The cabinet has shown its willingness to trash the
environment and its own policies on affordable housing in
order to get big housing developers to buy it roads to
nowhere. This is not a good sign. In fact, when
climate change and the demand for 16,000 new households
should be top priorities, it's appalling. This
judgement means no more big houses in the wrong places."
"Cabinet need to show in future that they can follow simple
procedures so that they avoid being reprimanded like this
in future."
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NOTES TO EDITORS
The Dinedor Hill Action Association was formed to fight the
Rotherwas Access Road and the associated Bullinghope
Housing in 2002. It is a group of local people, Chair
is David Miller, Secretary Rebecca Roseff, Treasurer Peter
Cocks.
The group raised £15,000 from the local community in order
to fight the case.
Chronology
2 March 2006
Herefordshire UDP Inspector’s Report published. Rejects
Bullinghope Housing
29 June 2006
Council Cabinet Meeting; Accepts the Inspector’s
recommendation and takes Bullinghope Housing out.
6 July 2006
Government refuses funding for Rotherwas Access Road
28 July 2006
Full Council Meeting; Cllr Phillips, seconded by Cll
Edwards proposes re-inserting the Bullinghope
housing. Passed with some votes against and one or
two abstentions.
September 2006
Council’s publication of proposed Modifications – Statement
of Decisions and Reasons
December 2006
Annual Monitoring Report published [xx]
18 January 2007
Cabinet resolves to recommend to Council that the UDP be
adopted without further material modifications
9 February 2007
Council meetings at which the Defendant resolved to adopt
the UDP
Contacts
Rebecca Roseff 01432 343262; 07767 623436