More than 250 residents call for reform of planning system

There are calls for a reform of the planning system after two decisions about the future of a playing field.

In July 2023 Gloucester City Council approved the application for a sports complex and 30 new homes on the Blackbridge playing field in Podsmead.

A petition was signed by 600 residents saying they felt let down and ignored by the current planning system.

A spokesperson for the Department for Levelling Up said it was a matter for Gloucester City Council.

The Blackbridge Charitable Community Benefit Society, the organisation behind the proposals, submitted the plans in July 2022 and said there was a case for sports facilities and providing new homes in the area.

Under the plans, the field will become a two-storey community and sports hub with changing rooms, a fitness studio, an all-weather football pitch with floodlights and a car park.

Residents have expressed their concerns over the application, saying that the development will bring more traffic and the loss of green space.

Speaking to BBC Radio Gloucestershire, one resident living near the site said: "There are several houses for sale near where I live.

"In the past they [sold] very quickly but they're not now. So I think we're being affected by the hub and the new houses."

Another resident said: "I'm absolutely disgusted. It's ridiculous - but they don't want to hear.

"We're wasting our time, I think," they added.

A petition to parliament asking to improve the rights of people who object has attracted 257 signatures.

A spokesperson for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said: "Parliament has entrusted local planning authorities with the responsibility for day-to-day planning control in their areas.

"They should, in general, be free to carry out their duties responsibly with the minimum of interference. This application was for Gloucester City Council to decide."

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