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Villagers in Cam say area is becoming housing 'dumping ground'

BBC An empty field of grassBBC
The proposed site for 1,000 homes located at the back of the Tesco superstore in Cam

Residents say their village is becoming a "dumping ground" for new housing.

People in Cam are calling on Stroud District Council (SDC) to withdraw its "flawed" blueprint for future development.

Inspectors have raised serious concerns over the viability of the Local Plan which has been put forward by SDC.

But a council spokesperson said the inspectors' letter does not raise concerns over the soundness of any of the allocated sites in Cam.

Jo Kendall, of Cam Community Action Group, said council chiefs have got their heads in the sand and the blueprint should be scrapped as services in the area are already "creaking".

She said Cam will not be able to cope with the more than 1,000 homes planned for the village.

"Cam and Berkley Vale are the dumping ground for housing in the Stroud District," said Ms Kendall.

"We are out of sight, out of mind."

Jo Kendall standing next to the field where the Stroud District Council plan to build new houses
Jo Kendall says the blueprint should be scrapped due to the lack of infrastructure in the area

She said there are only 10 homes in the development blueprint that have been allocated for Dursley.

"We've got loads of people who have moved in from other areas," she said.

"We are not building for local people, we are building for commuters. It's not that they are not welcome but we want the infrastructure to go with it."

Inspectors have said junctions 12 and 14 need upgrading to accommodate the planned growth, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

There are also issues with the provision of the pedestrian and cycle bridge over the motorway for the Wisloe development.

And they have called into question the sustainable transport proposed for the planned new garden village at Sharpness.

Jon Fulcher standing outside of Cam Parish Council
Jon Fulcher, the chair of Cam Parish Council, wrote an open letter to the council reflecting the community's disappointment

Cam Parish Council said it is one of many town and parish councils across the Stroud District extremely disappointed in SDC's proposal to pause its Local Plan review.

It said in a recent open letter to the council that more sustainable alternative sites were omitted from inclusion in the blueprint.

"This is particularly concerning for areas like Cam, Slimbridge and Berkeley given the restraints on infrastructure and continuing heavy reliance on private transport, over pressed medical and education facilities and non-existent employment opportunities," it said.

The Local Plan aims to set out future strategic development and details the levels and types of growth that have been planned for in the district until 2040.

A Stroud District Council spokesperson said the formulation of the local plan has been through the democratic process and was approved by full council at SDC.

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