Concerns over delays to major Gloucester plans for more than 600 new city homes
There are concerns over delays affecting major schemes planned to bring 615 new homes to Gloucester. A planning application to build around 300 homes on derelict land at St Oswalds has yet to be submitted while a separate approved scheme to build 315 at the former railway sidings site off Great Western Road is yet to be built.
And civic chiefs are concerned over the delays in these two major housing developments coming forward. Conservative group leader Stephanie Chambers (Quedgeley Fieldcourt) asked at Gloucester City Council’s meeting on September 19 what was being done to ensure these projects come to fruition.
The question came as Liberal Democrat council leader Jeremy Hilton (Kingsholm and Wotton) announced recently plans to repurpose empty city centre properties for housing. Cllr Chambers said: “What is the leader doing to ensure that derelict brownfield sites that are already earmarked for development are progressed and the necessary building works to get these homes built before they go down the route of compulsory purchasing private owned property?
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“This includes such sites as St Oswalds for approximately 300 homes of which the previous administration secured £2 million of government funding and the railway sidings. What is happening with St Oswalds which is a prime bit of brownfield land. Why is that not proceeding before you start bringing papers about compulsory purchasing of other properties?”
Cllr Hilton said he is fully in favour of both proposals but they are in the hands of third parties who must bring them forward. “I’m fully in favour of the housing plan for St Oswalds Park,” he said.
“It's a project that has been through its gestation during the period of your administration.
“The land deals have been sorted and the brownfield land money is there from the government. It’s really now in the hands of Rooftop Housing to proceed with the project and put in the planning application.
“As far as Eutopia is concerned, it is a project by a third party. They have got planning permission. I think they are seeking a development partner to proceed with it.
“It is a site which is difficult because it’s the old railway sidings yard but those are two projects we are very keen to deliver.” He explained the Lib Dem administration is looking at revitalising derelict empty buildings in the city centre which have been left and forgotten.
“The one in 67-69 London Road is in the city plan. It was identified for 60 houses. The developer sat on itt for year after year after year and paid no business rates.
“It would have got the local authority at least £1m by now if they had been using it. They stripped out the services so it’s impossible to deliver.
“We’ve been told on a number of occasions of someone interested in buying it. We are trying to kick start that project.
“And similarly we are trying to deal with something like Spread Eagle Court which is a fine building in a conservation area that is in danger of decaying and decaying.
“We've got a lot to do in Gloucester and those two projects are ones we are definitely keen to deliver but third parties are in control of it and it’s up to them to push it forward.”