A dispute delays a 172-home project in Gloucester, risking £20M in funds. Accusations fly between the MP and council.
Gloucester City Homes (GCH) worries about the money, which is for their Podsmead Estate project at Masefield Avenue. The plan includes homes, shops, businesses, and community spaces. Public areas will also be improved.
GCH feels frustrated by delays because the council won’t review the plans next month. They must spend the money by March 31, as Homes England provided the funds. GCH promised to keep everyone informed and discuss the Podsmead project.
The council pledged in 2017 to work with GCH to bring change and coordinate resources for Matson and Podsmead. This included land, planning, plus community input. GCH contributed to the cost of a planner who worked on the council’s team.
GCH thinks the plan is strong and reflects what residents want. They submitted the plan in June 2024 and quickly answered all information requests. The council asked 12 questions in January, and GCH replied before their deadline, hoping to start work before March 31, as required for funding.
However, the council recently made new requests for better open spaces, which GCH would need to find and fund at a cost of at least £200,000. The council also wants a highway review that could take four weeks and cost about £40,000. GCH might need to pay more for highways.
Furthermore, the council wants the drainage plans revised, even though GCH added detailed drainage plans before. They think this should have been addressed sooner, but now the plans won’t be ready for review in March and the extra costs impact the project. The future of the project is now uncertain.
GCH works to provide needed information and review funding options. They want the project to remain possible and benefit the whole community. Alex McIntyre, a Gloucester MP, finds it very disappointing and thinks GCH may lose the £20 million.
McIntyre has followed the plans closely and hoped to see progress in March and wants the council and GCH to meet and find a way forward. Houses are needed and this plan would add social housing.
Jeremy Hilton, who leads the City Council, said they follow proper rules and document delays caused the delay. He cited drainage, highways, and space issues needed work and stated such issues must be solved before planners can approve the plans.
Hilton stated GCH has seven years to create the plan, and people cannot rush the council’s process. He wants to make it clear that planning applications, especially one as big as this one, must be correct and deserve careful examination.
Hilton claimed some tried to get around the process by stating Homes England set a deadline and the MP needs to talk to Homes England. He added GCH’s planners didn’t think they could make the deadline for the meeting on March 4th because a report had just arrived and consultants need weeks to assess it.