Bolsover District Council is urged to accommodate huge interest at controversial housing scheme meeting

A campaign leader who is opposed to the massive Clowne Garden Village residential scheme is aiming to submit an application to county court claiming that Bolsover District Council’s planning meeting arrangements to consider the developer’s application are ‘discriminatory’.
Bolsover District Council’s planning committee is due to consider Waystone Ltd’s planning application for its Clowne Garden Village scheme, near Clowne and Barlborough, for 1,800 homes with 24 hectares of greenfield land for employment, community and commercial development at a meeting on September 17.
However, Clowne Garden Village Action Group chairperson, Dom Webb, claims the meeting arrangements are ‘discriminatory’ because members of the public not registered to speak may be excluded from the meeting in the Council Chamber and from a live link committee room while others may have to rely on online live streaming to see the meeting.
Mr Webb said: “The arrangements as advertised are discriminatory and exclude those not speaking and, or those without technology. We are submitting an application today (September 10) and a judge will look at it.”
Hundreds of Clowne Garden Village Action Group campaigners and residents have objected to the scheme at a proposed site, north of Clowne, amid fears it will lead to overcrowding, place a strain on highways, health services and education, create drainage and flooding problems and affect the countryside and wildlife with the potential loss of Green Belt land.
After considering a public consultation and at least 1,400 submitted comments, the council formally announced on September 9 the details and arrangements for the public planning committee meeting to be held at its offices at The Arc, on High Street, in Clowne, from 9.30am, on September 17.
These include an invitation to all those who wish to speak at the meeting as long as they register to do so and follow the normal procedure and code with the meeting to be held primarily in the Council Chamber with an online live stream feed into Committee Room 1 for any overspill.
Given the huge public interest, the council has made it clear places within the Council Chamber and Committee Room 1 will be strictly reserved for those who have registered to speak and therefore the entire meeting will be live streamed for others wishing to watch or observe.
A council spokesperson stated: “Places within the Council Chamber and Committee Room 1 will be strictly reserved for those who have registered and confirmed their intent to speak, and therefore the entire meeting will be live streamed for those who simply wish to watch or observe.
“Please note we cannot guarantee there will be space to watch the meeting in person, and therefore you are strongly encouraged to join the live stream event.
“The live stream link will be posted on the council’s website, and it will be linked via the published agenda and on an update document posted on the planning public access pages in advance of the meeting.”
However, Mr Webb insists people should be allowed to observe a public council meeting and he claims if members of the public are not speaking they could be excluded and live stream footage to a committee room may create delays and a loss of context.
He also argued the arrangements were discriminatory if the public cannot find space in either the council chamber or the committee room or have to rely on online live streaming technology which they may not be able to access.
Mr Webb has suggested to the council that it uses a sports hall, even though the acoustics would be poor, and he says that the nearby Heritage School may have provided another option.
On behalf of the action group, Mr Webb is due to submit an application to Chesterfield County Court, today, September 10, to stop and alter the council’s current planning meeting arrangements on the grounds they are allegedly discriminatory which could further delay the planning decision process.
The application claims the meeting arrangements are discriminatory and it will urge the court to alter them to ensure reasonable full public access without forcing people to rely on live steam technology.
Mr Webb added he will also be asking the court to consider that all the directors on the council’s Dragonfly development company and those on the council’s advisory board should not participate in the planning meeting due to what he believes is a potential conflict of interest should the proposed scheme present later commercial opportunities.
He hopes the county court will grant a hearing and that a decision can be made so new public arrangements can be put in place for the planning meeting or for a rescheduled meeting.
Should the court find in Mr Webb’s favour, he said: “They (Bolsover District Council) will need to come up with arrangements that are not discriminatory and they cannot go ahead with the planning meeting until then.”
Mr Webb has also informed the council and Derbyshire Constabulary that the action group campaigners are expecting to hold a protest over their opposition to the scheme at the planning committee meeting.
The action group’s membership has grown to over 2,000 and its online and paper petitions have over 6,000 signatures from residents in Clowne and Barlborough who are opposed to the scheme. at the proposed site which includes part of Clowne village centre off Hickinwood Lane.
Bolsover District Council has been asked for a statement concerning Mr Webb’s court application but the council had not yet responded by the time of publication.
Concerning opposition to the scheme, the council’s Chief Executive Karen Hanson has said the council’s priority is communities and safe and happy places to live.
And council planners have explained there has been a thorough transport assessment for the scheme and Waystone will have to consider how it can mitigate any concerns, and that the council has to consider affordable housing targets.
Waystone has also claimed there is support for the scheme in terms of the potential for economic growth, facilities and jobs.