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February 2025, A budget to worry us all

District Councillor Julia Gooch Newent & Taynton Ward Report

February 20th, 2025

Since my last report, I have participated in planning meetings (DMC) some of the issues I have

raised are health provision, local plan, flooding, highways, active travel, public toilets, budget

proposals.

Land off Gloucester Street, Newent for up to 375 dwellings, in June 2024 this developer advertises

the intention to appeal for non-determination although planners were still waiting for

information to be submitted. The application was subsequently scheduled to be heard by the

planning committee in July, I was able to attend the site visit to point out concerns to other

members as well as give an oral representation. The committee agreed with the planner's

recommendation and refused the application. The developer having already appealed

overcame the reasons for the Foddc refusal after submitting the missing crucial information, after a

four-day hearing some of which I observed via a webcast, for over two days the focus was on the

contribution towards education, GCC had requested £2,711,585.25 towards the provision of 112.5

primary school places, however, the developer argued the formula and forecast used were incorrect

and that the sum should be £201,282.71 for 8.4 primary school places. The Planning Inspector

concluded after healthy debates and argument that and set the sum at £983,883.64 for 40.82

places would be reasonable and necessary to mitigate the impact of the proposed development on

primary education infrastructure.

Yes, there is an enormous difference, and for me begs the question as to why GCC has not put in place an

accurate forecasting and formula policy since a comparable situation occurred several years ago!

This development will increase patient numbers at the already overstretched Health Centre, I

questioned and ensured the NHS was consulted, if the Parish is to grow then it must have the

necessary infrastructure in place. I have had a conversation with the Associate Director of NHS

Glos who offered to attend a meeting with NTC and the Health Centre Partners to explain the

process. I am pleased to say that Newent is finally on the radar as a priority for 2030/1 further

information here  

 https://www.nhsglos.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Glos-ICB-GP-Premises-

Development-Plan-2024-to-2031.pdf

Newent Town Football Clubs expansion to provide youth facilities and pitches, the planning

committee (DMC) I attended the site visit and spoke in favour of the expansion. The facilities have

been improved tremendously over the past decade, and the provision for younger generations is a

welcome addition to the Town. 

The Canal restoration is unaffected by the development of the

clubs' facilities.

The Foddc is updating the constitution, I have requested consideration be given to allow the ward

members to be involved in the questions and debates during the planning committee (DMC) meetings .

I believe being unable to ask questions of the statutory consultees puts the ward member at a

disadvantage, as it is the only opportunity to ask questions of the statutory consultees such as

flooding and highway and environmental issues.

The refurbishments to the public toilets have finally been completed. The building has been

underpinned to accommodate a small underground tank to harvest rainwater for flushing, when I

questioned the viability, I was informed the savings would be insignificant, that it was a green

initiative that ticked a box, yet there was no environmental impact assessment carried out!

The local plan is still in the making, it is currently being discussed behind closed doors by the

Green Administration. 

In July I supported a call for the regulation 18 consultation exercise to be

deferred until after the newly elected government announced its overhaul of the planning system

but the proposal was outvoted and has resulted in 'an in-year overspend of £300K' taken from

earmarked reserves and a scrapped plan! There will be a further public consultation once a new

plan has been prepared. 

I fear it is highly likely that the single new settlements that may be

included in the new plan as the FoDDC needs to allocate land for twice the number of dwellings to

meet Government targets.

I have challenged the Cabinets budgeted growth item as in December a unanimous decision by

the Full Council requested a costed business case for an additional "Oceans Officer" the resolution passed

by the council in May 2024 has been cast aside by the Administration who budgeted £156k

without a fully costed business plan. The cost of a garden waste bin licence has risen by 16.5% to

£64 an increase of £9 the largest increase in the county. I am waiting for further financial

information regarding the overspent budgets.

Housing developments that generate significant amounts of travel movements are conditioned

with an Active Travel Plan. Data is collected to assess how the modes of travel differ over a five-

or ten-year period. I have been trying to locate this important data as Developers recognise the

infrastructure that enables safe purposeful walking and cycling trips does not exist.

Active travel is determined as walking or cycling (wheeling) to get to a destination such as shops,

work, visiting, I am waiting for Gloucestershire County Council to provide the data collected from a

particular development, the data collected needs to be purposeful and used to make a difference.

An Active Travel strategy has been approved by Foddc Cabinet that identifies priority routes. I am

assured that safety audits will be conducted before implementation. The routes that have been

Prioritised can be found on this link

https://meetings.fdean.gov.uk/documents/s36609/E.192%20Active%20Travel%20Strategy%20FIN

AL.pdf

The recent prolonged rainfall affected the B4216 at Taynton, for some motorists the water was too

deep to pass through and meant longer journey times via unfamiliar narrow lanes. Finally,

Highways cleared the flood caused by a wheel hub cap blocking the outlet, Highways have said

there is further work needed to prevent flooding in the future.

Highways have assured me they are collaborating with Landowners and he Environment Agency

to work to find a solution to the flooding on the B4215 at Malswick that has caused major

disruption this winter. I have also contacted the environment agency and await myself and

currently wait for a customer service manager to respond. My enquiry has now been escalated to

a specialist team.

I attend the Health Overview and Scrutiny Meetings (HOSC) at Gloucestershire County Council as

the representative for the FoDDC. This role enables me to address health issues of local concern.

Health provision across the district, waiting times, dentistry, ambulance and cancer treatments,

frailty are some of the discussions. If you have any concerns, please let me know and I can follow

up on your behalf. https://www.onegloucestershire.net/about-us/ is a useful website with

information on living well.

There is little information on Devolution, but it is expected that the District Councils across

Gloucestershire will be devolved by 2027-28.

I have attended numerous briefings, undertaken training sessions as well as resolving issues

brought to my attention from residents these include potholes, highway issues, trees, flooding,

grass cutting.

On a final note, for now, I am incredibly pleased to announce that the funds for the Forest of Dean

Imjin Veteran Memorial has passed the halfway mark. https://www.fdean.gov.uk/communities-

health-and-leisure/support-for-communities/imjin-veteran-memorial-the-korean-war/

Kindest regards

Cllr Julia Gooch

Newent & Taynton Ward

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