Michael Weller’s letter of 20 September suggested that ‘unbridled development’ will be allowed on Markham and Little Francis due to the Weymouth and Portland Borough Council allowing the Local Plan to lapse.
This supposition is fundamentally flawed for two reasons.
Firstly, the current local development plan does not allow it, a plan which has had its ‘sell by’ date extended to prevent applicants using the argument that ‘as there is no plan we are able to do whatever we want’.
Secondly, there is also another very fundamental reason why there will be no ‘unbridled development’ on that site – it is a Town Green.
Although the Society for the Protection of Markham and Little Francis lost the High Court case last year we have been given leave to appeal the decision by two appeal court judges in two separate hearings. At present the appeal hearing is due to take place in London at the end of November.
The Society’s appeal is now of national importance as cases are lining up waiting for the outcome of our appeal.
The Court has ordered that an appeal by a group of people in Huddersfield, who are in a similar position to us having lost in the High Court this summer, should be heard at the same time as the Markham and Little Francis case. In their case their Green was bought by a property developer who now stands to profit substantially from the removal of the registration. In reality there will not be ‘unbridled development’ on the Town Green in the near future. Local people will have a say in the Local Development Plan, it is they who will have most say in where development occurs.
Additionally, if the Society wins in the Appeal Court, development will be out of the question for a very long time on the Town Green, regardless of the Local Development Plan.
Fundraising is still continuing for the fighting fund for the court case – please contact Gill on 779936 if you would like to donate.
Gill Taylor, Chair of the Society for the Protection of Markham and Little Francis, Nutgrove Ave, Littlesea, Weymouth
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