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MEDIA RELEASE – issued 16th October 2008

STOP! issues response document to TVBC Officer’s Report and supporting papers on the Goodman/Tesco Application for the Andover Airfield

68 errors, omissions & amendments revealed

At the invitation of TVBC Head of Planning at the 1^st September NAPC meeting, STOP! has issued a 15 page detailed response to the TVBC Planning Officer’s Report and other agenda papers prepared for the Goodman/Tesco planning application for the Andover Airfield.

In these agenda papers STOP! has found:

	8 omissions in the description of the Section 106 agreement.
	12 conditions either partially or wholly omitted from the draft planning permission.
	11 amendments that are required to the planning permission conditions to ensure the wording accurately reflects the relevant recommendations.
	37 areas within the Officer’s Report which are erroneous and where the evidence does not support the conclusion made; and/or where policies contrary to the Officer’s opinion are omitted resulting in a partial and subjective picture being presented.

Rhonda Smith, Chair of the STOP! Alliance states: “This catalogue of errors in the paperwork does not inspire confidence in TVBC Planning.

By drawing attention to these inaccuracies, errors and omissions in the 1^st September papers, STOP! expects the agenda papers prepared for the Planning Control Committee meeting set for 1^st December to be factually correct.

We also expect the papers to summarise all the evidence around an issue and not simply select the information that supports the Officer’s opinion.

The Officer’s subjective judgments must not take precedence over the facts. How can Councillors take a vote on such an important application if they are not presented with the whole story?”

Continues Rhonda Smith: “STOP!’s position is unchanged. Based on sound planning grounds, and expert and legal opinion, we support the Northern Area Planning Committee’s decision to reject this application due to its deviance from and numerous breaches of the Local Plan, Regional Spatial Strategy, the draft South East Plan and the Hampshire County Structure Plan Review and Planning Policy Guidance and Statements.”

STOP! is also gravely concerned about the proposed section 106 Agreement covering many important issues which can be challenged by the applicant and altered or discarded just 5 years from being signed. These important matters – for example, the routing agreement and its monitoring, the alternative road infrastructure works if the applicant breaches the HCV capping – must be dealt with in the planning application itself to ensure they are fully safeguarded. It is only these onerous section 106 agreements are in place that this application becomes acceptable to TVBC.

STOP!’s next Public Meeting is on Thursday 30^th October at John Hanson School with doors open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start until 9pm. This is an opportunity for all to hear updated information and debate the issues around this controversial application. ENDS/

Further information and interviews available – 01264-710428 / 07887-714957 STOP!’s response document can be viewed and downloaded from the STOP! website

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Last modified: 03/02/09