7:00am Wednesday 21st July 2010
By Herald Reporter
GROVE homeowners have been given a final say on plans to double the population of their village, but the parish council fears some people will have missed out.
Councillors believe many missed out on the chance after 3,500 leaflets promoting the weekend exhibition were not all delivered.
Seven hundred people turned up to view the plans to build 2,500 homes on the former Grove airfield, which were on display for the last time at Old Mill Hall, last Friday and Saturday.
Developers Persimmon Homes and Taylor Wimpey will submit their planning application in September.
The 140-hectare site west of Grove will include two primary schools and a secondary school. It will also include a community centre and 40 per cent affordable housing.
But parish councillor Stephen Dexter said the exhibition had “got off to a bad start” as it was supposed to give all residents the final opportunity to comment.
He said: “We have seen a large number of residents taking active interest in the proposed development, but one wonders how many more people would have come had they been informed.”
Fellow parish councillor Barbara Williamson said: “Every home should have been told.”
She said: “The initiative came from the Government and we are obliged to have all these homes, but I just hope they are going to be used.”
Paul Davis, strategic land director at Persimmon Homes Wessex, said: “We were encouraged to see such a large number of people on the day and it was helpful to hear some of the feedback from attendees. A copy of the exhibition boards now exists on the Grove Parish Council’s website and we would encourage people to comment up until July 31.
“We understand that the voluntary leaflet drop we arranged by an outside company was not entirely successful and we apologise to those who didn’t receive a copy, it was outside of our control.”
Denise Bale, 42, of Churchward Close, said: “I will never support the expansion of Grove. I do not understand why Grove has to have these houses while other similar plans have been shelved around the country. It is really overstretched. It is just going to be a giant housing estate. It will look very nice when it is first built, but will it stay looking nice?”
She said she was concerned about whether or not the schools and jobs would be provided for the new population once the homes had been built.
Mrs Bale said: “What I cannot see from this exhibition is in what order this is all going to happen?”
John Firth, 69, of Mandarin Place, was concerned about the lack of local jobs and amenities for the new residents. He said: “In this green economy you should not be putting houses in an area where people have to commute.”
Eileen Evans, 72, of Larkdown, Wantage, said the developers had clearly responded to the comments made at the previous exhibitions.
David Greenaway, 76, of Denchworth Road, Wantage, was worried there would not be money to build the infrastructure when the time came.
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