Longford greenbelt campaigners to fight new battle

The people who successfully fought a battle to save greenbelt land in the north of Coventry are now turning their attention to another threatened area.



People living in Longford fought to save fields off Sutton Stop from being used for housing.

But now a decision is due to be made by the planning inspectorate on December 14 over whether land in nearby Wilson’s Lane can be used for development.

A group of campaigners are meeting tomorrow at the Novotel, in Wilson’s Lane, at 10am to highlight their concerns over the site.

Lonnie Downes, chairman of Longford CAN, left, said: “We want to enlighten the inspector as to how important our greenbelt land is to us.”

Controversial Longford homes plan approved

COUNCILLORS have given the thumbs up to plans for a new development of homes in Coventry.

Midland Heart housing group’s application to build a total of 16 one and two bedroom houses in Lady Lane, Longford, was granted at a Coventry City Council planning meeting yesterday.

The scheme had attracted scores of objections from neighbours on grounds of lack of access, and the impact on local trees and ancient hedgerows.

A petition signed by 70 residents opposed to the plan for 12 bungalows and four two-storey cottages was organised by the Longford CAN residents’ group. Seven separate objection letters were also submitted.

Speaking on behalf of Longford CAN, group chairman Lonnie Downes argued that while residents were in favour of the development in principle, they were disappointed at the level of communication with residents on the issue.

Mr Downes said: “Given the lack of consultation and documented letters and plans of intent, plus unacceptable short-term deadlines, we would respectfully request a deferment as we feel the decision-making process has been compromised.”

Resident Andrew Bayliss also raised concerns about the owner of an existing bungalow who feared they would be “landlocked” by the development.

The application was granted subject to the completion of a legal agreement to secure £7,000 in funding towards a play area by March 15 this year.

Anger as plan to build houses on Longford fields approved



Campaigners in Longford, Coventry, have lost a long-running battle to stop houses being built on a swathe of fields.

The land off Wilsons Lane, in Longford, has been the site of a three-year struggle by residents and prompted the city council’s new Labour leader two years ago to pledge there would be no more building on green field land or green belt during his reign.

But after the city council rejected the application to build 48 houses near the Novotel, between Wilsons Lane and Phoenix Way, developers appealed to the Planning Inspectorate in Bristol which has now given the plan the green light.

The city council said the land is not green belt but it is directly adjacent to the green belt land.

Lonnie Downes, chairman of Longford Community Action for our Neighbourhood (CAN), had been battling the plans since 2009.

He said: “Everyone’s very upset. From the very first meeting we formed the Green Alliance Group to show our opposition to house building on green fields right across Coventry.

“I feel very angry about this because Coventry’s planning department didn’t want it, Coventry’s council officers didn’t want it, our councillors didn’t want it, our local MP didn’t want it and residents certainly didn’t want it.

“But this decision goes against all that because a man can come up from the south west and decide what should happen here in Longford.”

He added: “The flood gates are open now.”

Councillor Kevin Maton, who chairs the city council’s planning committee, said: “There has been a lot of local controversy over this. It’s not our decision.

“The inspector has gone away and come to the conclusion that permission should be granted.”

Coun Maton (Lab, Henley) said the case emphasises the need for Coventry to finalise its core strategy – the document that sets out future house-building targets – by the autumn.

He said future housing targets have been reduced over the last few years so that development can be earmarked for previously used land rather than fields.

He added: “The process has always been seen as being weighted in favour of developers and means they can get a second bite at the cherry.

“It illustrates a wider concern across the country that we could get to a stage where developers will put in applications which will be refused and the national policy will be implemented by the Planning Inspectorate who will come along and make similar decisions to this.

“But if we as local authorities have robust core strategies showing there’s enough previously developed land to build on that won’t happen.”