Common sense prevailed in an important meeting and vote last week here in Derbyshire Dales.
At a special meeting of the Planning Committee at Derbyshire Dales District Council, the proposed temporary traveller site for the car park on Station Road in Rowsley was rejected.
Cllr Susan Hobson, who represents Rowsley both at Derbyshire Dales District Council and Derbyshire County Council, worked tirelessly with the community against this inappropriate proposal.
At the meeting Cllr Hobson spoke passionately about why the site was clearly inappropriate. This site has been used in the past and didn’t work then, and wouldn’t work again had it gone forward as a traveller site.
Businesses, residents, visitors and the Level Centre came together strongly against this.
The proposed site’s proximity to the White Peak Loop was a major concern, with 400,000 people in the last twelve months using the trail. Safety and access would have clearly been compromised.
As a result, Conservative councillors - along with councillors from other parties - voted this down. Prudence from across the parties triumphed.
Commenting on the successful campaign, Cllr Susan Hobson said
I’m pleased the planning committee has rejected the proposed traveller site at Rowsley after multiple concerns were raised. We’ll continue working for a fair solution for all.
Car parks are for cars.
Leader of the Conservative Group at Derbyshire Dales District Council, Cllr Stuart Lees remarked
My role as part of the planning committee was quite simple at the end of the day. The application was not in a suitable location or sustainable.
The residents and businesses' voice should be taken into account on these applications. This often hasn’t happened in the past.
The planning committee is non-political and in this instance it proved to be, with 9 out of 12 councillors on the cross-party committee voting against the application.