A motion to recall the West Acre Park planning application to the Planning Committee was withdrawn at the last minute at yesterday’s meeting.
Cllr Claire Critchison was due to present her motion, asking for the Committee to bring the West Acre Park planning application before the Committee once again in light of recent findings (as reported by News OnTheWight).
Critchison: In all good conscience I couldn’t go forward with it at this time
However, due to the unexpected and heartfelt statement from the Holliday family at Westridge Farm on Monday evening, Cllr Critchison withdrew the application, telling News OnTheWight ,
“In light of recent information, in all good conscience I couldn’t go forward with it at this time.
“The Holliday’s welfare is quite high on my agenda. Without speaking to the directly, at this stage I felt it was not appropriate.”
The Holliday family had issued a statement on Monday evening explaining that despite fighting for their farm and home for the last six years, they ‘have no fight left’, and the family ‘are broken and have simply had enough’.
Still a long way to go
For those concerned about the plans for 472 homes on the site of Westridge Farm, this is not the end of the matter.
The application can been recalled anytime up to the point official permission has been granted, which News OnTheWight was told at last night’s meeting by the Chairman, Cllr Michael Lilley, is still some time off.
Section 106 negotiations (this is the sum of money paid by the developer towards community and social infrastructure as mitigation for the development), etc are still ongoing.
