During the recent Bleadon Hill Inquiry, Dec 2016, BOB asked Bleadon Parish Council (BPC) whether they were presenting on behalf of residents. We also asked whether they would be submitting the current 20 year Parish Plan, as adopted in 2009, in defence of our rural way of life.
BPC informed the public, in three different meetings, that they had a Parish Plan that they would submit to the Inquiry. They ultimately told the public that they were too late to submit it. At the same time they told BOB that they could not find a copy of the Plan or any associated documentation. Three months later it seems that the adopted Parish Plan is 'lost' and that BPC's view of the role of an elected public representative is different to BOB's and other members of the public.
Without the time and effort put in by the Action Group, and supportive members of the public, the developers may have won their appeal to build 79 houses. Bleadon would have been irrevocably joined to Weston-super-Mare, physically no longer a separate village. Although the village remains separated at the moment no doubt more development applications will be on the way in and around Bleadon e.g. 70 houses at Bleadon Hill/Bridgwater Road junction.
The question of how 'we' can build on the recent public Inquiry knowledge and experience to protect our rural and village communities, and fulfil residents view of the future of Bleadon, still remains; as does the issue of an agreed Plan for the parish.
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