POLICY watchdogs at Stroud District Council grilled top planners last Thursday night over controversial housing sites included in the Local Plan.

Sites in Thrupp, Slad and Berkeley have already been earmarked for development by a government inspector, prompting a raft of angry objections from nearby residents.

And planning cabinet member Barbara Tait (Painswick) and senior officers were called before a scrutiny committee to explain what difference public views would make to the plan.

She told the meeting, which included a dozen or so members of the public, that residents' views would be listened to during a six-week consultation starting in May.

"It is terribly important that we go through with this consultation process," she said.

"It is the public's opportunity to tell us what they think to help us make our decision."

Planning strategy officer Pete Gilbert also told councillors that it was the quality, not quantity of evidence that would save the green field sites from developers.

"What we need is strong, robust evidence," he said. "It changing the plan is not the sort of thing you can do on a whim."

Labour councillor John Fowles (Cam West) called for better co-operation between Ebley Mill and other local government bodies to make the Local Plan process simpler next time around.

"It has been a long painful process," he said.

"Let's see what we can learn from this process. We need to get in people from the county council, people from the government of the South West to see how we can work together.

"That way we do a plan that everybody wants, rather than one that has been cobbled together at the last minute."

The public consultation is expected to begin in May, although the start dates are yet to be confirmed.

The Local Plan, which sets out council policy until 2011, is expected to be finalised before the end of the year. *See page five