DEVELOPERS have launched an appeal over a 100-home development in Dursley that was refused planning permission at the end of last year.

When permission to erect a large housing development was denied to Gladedale Estates Ltd by members of Stroud District Council’s development control committee in December 2014 the result was met with riotous applause from objectors.

Now, four months on, an appeal has been launched to the secretary of state over the proposal which, in its first outing, received 194 letters of objection.

The planning application was originally submitted by Gladedale in April last year but did not go before committee until December 18.

It was there that representations were made on behalf of Dursley residents by the town’s district councillor Doina Cornell and Dursley Town Council’s clerk Helen Bojaniwska.

The key objections were covered in the response of Ms Bojaniwska, who said at the time: “Dursley is not anti-development, but the community's reaction to this proposal has been a resounding 'no'.

“We should not underestimate how much the view in that area contributes to the residents’ sense of place.”

She continued, talking about the lack of long-term employment opportunities and highways improvements to balance the additional strain on Dursley’s roads.

“The development may provide short term employment but no future jobs,” she said.

“Dursley Town Council requests that you refuse this application on the grounds that adverse impacts of failing to provide jobs and highway improvements would significantly outweigh the need for homes.”

The appeal was launched by the developers on Friday, April 17, citing a variety of reasons the original refusal should be overruled.

Gladedale say in their appeal application that there are no technical objections to the proposal.

They add that the site is not within the Cotswolds area of natural beauty and that Dursley is listed as a first tier settlement in SDC’s emerging local plan – meaning it has been designated as an area for strategic growth.

Furthermore, the developers say that while objections from local residents are “understandable”, they do not contain any reasoning which outweighs the findings of the relevant consultants on a range of technical issues.

They conclude: “This is the right scheme in the right place at the right time. The proposal does not have any adverse impacts that significantly outweigh the benefits.”

Any comments which were made at the time of the original application will be forwarded to the planning inspectorate and copied to the appellant and will be taken into account by the inspector in deciding the appeal.

Should objectors wish to withdraw or modify their earlier comments in any way or submit additional comments they can do so on the planning portal at www.planningportal.gov.uk/pcs.