From Cllr Mark Edwards

Conservative Group Member for Trull and Staplehay, Taunton Deane Borough Council

 

Comeytrowe Development Threat

 

This development will be the first step towards concreting over the remaining fields in this area and merging Trull with Comeytrowe and should clearly be resisted.”

 

“I am fully supportive of affordable housing and fully appreciate the need that exists in society but it should not be at any cost to our environment. There are numerous brownfield sites in the Taunton area and numerous other developments being built and it is here that the Council should focus their efforts on developing affordable housing not by the destruction of the landscape surrounding Taunton. The Prime Minister has clearly indicated he wishes to see more affordable housing but has also clearly stated that the green belt should not be surrendered to achieve this.”

 

“I am really quite disturbed by this development, it has been instigated by the newly elected Liberal Democrat administration. Their Executive member for planning, when questioned by myself at the recent Full Council, clearly dismissed my concerns that they may try and develop here and said that it would be twenty years before he envisaged any development on this land. This is either clear misinformation or he was not aware what was happening in his own department, I am not sure which is more disturbing.”

 

“It is clear to me that the people of Trull are against this development, they see it as the thin edge of the wedge, a stepping stone to the development of this entire area. However my biggest concern at present is that the people of Comeytrowe have not been informed of these plans and clearly the impact could be as serious on them as it is for Trull. I therefore want to highlight to them what is happening and I will be doing all I can to make sure they are adequately informed so they can make their own judgement about the Liberal Democrats plans for this major development on the fields of Comeytrowe.”

 

 

Support for small local business in rural areas welcomed

 

Cllr Mark Edwards has today welcomed an approach from the Somerset Chamber of Commerce and Industry who are planning to assist local small independent businesses including shops and post offices by working with them more closely and assisting them in networking with each other to strengthen their position in the local community.

 

He said, “I welcome this approach from the Somerset Chamber of Commerce. In Trull and Staplehay we have a successful shop, garages, two public houses, a hairdressers and a well used Post Office. This is a small community that has against the pressures of big businesses managed to maintain its local businesses but we need help in the future to maintain this position.”

 

“I always say to people in the community that we need to use these facilities otherwise they will be lost and whilst at present they are all well used, the financial pressure is great and by working together we can hopefully halt the destruction of small local businesses. I truly welcome this approach and look forward to working with the Chamber to assist them in their aims for the sustainability of my community.”