I think this was Forest Green Rovers' appeal against the refusal of their first application for planning permission. They wanted to find out more why Stroud Council had refused it which was contrary to the Planning Officer's recommendation. They decided not to go ahead with it because they were given planning permission on a second application in December. However the Government may now call in the planning application for further consideration. Dale Vince thinks this is politically motivated as he supported Labour at the election. He's currently having a few digs at Stroud's new Conservative MP who seems to keep making excuses not to meet him and who seems to be against the proposals without discussing it with anybody. Here is what he posted on Facebook yesterday:
"A quick update on Eco Park.
We gained planning permission on the 18th of Dec last year. Our new MP, Siobhan Baillie from Oxfordshire, (who doesn’t live in the District yet) wants the Secretary of State to intervene, but can't explain why and won’t meet to discuss. We had an appeal running in the background against the refusal of the first application (in June last year), scheduled for public enquiry on the 18th of Feb. Stroud District Council have decided not to appear at the enquiry to defend their decision to refuse planning - that refusal was against officers advice to grant permission, and defending it was always going to be difficult for them.
We’ve decided this week to pull the appeal - there seems little point continuing - the council won’t defend their decision and have anyway now followed officers advice and granted consent. We can save time and money on all sides by cancelling. Of course the planning decision we have been given may be called in by the Secretary of State, in which case there will be an enquiry and a lot of time and expense on all sides. Meanwhile our new MP has taken to Facebook to criticise our local paper Stroud News & Journal for running the story of her not being willing to meet me. Complaining that she did not receive their e-mail asking for comment, though they used an address for her they have used before. She also claimed the story is incorrect because she has not refused to meet me - saying instead that she had 'explained she was busy and could not commit to a date' - that’s an embellished version of events. I had two responses to my request to meet - the first said simply ‘I will bear it in mind’ the second said she 'had no office, had urgent case work and would bear it in mind’. Three weeks have now passed.
In the same FB post our new MP assured her readers that ‘if she does meet me, she will also meet opponents of Eco Park’ - which seems to confirm there is no commitment to meet, but it also raises the question, if she has not met opponents or supporters of Eco Park yet - on what does she base her opposition? I think it high unlikely she has yet to meet opponents. And high unlikely she will meet with me to get a better understanding of this project and the benefits it will bring to this District. The Secretary of State will make a decision in the next few days, there’s no point meeting after that - either way. A disappointing start from our new 'out of town' MP.
Eco Park has been five years in planning, Siobhan has been our MP for 'five minutes' and without any discussion with anyone (apparently) believes it should not go ahead. We’ll know more in a few days, but meanwhile anyone wanting to express their views on this to Siobhan can email her on this address -
Siobhan.baillie.mp@parliament.uk. It’s the ‘right' one…
"
by STAGS FOR LIFE » Sat Jan 11, 2020 11:03 am 
