Homes go-ahead shows NIMBYism

Considering there were over 70 points that failed planning or the NPPF, this application should have been rejected by ALL on the committee. Unfortunately, all those who voted to accept it represent villages in the Ribble Valley, not Clitheroe.

This comes as no surprise to many local residents who could have predicted which councillors would vote in favour. It appears that as long as a development is not in their ward, it is acceptable – NIMBYism at its best!

However, while on this committee, they are also representing the Ribble Valley as a whole, yet they deem it acceptable that these monstrous developments are “dumped” in Clitheroe, where we currently have almost 50% of all developments in the borough. Surely they should be distributed fairly throughout the entire borough?

In a town of around 15,000 people, we are looking at an increase of perhaps an extra 5,000 new residents. Our schools will not be able to cope with such a huge influx, nor our dental and health surgeries.

Our road network is struggling to cope, as proved by the chaos caused when the level crossing was closed to traffic. It appears these particular councillors have never been to Clitheroe (apart from attending their meetings in the early evenings!). If they had, they would know the massive problems the town faces, and would have taken the obvious and sensible decision to reject this application.

Each councillor on the planning committee, as a representative of the Ribble Valley, should be made to come out and state why they voted the way they did. The people of this borough have the right to know.

As for the C-TAG group, aiming to revitalise the town centre – I wouldn’t bother now. Who will want to come to Clitheroe and sit in a huge traffic backlog, then find no parking space available? RIP Clitheroe as we know it.

Sara Briggs,

via email