Campaign launched to protect Vale village

Buy photos » Villagers in Broadway are taking a zero-tolerance approach to large developments in the area. 0812023NHR4

VILLAGERS in Broadway fed up with plans for hundreds of new homes in the area have finally said enough is enough and decided to take a zero-tolerance approach to development.

The Save Broadway Campaign was launched this week with members calling on all residents to support their pleas for another 350 homes planned for Leamington Road and Station Road to be scrapped.

The group was set up following a packed extra-ordinary parish council meeting called to discuss the impact the homes would have on the historic Cotswold village.

During the meeting angry residents voiced their concerns and demanded action to stop the development which they said would threaten the character of the village and overload the infrastructure and amenities to breaking point.

Gordon Franks, chairman of the Save Broadway action group, said they planned to approach Broadway's MP Peter Luff, the county and district councils and other pressure groups to make sure they understood all the implications of "ill-considered" development in village communities.

"This is not a case of nimbyism," he said.

"The infrastructure in Broadway is already under strain. Sewage and drainage are a big issue. The village already has a population nearing 3,000.

"Broadway recently underwent a review and complied with demands for additional housing. This is an iconic Cotswold village in an area of outstanding natural beauty. It is a setting people travel from all over the world to visit. It is not a sprawling would-be town."

Save Broadway campaigners have already started petitioning and are organising a formal petition from villagers.

Mr Franks said social media campaigns were also in the pipeline to build support from the thousands of visitors Broadway attracts from all across the globe. A public meeting is also being planned to keep villagers fully informed.

For more information on the campaign log onto www.savebroadway.co.uk or anyone interested in joining the action group can contact Michael Gordon-Smith on 01386 858505 or by e-mailing mgs@cimma.co.uk.

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