Dear Resident,  

We have recently heard that we have won the appeal to prevent the 500 houses being built at the top of Mitton. This is an important victory but the war against this development is not over – the developers are coming back with plans to build 1,000 houses at the top of Mitton but this time with the support of Wychavon council. To fight this battle we need you to take further action and to do it urgently otherwise all our efforts so far with have been in vain.   

The South Worcestershire Development Review (SWDP) is now being consulted on until the 13th December and this plan includes 1,000 thousand houses to be built on land at the top Mitton (this 1,000 houses includes the previous 500) so our reasons for opposing this need to repeated but on a greater magnitude.  

The reasons for objecting to these 1,000 houses in the review should be based on the concept of ‘soundness’. This soundness depends on the plan being ‘justified’ and ‘achieving sustainable development when considered against reasonable alternatives’.  

In addition to the traffic problems this development will bring we feel that the impact of putting 1,000 houses on the side of a hill that drains into the Carrant Brook poses a direct existential flood risk to Mitton, Newtown and Tewkesbury that has not been properly considered by the review. This makes the plan unjustified, and the risk is so great that alternative areas within Wychavon should be chosen for development.  

If you agree with us then you need to make your views known to Wychavon Council before the 13th December using the website www.swdevelopmentplan.org or emailing contact@swdevelopmentplan.org asking them for a form.  

This is a threat we cannot ignore. 

To this end there is another action we need you to take – write to the Town Council asking them to employ an expert in hydrology and flooding to defend our Parish from flooding by developers.  

Bredon Parish employed a traffic expert at the planning appeal to great affect and Tewkesbury needs an expert on flooding to challenge the developers who say “don’t worry it will be alright, we will dig a big hole to hold all the displaced water so it won’t cause flooding”.  We need our own expert to oppose the planners and to fight for Tewkesbury at the SWDP public enquiry next year and also the Garden Town development at Ashchurch and Northway. There can be no doubt that the water runoff from these developments will head towards our parish where the Avon and Severn rivers meet. We must be protected from the problems these developments will create.  

If you agree with this then please email the Town Clerk at townclerk@tewkesburytowncouncil.gov.uk asking for the town to get the services of a flooding and hydrologist expert to defend the parish against the effects of development and ask the clerk to send your email on to the individual town councillors.  

By taking these two actions we can try and prevent our environment from being destroyed. 

Regards,