Row erupts as councillors battle over removal of key employment site from Peterborough development plan

The outburst came during a three hours plus debate on September 15 over the seemingly 11th hour decision by Peterborough City Council’s ruling cabinet to to remove the Drysides employment site at Stanground from the draft Local Plan.

Members of the council’s Economy, Inclusive Growth and Environment Scrutiny Committee voted by six votes to three to send the issue back to the cabinet for reconsideration but also with a recommendation that the draft Local Plan also be discussed by the full council.

Councillor Kirsty Knight, who had led the call-in of the cabinet’s decision had told the meeting: “This issue is being called in because the Stanground employment land was removed from the draft Local Plan without any explanation.

She said: “Where is the evidence to say why the Stanground site was removed?”

Removal of the Drysides site, which sits in a popular green area but which could help create 5,000 jobs, leaves the draft Local Plan with a 21 per cent shortfall in employment land, which puts the council at risk of having the Local Plan declared ‘unsound’ by national planning inspectors.

The clash between Conservative group leader Cllr Wayne Fitzgerald and the council leader, Labour Cllr Shabina Qayyum came as questions were asked about whether council officers had advised that the Drysides site should be removed.

There were also concerns voiced that a traditional opportunity for the full council to debate the draft Local Plan seemed to have been dropped.

Cllr Fitzgerald said: “During three years of work on the Local Plan to identify employment sites and take into account residents’ objections, the Drysides site was still included in the draft Local Plan.

"What changed. Were you advised by officers that removing Drysides was the right decision?

He also asked why there was no opportunity for the full council to debate the contents of the draft Local Plan as had been the case in previous years.

Cllr Qayyum replied that officers had advised that taking out the site might be a risk but that councillors had taken into account the nearly 700 objections from residents.

She said the council was faced with a tight deadline of December 31 to get the draft Local Plan completed.

And she warned: “If you want to put at risk £1 million of public money that has been spent on the local plans so far, then the responsibility lies with you.

She told the committee the decision to remove Drysides had been taken after careful consideration of all the detailed work on the local plan.

Cllr Chris Harper, one of the representatives for Stanground, said: “We have campaigned for 20 years to protect Drysides from development.

He said the area was a wildlife haven that was close to Peterborough’s Green Wheel, close to a Bronze Age site and much enjoyed by residents who found it beneficial for their physical and mental health.