logo
Plymouth residents celebrate 'victory' as plans for homes on green space are rejected

Plymouth residents celebrate 'victory' as plans for homes on green space are rejected

ITV Newsa day ago
Sam Blackledge reports on celebrations in Plymouth
Residents in Plymouth are celebrating a victory for 'people power' after they fought to save a patch of green space from development.
On Thursday 24 July, councillors voted against plans to build five new affordable homes at Wilmot Gardens in Crownhill.
However, Plymouth is falling well behind in its building targets, and council officials are warning that the housing crisis may deepen if action is not taken.
Resident Matt Fleming said: "This may be just a small patch of green in a densely packed area, but to us it's right at the centre of the community. If this had been lost, it would have been devastating."
A big part of the campaign has been use of social media. Residents made a TikTok video demonstrating the impact the development would have, which has been viewed more than 14,000 times.
Council officials say the city has a 'chronic shortage' of affordable housing, and should aim to build more than two and a half thousand new homes per year over the next five years.
But the council also has a policy which says protected green spaces should not be built on, unless in exceptional circumstances.
Matt said: "It would be very difficult to go against 1,000 houses on a big green field - but this is five houses, this is a drop in the ocean."
The developer could appeal against the committee's decision - but the locals say their next step is to apply for a protection order, which would safeguard the land against development for many years to come.
Councillor Bill Stevens, chair of the planning committee, said: "As a Planning Committee it is our job to make some tough decisions but these decisions are always made based on established planning law and Plymouth's own agreed policies.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

TikTok ban: App goes dark if China doesn't agree to US deal
TikTok ban: App goes dark if China doesn't agree to US deal

The Herald Scotland

time15 hours ago

  • The Herald Scotland

TikTok ban: App goes dark if China doesn't agree to US deal

"If that deal gets approved by the Chinese, then that deal will happen. If they don't approve it, then TikTok is going to go dark," Lutnick said. "And those decisions are coming very soon, so let's see what the Chinese do. They've got to approve it. The deal is over to them right now." When asked if the potential agreement is a part of current trade talks with China, Lutnick said it was being discussed, but "not officially." "You can't really go meet somebody and not bring up the topics that are open," Lutnick said during the interview. "It's not officially a part of it, but unofficially, of course, it's going to be discussed. Neither TikTok nor the White House immediately responded for comment when contacted by USA TODAY on July 24. TikTok: Trump signs executive order delaying ban on TikTok - again When could TikTok go dark in the US? The next deadline for TikTok to be sold from ByteDance is Sept. 17. Trump signed an executive order, the third of its kind, to extend the deadline in June. Why could TikTok get banned? TikTok's future in the United States has been up in the air for months. In January, the platform went dark for less than 24 hours under federal legislation signed into law by former President Joe Biden. For years, some government officials have been concerned that TikTok is a national security threat, believing that ByteDance, which is based in Beijing, is sharing U.S. user data with China. TikTok has repeatedly denied these claims. Three times now, Trump has signed executive orders that push back the deadline for when TikTok must be sold, promising that deals with China are on the horizon. The latest was in early July, when Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he was hopeful Chinese President Xi would agree to a deal to see the platform to the U.S. Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@

AOC should have paid more for Met Gala dress, House ethics panel says
AOC should have paid more for Met Gala dress, House ethics panel says

The Herald Scotland

time15 hours ago

  • The Herald Scotland

AOC should have paid more for Met Gala dress, House ethics panel says

The committee suggested the representative should make additional payments of $2,733.28 from her personal funds to compensate for the fair market value of certain expenses and $250 to compensate the Met for her partner's meal and if she does, they would consider the matter closed. "The congresswoman appreciates the committee finding that she made efforts to ensure her compliance with House Rules and sought to act consistently with her ethical requirements as a member of the House. She accepts the ruling and will remedy the remaining amounts, as she's done at each step in this process," said her Chief of Staff Mike Casca in a statement provided to USA TODAY. According to the report, Ocasio-Cortz made proactive steps to comply with the House gift rule, which limits the size of gifts members of Congress may accept, by arranging to pay for various services and to "rent" apparel out of her personal funds that might normally be loaned or gifted to Met Gala participants. More: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez might have violated House rules with Met Gala gifts, watchdog says But the committee found that she failed to fully comply by accepting free admission for her partner - the House gift rules at the time only allowed free admission for a spouse or child - and by failing to pay full fair market value for some of the items worn to the event. "The Committee did not find evidence that Representative Ocasio-Cortez intentionally underpaid for any goods or services received in connection with the Met Gala," the report states. Instead, it states that she relied on the advice from counsel to determine fair market price and payment discussions were made through a campaign staff member. The committee found evidence suggesting that the designer may have lowered costs in response to statements from Ocasio-Cortez's staff and that payments from her personal funds were not made on time or in some cases until the investigation began. According to the report, Ocasio-Cortez told the committee that she was not informed by staff about the late payments or attempts to collect them. The committee report said it found no evidence that the congresswoman was aware of the late payments. "The Committee did not find any indication that the delays in making payments wereintentional or that Representative Ocasio-Cortez was aware of the extent to which they occurred," the report states.

Plymouth residents celebrate 'victory' as plans for homes on green space are rejected
Plymouth residents celebrate 'victory' as plans for homes on green space are rejected

ITV News

timea day ago

  • ITV News

Plymouth residents celebrate 'victory' as plans for homes on green space are rejected

Sam Blackledge reports on celebrations in Plymouth Residents in Plymouth are celebrating a victory for 'people power' after they fought to save a patch of green space from development. On Thursday 24 July, councillors voted against plans to build five new affordable homes at Wilmot Gardens in Crownhill. However, Plymouth is falling well behind in its building targets, and council officials are warning that the housing crisis may deepen if action is not taken. Resident Matt Fleming said: "This may be just a small patch of green in a densely packed area, but to us it's right at the centre of the community. If this had been lost, it would have been devastating." A big part of the campaign has been use of social media. Residents made a TikTok video demonstrating the impact the development would have, which has been viewed more than 14,000 times. Council officials say the city has a 'chronic shortage' of affordable housing, and should aim to build more than two and a half thousand new homes per year over the next five years. But the council also has a policy which says protected green spaces should not be built on, unless in exceptional circumstances. Matt said: "It would be very difficult to go against 1,000 houses on a big green field - but this is five houses, this is a drop in the ocean." The developer could appeal against the committee's decision - but the locals say their next step is to apply for a protection order, which would safeguard the land against development for many years to come. Councillor Bill Stevens, chair of the planning committee, said: "As a Planning Committee it is our job to make some tough decisions but these decisions are always made based on established planning law and Plymouth's own agreed policies.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store