1,000 signatures reached
To: Independent Planning Inspector
SAVE STOCK STREET FOREVER, SIGN TODAY - before the Public Hearing 7 DEC 2023!
Please recognise D2 / F2 leisure is our Optimal Viable Use because it offers more benefits and fewer risks to Public benefit, GII listed and other buildings, heritage setting and road network than our current B8 Storage and Distribution use (or other uses).
Why is this important?
Over 7 years of licensed activities without complaint has proven we offer a popular locally distinctive community leisure facility which boosts the local rural economy and conserves a heritage landmark to a high standard. It has also shown the site is safe, helps meet the social needs of existing residents and will support the social integration of new residents from the >3000 NEW houses approved since 2020 - within 5 miles of us but without any new social infrastructure.
Leisure use since 2016 has rescued the barn and setting from redundancy and by NYE 2023 we will have welcomed nearly 32,500 guests to Coggeshall from all over the world!
PUBLIC ticketed leisure activities include LIVE MUSIC, LIVE COMEDY, ARCHERY and CIRCUS SKILLS and THEMED EVENTS and these take place between PRIVATE weddings, milestone parties and corporate events. Stock Street offers unique and varied social facilities to all age groups in an area seeing rapid expansion in communities.
Reusing our site for leisure is seen locally as entirely positive. Our role is recognised in Coggeshall Parish Neighbourhood Plan 2021, is supported by 3 Parish Councils, both District Councillors and our County Councillor and is popular with local residents and brings many visitors to Coggeshall and Braintree District – BUT IS NOT SUPPORTED BY BRAINTREE DISTRICT Planning Officers.
Stock Street is the target of heavy-handed enforcement designed to stop planning offenders where public harm is evidenced and reported by local residents, Parish / District Councils and Licensing or Highways. We have never received any complaints from anybody including Highways - over 55 million vehicles have passed us since 2016. Multiple efforts to address officer concerns and secure planning approval have been prevented; our valid 2020 application 20/00009/FUL was declined public consultation and our reasonable request to submit a new application in April 2022 was denied by a Council press release on 26 April 2022 as they chose instead to start Enforcement.
The Council press release badly damaged our business.
During the Appeal Public Hearing we will show that D2 / F2 Leisure activity is a betterment of the site's use from heritage, public benefit and safer highway access perspectives when compared with the current B8 storage and distribution use (or any other use).
How it will be delivered
Petition will be shared in Public Hearing 7 & 8 DEC at BDC, Causeway House 10am. It is key to the Appeal to SAVE STOCK STREET a 5 star family business and home to; Outlaws Archery, Coggeshall Comedy Club and also Phina Circus, BML and Maison Magenta. Local businesses benefit from a thriving Stock Street; caterers, musicians, beauticians, clothing providers, local hotels, B&Bs / Air B&Bs, taxi / coach firms, prop / equipment hire and local brewers
