Thornbury High Street Response 14.12.22

Thornbury Town Council was invited by South Gloucestershire Council to comment on the draft final designs for the High Street, in advance of final decision by the South Gloucestershire Council project team. The designs were shared with the Town Council in confidence, and these were considered by the Full Council meeting on 13 December. In addition to providing some specific comments on the designs shared, the Town Council made the following response to South Gloucestershire Council:

“The Town Council is unhappy that the draft plans were shared confidentially. The plans should have been made available publicly for public comment in advance of final approval. The Town Council does not understand the requirement for confidentiality and this does not seem to be in accordance with transparency legislation. By requiring the Town Council to keep the plans confidential, it in turn makes the Town Council appear complicit in an apparent conspiracy against the people of Thornbury.  

 The Town Council finds the current plans to be totally unacceptable, as they bear no resemblance to the designs originally shared with the public. The Town Council strongly suggests that senior representatives of South Gloucestershire Council come to Thornbury and explain to the people of the town the basis for the revised designs.”