Hawksmead - Done Deal?

As you read the Rutland Times it looks like the Hawksmead Park Development in the North West of Oakham is a done deal as far as Oakham Town Council are concerned. The proof in their collective thinking lies in the fact at how fast they back development projects on the housing development without the approval of the development having been passed. This shows that their thinking it that the whole thing is done and dusted as far as they are concerned. What fuels this rush to complete the development hasn't come to surface yet but they are pushing their plans along to create a eco nightmare quite nicely without thinking about the impact on Oakham and the surrounding villages.

Oakham town council have recently given their backing to is a new Super Pub by Marston’s Inns and Taverns as part of the Hawksmead Park Oakham North development, and they have done this while the Lord Nelson's House Hotel and Nick's Restaurant is up for sale, The Griffon Pub is looking for a new landlord and the Oakham British Legion in Oakham is still Empty as is the Wheatsheaf Inn in near by Langham. This new development is going to have a large car park and a play area drawing in drinkers and dinners from the whole of the Oakham area and from further afield putting more strain on the existing business who are struggling to survive the recession as it is. According to the Rutland Times the "Town councillors have backed the plans because they feel the town needs a cheap family pub". My question to them is what is wrong with the existing pubs which in my experience aren't overly priced and given so many are looking for new owners do we really need a new super pub at all? I think the answer is a big "No". Alright it might create some jobs, but how many jobs will be lost by pubs being forced to closed in the centre of Oakham because of lack of business? That is something else I think they have failed to think about, but then again that isn't part of their agenda.

What I think is more worrying is that the Town Council see the development as a done deal. This can be seen  by Ward member for Oakham North West Joyce Lucas comment “I just think we need a family pub that’s cheap and is a place where families can get together, especially as the number of people in the town looks set in increase." It is like she feels that it all over as far as the Hawksmead Park Development being approved is concerned. I don't know how we can tell the council we don't want 1,100 more homes in Oakham and the traffic that it will bring because as far as I can see they are not listening.They have little regard for the environmental and economic impact this development will cause to the area. They just don't want to know and are clearly not bothered that Rutland will lose it's place in the top twenty of places that have a high quality of life in England though this development. My question is do they really have the best interests of Oakham in their hearts or is there something we have all been missing in all this?