Object

Alternative Sites Consultation

Representation ID: 44051

Received: 31/03/2010

Respondent: Janice Tye

Representation Summary:

Need to protect the green space to prevent urban sprawl.

Cubbington has excellent community spirit which would be lost with the development.

We need to safeguard the quality of life for residents.

There is abundant wildlife.

The land is designated greenbelt and therefore this site should not be a priority while other non greenbelt sites are available.

Roads are currently overloaded and not designed for added traffic. There would be extra pressure on cross town travel.

Added pressure on schools and health services.

The area is already prone to flooding, and the development would increase the risk.

Full text:

It is vital to protect the green space between Lillington and Cubbington to prevent unrestricted urban sprawl. Cubbington is a village with character and an excellent community spirit which would be lost if this speculative development was accepted. We need to safeguard the quality of life for current and future residents in this area. These fields have been cultivated for decades - providing food for our country. There is abundant wildlife including badgers and red kite.

The land is designated greenbelt and therefore this site should not be a priority while other non greenbelt sites are available for development within the district.

There would be serious problems with accessing this site through various closes off Parklands Avenue and Mason Avenue. These roads are very narrow and as 60s/70s estate roads, not designed for either construction traffic or the volume of private cars that would exist post development.

There would be increase traffic congestion at junctions. These areas are currently overloaded at peak times and would not stand up to the excess of 2580 extra cars. This situation would be further exacerbated because most of the traffic inevitably heads south for shopping or work and would seriously impact on cross town travel leading to the possibility of gridlock and increased accidents.

So far the proposal appears to be for houses only. This puts pressure on school places and health service within the community. The developers do not appear to have any sense of community.

Flooding is a major issue. The impervious clay subsoil makes the area already prone to flooding. The village is in a natural 'bowl' and that is where the water will go. If the area is built on then the risk of flooding is increased due to tarmac/ concrete/ brick roads/ driveways and patio areas preventing the surface water draining at all.

If this proposal is accepted - where next? The temptation to push the development to the Welsh Road boundary and swallow up Thwaites and more green belt land would prove strong and possible be seen as a 'necessary evil' to alleviate the aforementioned congestion caused by the development on the Parklands/ Cubbington Road area.