Object
Gypsy and Traveller Site Options
Representation ID: 55739
Received: 24/07/2013
Respondent: Alan Lea
Everyone has inalienable rights to live somewhere but must be balanced against the rights of those who are already living in an area.
Village residents not asked about village demographics, the effects of additional numbers on health facilities, education facilities, transport, congestion, parking, recreational amenities etc. before site, which will increase usage, is allocated.
Next to a busy high risk accident commuter route with no provision for public transport, pedestrians or cyclists. Increased car usage is contrary to County Council policy, will add to obesity levels, create pollution and exacerbate parking and obstruction problems at the school.
Village school is already oversubscribed.
Village surgery is running at capacity.
No running water, mains sewerage, drainage or mains gas supply. Water is essential for public health and the prevention of pollution of local water courses.
Have a high risk of flooding as affected by water run off from Harbury.
Will impact the local wildlife and habitat.
Why not locate site in the centres of main population?
Dear Ms Coldicott,
Gipsy and Traveller Sites
This email is further to the previous one that I sent to you on 6 July 2013 concerning my objections to the proposed sites GT03 and GT04. The email is one of two that I shall be sending you.
My second email, which will arrive by midday tomorrow (Wednesday 24thJune), will contain a number of questions that I would like answered concerning the site consideration process.
The following relates to my objection based on providing safe routes to school.
1)Warwickshire County Council, in their document "Changing Travel Behaviour", had the following policy objective.
Policy CTB2: School Travel Plans
"We will work with schools to develop and implement School Travel Plans to reduce car use and increase use of healthy and sustainable modes of travel for journeys to school".
I contend that the lack of a pedestrian or cycle pathway from GT03 and GT04 to Harbury means that the only safe way for children to attend Harbury school would be by vehicular use, this runs contra to the above County policy.
2)The requirement to have to use vehicular transportation also runs contra to the health of children. Professor John Ashton, the President of the Faculty of Public Health, has stated that motorised school runs should be banned to help protect the health and fitness of children. Recent statistics on childhood obesity support him in this. In the UK 33% of year 6 pupils are overweight or obese. Statistics show that for each hour of driving/day increases obesity by 6%
3)The use of vehicles also adds to pollution and congestion. According to the National Travel Survey, trips to school (school run) accounted for 16% of UK peak hour journeys, this is an increase of 60% in 15 years . Extrapolating from US statistics- where the school run is around 14% of peak hour traffic- we can calculate that the school run in the UK adds 4 billion miles to the annual distance travelled and 800 million vehicular trips. Warwick District Council's plan would increase rather than reduce vehicular movements in the Harbury area, which would increase the danger to children walking within Harbury village.