The residents of Baginton are understandably alarmed at the recent planning decisions and proposals which appear to be made without any regard to the quality of the village or the life of its inhabitants.
Firstly the Gateway Development - an immense industrial development dwarfing and overshadowing Baginton village and effectively cutting it off from access to major roads and instead drowning it in massive day-to-day movement of people and traffic.
Secondly the rejection of the school application - a scheme which would have cleaned up and improved an unsightly area and upgraded the village.
Now this proposal to turn Smiths Nurseries into a camping site for Travellers is totally inappropriate for many reasons & I state the following as part of my objection to this proposal:
1. Smiths Nurseries is a well-managed family business, has been in the village for generations and is an asset to the village, providing local employment etc - to shut it down or compromise it would be preposterous.
2. The Travellers are by definition - travellers - on the move, with vehicles / caravans etc and need to be sited near the main roads. The Gateway development effectively cuts off Baginton and deliberately makes access from the A45 & A46 difficult.
3. The site on Siskin Drive - ref. GT01 - is well placed for access and should be developed further. Also with the huge Gypsy site on the Oxford Road (A423) there is already disproportionate provision made for them in this area. If this is still considered insufficient, then include them at the A45 end of the Gateway development.
4. Baginton is a small village and wants to keep its status and character. It has no Doctor's surgery / Chemist / shops (other than the one small village shop) or facilities for the travelling community (all facilities deemed necessary in your 'Local Plan' package).
We know planners have to make difficult decisions, but not at the expense and expectations of the communities you are employed to serve.