Object

Village Housing Options and Settlement Boundaries

Representation ID: 61183

Received: 16/01/2014

Respondent: Mr Antony Slater

Representation Summary:

-Hatton Park is currently underserviced (i.e. local schools have no spaces) and it would not be able to support an expansion.
-The proposed plans do not demonstrate any exceptional circumstances to support the erosion of the Green Belt for the purpose of further housing, for which there is no evidence.
-Concerns regarding traffic particularly; the increase on the A4177, dangers caused by traffic convergence around Ugly Bridge Road entrance and entrances to the proposed development.
-Potential flooding as a result of 'drain off' from the development onto the A4177 which already suffers for this problem.

Full text:


As a resident of Hatton Park I wish to register my comments and concerns related to the proposals obtained in the latest update of the Local Plan.

1 Hatton Park has been allocated the status as a secondary village and therefore deemed suitable for development of additional housing based on the outcome of the Settlement Hierarchy Report. This implies that Hatton Park has an appropriate level of facilities to support such a development, an assertion which I strongly contest. There appears to have been a gross exaggeration of the importance attached to the use of such facilities such as village shop, community centre and limited play area for young children, as result of inflated scores attached to many of the indicators.Local schools have no available spaces and doctors and dentists are a long way away. Admittedly there is a bus service but it is rarely used and there is no evidence that habitants of further housing would have any greater propensity to use it.
Sometimes it is important for those people responsible for assessing such important issues as facilities and services to 'look out of the window' rather than relying totally on the dials!!
The reality is that Hatton Park does not have anything like sufficient facilities and services to support even the existing level of housing never mind a further expansion.

2.Green belt is a precious commodity and I can see nothing in the proposed plan which demonstrates exceptional circumstances to support the erosion of this for the purpose of furthering the number of houses for which there is no supporting evidence.

3. The preferred option has a number of major concerns in addition to the overall concerns referred to above, namely -
- adverse impact on Smith's covert
- significant increasing in the volume of traffic on the A4177
- dangers associated with increased traffic and the convergence of traffic in and
around the entrance/entrance to and from Ugly Bridge Road, the newly developed
petrol station and the proposed entrance/egress to and from the proposed new
development.
- dangers associated with children in particular, being tempted to cross the road
(A4177).
- potential flooding as a result of 'drain off' from the development onto the A4177
which already suffers for this problem.

I would urge the Council to rethink the proposals and exclude Hatton Park from any further development for the reasons outlined above.