Object

Village Housing Options and Settlement Boundaries

Representation ID: 61364

Received: 20/01/2014

Respondent: Mr D. A. Rayney

Representation Summary:

The preferred site option is possibly the site most affected by HS2 of all. The site is adjacent to the proposed line of track and will be opposite the point at which site construction traffic will be at its heaviest, it will also be the point at which once complete will be the marshalling point for all maintenance traffic and it will be the site most affected by noise as it is opposite the proposed site of the southern portal to the cut and cover tunnel and will be subject to severe "startle effect" as trains come through the tunnel.

Full text:

Having read your consultation document and attended your road show I would like to make a personal comment on the plans as they apply to Burton Green.
Firstly, with reference to p.27 :Table 3 :Chapter 5 - Burton Green/Environmental Issues: I find it incomprehensible that whilst the table indicates that several sites were rejected because of issues with HS2, the preferred site option is possibly the site most affected by HS2 site of all. The site is adjacent to the proposed line of track and will be opposite the point at which site construction traffic will be at its heaviest, it will also be the point at which once the track is complete will be the marshalling point for all maintenance traffic and it will be the site most affected by noise as it is opposite the proposed site of the southern portal to the cut and cover tunnel and will be subject to severe "startle effect" as trains enter and exit the tunnel.

Secondly, with reference Chapter 7 /Settlement Plan 4/Burton Green: The proposal to build at least 75 new dwellings on such a constrained site will:
[a] Have an exceedingly detrimental effect on the nature and character of the village.
[b] Such variety of buildings will perforce mean that they are small, crowded and lacking personal recreation space[gardens] will suffer restricted parking and generally change the demographics of the village detrimentally.
[c] Services in Burton Green, particularly water supplies, [delivery pressure], are already poor - such a density of housing will only further exacerbate the problem. Local surgeries are already reluctant to take on people from Burton Green and despite your claims that transport links are good - a bus every 2 hours twice a week cannot by any stretch of the imagination be called a good link with Kenilworth.
[d] The site as chosen would need to have either access or exit roads on either Hob Lane or Red Lane - neither of these roads is suitable for such additional traffic entering and exiting the site without major reconstruction - again further altering the character of the village detrimentally.
[e] I cannot see why such a density of housing is required in one restricted area and believe that the number of units could be substantially reduced whilst still adhering to the seemingly arbitrary requirements set by some faceless planner in Central Government.