Object

Preferred Options for Sites

Representation ID: 63982

Received: 02/05/2014

Respondent: Mr Rod Scott

Representation Summary:

SUMMARY
This location is not suitable for a Gypsy & Traveller site as there is no Doctor's surgery in the area. The busy Barford Bypass adjacent to the site will cause noise, create danger and form a barrier to peaceful co-existence with the village

Furthermore the owner of the site is not willing to sell and Compulsory purchase proceedings would therefore need to be initiated.

This site is unsuitable, un-developeable and undeliverable

Full text:

Numbered paragraphs refer to the criteria proposed on P 13 for selecting suitable sites
1) There has not been a GP surgery in Barford for about 30 years. The nearest surgery quoted is in Bishops Tachbrook which is a difficult 4.4 miles away by road. Although there is a school and buses do pass through the village hourly during the day - the need to cross the Barford Bypass means that these services are not easily accessible by pedestrians.
2) The western part of the area lies within the flood plain. Development in this area would not be consistent with avoiding areas with a high risk of flooding.
3) Safe access to the road network would not be possible. Large slow moving vehicles trying to enter or leave this site would cause an unacceptable and unnecessary hazard on a fast moving (60 mph) road which already has a poor accident record.
4) The Barford Bypass is adjacent to the site and therefore this is not consistent with an objective of avoiding development where there is potential for noise and other disturbance. Caravans are thin walled and provide little attenuation for occupants. Traffic noise reduction measures would reduce the land available for the site, be very expensive and not very effective.
5) There are no utilities within the proposed area so these would have to be provided. This is proposed as a site for only 8 pitches - but if noise reduction measures are to be taken then this number would be reduced. The cost of this will be borne by the Gypsies and Travellers and would add significantly to the individual pitch price making the development uneconomic.
6) The proposed site is Grade 2 agricultural land. It forms part of a small holding and selecting this area as a Gypsy & Traveller site will render the holding un-viable .
8) The Barford Bypass will create a physical barrier to integrated co-existence between the site and the village of Barford.
9) The New Local Plan has already allocated an increase of 70 -90 new homes for the village of Barford which will place significant strain on the local infrastructure. Traffic through the village already causes a problem at peak times, the School is full, there are no medical facilities and limited public transport facilities are available. The imposition on the village of a Gypsy & Traveller site will only cause further strain.

SUMMARY
This location is not suitable for a Gypsy & Traveller site as there is no Doctor's surgery in the area. The busy Barford Bypass adjacent to the site will cause noise, create danger and form a barrier to peaceful co-existence with the village

Furthermore the owner of the site is not willing to sell and Compulsory purchase proceedings would therefore need to be initiated.

This site is unsuitable, undevelopable and undeliverable