Object

Representation ID: 67538

Received: 08/12/2014

Respondent: Mrs Emma Jones

Consultation process seems to be deeply flawed. The consultation process has remained less than transparent and possibly even unfair. Today (08/12/14) the online questionnaire relating to the Stratford Road site has been removed from the council's website, when the deadline is 12/12/14.
The council has failed to provide any real detail in their publications. In some aspects (such as Impact on Local Economy), the council have provided no information whatsoever; in others alluded to further updates which have failed to materialise. The consultation appears rushed and lacking in data.
The site did not appear in the short list in early 2014. It has been added with absolutely minimal public consultation. Many residents were unaware of the site several weeks into the process.
The two drop-in sessions both ended at 18:30, making it virtually impossible for most working people to attend. WDC refused to attend a public meeting.
It is not clear that the site is actually available. Severn Trent Water state that they do not support the plans. I understand there is a third party involved also.
Site is on a flood plain, next to an industrial water treatment works, near an extremely busy motorway and A road. The cost of mitigating flood risk, road noise, odour would be expensive and make the site unviable. Guidelines for site selection state that run down or disused locations should be chosen where possible - the proposed site is green field.
There is also no existing access of sufficient quality. STW will not allow access through their site, so significant works would be needed to make safe access from the busy A429.
Fail to see how the site will lend itself to allowing integration with the community.
The potential impact on the local economy is not clear but likely to be negative given the plans for new employment land on the same site. Vacant units on Tournament Fields business park and the proposal would do nothing but make the employment unappealing.
The site would also dominate Longbridge village in terms of size. The proposed number of pitches for a single site is again at odds with government guidelines which are based on experience of sites that have been successfully integrated.