Object

Representation ID: 69650

Received: 15/04/2016

Respondent: Dr Peter Shipton

Legally compliant? No

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

The land is designated Green Belt and the NPPF states that green belt boundaries should only be altered in exceptional circumstances and these are not set out convincingly.
Effects on the village and its community:
The steeply sloping site is adjacent to an area of flood risk in the existing village due to surface water run-off into Pingle Brook. In the assessment it states that sufficient mitigation will be available using SUDS. It does not make clear whether this has been fully assessed by the Environment Agency. After expenditure on two flood alleviation schemes. Additional houses would put existing at more risk from run off.
The removal of most of Cubbington Wood and its replacement with a cutting for HS2 will potentially have further adverse effects on drainage increasing flood risk.
The sewers/surface drains in adjacent low lying parts of the village are at risk of being overwhelmed during heavy rainfall without 95 additional homes.
Two local schools are oversubscribed and would have to be significantly expanded. Local GP surgeries are oversubscribed and will struggle to cope.
The building of HS2 has not been addressed - it has been opposed by the local council on the basis of its effects on the environment and yet H50 proposes building closer to the track. Encroachment into the site by the embankment to give access to a road bridge is mentioned on environmental grounds but nothing is said about the potential hazard of vehicles getting safe access onto the road and merging.
Lastly the detrimental effect of landscaping to the east of Cubbington from HS2 is already going to be considerable and the building of houses in this prominent field is further going to damage the local environment.