Object

Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

Representation ID: 1089

Received: 28/11/2016

Respondent: Mr Neil Ryan

Legally compliant? No

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? No

Representation Summary:

The proposed site is unsound and unsuitable for additional housing based on the following issues:

1) The traffic infrastructure onto the main B197 is unsuitable and unsafe for additional cars.

2) The community infrastructure (Schools, Doctors Surgery, Rail Station) is already overloaded and will not accommodate additional residents.

3) The B197 is already massively congested at peak times through Knebworth and neighbouring villages.

Full text:

As a resident of the local area I strongly object to this proposed development site for residential houses or additional schools on the proposed KB2 plans. Firstly the site suggested (KB2) is green belt land and more importantly the additional houses and residence that these houses will home, will add to the already overloaded traffic issues in Knebworth and the surrounding areas, at peak times during the day (8:00am - 9:30am, 3:00pm - 3:30pm and 5:00pm - 6:00pm). The site KB2 (alone) will likely feed at least 200 more cars each day onto the B197 via either, Gun Lane/Station Road; Stockens Green/Gun Lane, Wych Elm Lane/Bridge Road or Deards End Land. All of which either pass under or over very narrow railway bridges which are not suitable for either two cars to pass each other, or for cars and pedestrians, as it is at the moment. A further 200 (or 400 more cars if the KB1 site is approved) will be a catastrophic amount of congestion, as well as a potential safety risk for pedestrians (especially between 8:15am - 9:00am & 3:00pm- 3:45pm), when a lot of families are walking to and from school. Additionally, we will see more cars using Pondscroft Road as a bypass to the High Street. This road is already a risk to pedestrians, as the road is narrow due to cars parking on both sides of the Road. The knock on effect of additional traffic will also drastically affect neighbouring villages such as Woolmer Green and Oakland. From 7:30am in the morning these villages already see backed up traffic to the A1 on a regular occurrence. Aside from the severe issues additional cars will cause the infrastructure of the village is already at capacity with schooling and doctor's surgery. Any additional commuters using the Knebworth railway station will also be an issue, as parking at the station is at a premium, with nearby residential roads already overloaded with parked cars. It would seem clear that none of these issues have been taken into consideration when proposing KB2 as a potential site for additional housing.