Object

Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

Representation ID: 949

Received: 28/11/2016

Respondent: Mr Colin Macleod

Legally compliant? No

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? No

Representation Summary:

Object to KB4 on the grounds of:
- Loss of Green Belt resulting in coalescence between Knebworth and Stevenage.
- Loss of productive agricultural land.
- Already congested narrow roads unsuitable for additional traffic. Commuters already park along Oakfields Road and Watton Road due to insufficient parking at the station. Additional housing on this site will add to the problem.
- B197 already highly congested.
- Increased likelihood of traffic accidents.

Full text:

I object to this development as it is on Green Belt land and will increase the likelihood of coalescence between Knebworth and Stevenage with the resulting loss of productive agricultural land. The roads between this site and the village centre are unsuited to any additional or heavy traffic. Commuters already park along Oakfields Road and Watton Road due to insufficient parking at the station. A serious accident occurred recently at the junction of Oakfields Road and Stevenage Road involving a lorry turning into Oakfields Road. It stopped abruptly due to both parked vehicles and an oncoming car. This resulted in a car, travelling south on Stevenage Road, colliding with the lorry and the driver having to be cut out. During peak traffic times, access from Oakfields Road on to the B197 is already difficult as the B197 is frequently used by drivers to avoid congestion on the A1(M). Any additional housing will aggravate the problem further with traffic building up on Oakfields Road and Watton Road and even longer queues occurring more frequently on the B197.