Ickleford

I would like to register my concerns regarding the proposed development in Ickleford

* The road structure is insufficient to cope with the % increase in houses proposed
* I accept the need for additional housing but feel that a small and charming village will have its character irreversibly changed for the worse given the extent of proposed development
* The local school / village hall and church are a three way resource for the village and a new school on the outskirts of the village would spoil this charming feature of the village
* The footpaths in the village are very narrow and additional traffic would be a concern
* The through road to Hitchin is already very congested in mornings and the additional housing proposed could make this unbearable for existing and new residents
* The houses proposed to the rear of duncots close would suffer from poor drainage and create a flood / H&S concern

Firstly I talk for my entire family and since moving here 20 years ago the traffic NOISE from the bedford road is much so much more, and the traffic jams go all the way up to henlow every morning it can take me 10 mins to get onto the bedford road and then 30 mins to get to the college (normally a 5 minute journey. Plus your already adding to CONGESTION and noise by building a crematorium which will add to the traffic on bedford road, after rush hour drivers SPEED up and down the road doing 60 miles an hour or more the warning flashing sign post for speeding hasn't worked for 2 years I've nearly been run over a couple of times because of speeding drivers in both directions peoples pets and wildlife are always being killed because of them no doubt when a child or person gets killed someone might do something.
MY fourth point is FLOODING Ryder ave and ryder way and bedford road turnpike frequently flood adding all these extra homes to the area will cause more flooding and pressure on the existing drain system that cants cope as it is on rainy days you can smell sewer along the drains.
My fifth point is the WILDLIFE there are badgers foxes owls monkjacks deers red kites kestrals and many smaller animals that add to the eco system allowing the bigger ones to survive that you will killing and forcing out of their homes possibly to their demise .
plus the COUNTRYSIDE itself is under threat with all these houses been built in it surely it would make more sense to build within the town than the country side preferably somewhere that can handle to volume you require to build.
lastly community the local doctors are already overrun it can take weeks to get an appointment
same with dentist and as for hospitals that's sometimes months and you get sent not to your nearest any more as they too busy
plus where are all these children supposed to play Ickleford has nothing to offer no where to go the only thing it has is country side which you are taking that away too.

Paragraph 13.155 - Ickleford exists as a village and community in its own right, but its close proximity to Hitchin affords easy access to the higher order facilities therein by foot, bike or public transport as alternatives to private motor vehicles. Indeed, the village is closer, and has easier access, to the town centre of Hitchin, than some of the towns own suburbs.

As a longstanding "Excluded Village" reclassification of Ickleford as one of the Category A villages is commended, as is the allocation of housing sites and the redefining and extension of the settlement boundary with the Green Belt, whilst still preserving the gap with Hitchin along the River Oughton.

We support the identification of Ickleford as a Category A village in the Settlement Hierarchy. We also support the recognition in the Local Plan that new housing is needed in Ickleford, not only to meet local needs but to contribute to the wider, district-level housing target. Furthermore, we support the identification of exceptional circumstances to justify Green Belt release around the village. The Council's evidence base identifies the scale of housing need, the lack of sufficient non-Green Belt sites to meet this need and the implications of not reviewing the Green Belt in terms of achieving sustainable development. It is clear that Green Belt sites are required in North Herts and it is also clear that, as a Category A village, Ickleford must make a contribution to housing need.

The scale of housing proposed in Ickleford over the twenty-year plan period (a total of 209 homes) appears reasonable, in comparison with other settlements and with past levels of growth. While the proposed site LS1 is technically within Ickleford Parish, it is in reality an extension of Lower Stondon and will look to Lower Stondon for its day-to-day infrastructure needs (schools, local shops etc). Additional transport movements would be created through Ickleford but the development will have little impact on the social infrastructure of Ickleford village.

Paragraph 13.155 - Ickleford exists as a village and community in its own right, but its close proximity to Hitchin affords easy access to the higher order facilities therein by foot, bike or public transport as alternatives to private motor vehicles. Indeed, the village is closer, and has easier access, to the town centre of Hitchin, than some of the towns own suburbs.

As a longstanding "Excluded Village" reclassification of Ickleford as one of the Category A villages is commended, as is the allocation of housing sites and the redefining and extension of the settlement boundary with the Green Belt, whilst still preserving the gap with Hitchin along the River Oughton.

I [...]am extremely concerned about proposals to build so many new houses in the village.
The traffic on my road is already what I would class as heavy during morning and evening rush hour; the current road system simply could not cope with any more which new housing is without a doubt going to bring. Pollution levels in the village will also soar; not a pleasant environement to be bringing children up in.
The proposed re location of the school is also very concerning. The current building brings so much charm and attraction to the village and what an ideal setting for children to enjoy their first experience at school. Being taught in a small, warm and friendly school has such a huge impact on children's learning; Re locating to a modern and much bigger school will not give these children the comfortable start that is so important at the start of their education.

I really hope that the thoughts and concerns of all of the local people will be taken into consideration.

We support and endorse Ickleford Parish Council's 7 objections and concerns. In addition to these itemised objections and concerns we fear that the impact of a total of 319 new homes would destroy the character of our lovely village. Images of increased traffic together with loss of green belt, sewerage & flooding problems, lack of proper consultation, air quality,no coordination with neighbouring authorities and relocation of the historic school present a horror scenario. We do not wish our village to be attacked in this way. There must be other more suitable areas to build homes on. Look elsewhere.

I am writing to elaborate on my objections to the development scheme set out for Ickleford parish.

The plan for development changed substantially from that which was put out to consultation and hence I do not feel that members of the parish were given adequate opportunity to comment on the developments.

I also feel that the over-index of new home per capita for Ickleford is misguided and will lead to traffic problems in Hitchin. If any regions are to accommodate new home it should be those with better access to the M1 or A1.

I would like to officially object to the plans to add so many new homes to Ickleford village. It will completely ruin the area. All three of my children attend Ickleford school and our family feels very close ties to the community there -- and there is a very real local community spirit in this small village. The school in particular is a central part of village life and I feel very lucky that my children have had such a caring environment to grow up in. The proposed changes seem to suggest that if you carry out these large developments in the area you will need to alter the fabric of school life, separating infants and juniors. I think this would be a terrible thing to do to families and children who have chosen to live and work and attend school in this area in order to be closer together, and have their children be closer together.

I sincerely hope you will reconsider your plans and find an alternative which is not so destructive to a close knit community.

Comments for the Inspector Objecting to proposed development
Ickleford village has a very old mixed sewer running along Arlesey Road.
Although Anglia Water say this can "cope" they refer only to dry conditions. This is not the case when dealing with storm water especially in early Summer when a very heavy rain shower is accompanied by sewage egessing through manholes causing contamination of drives and gardens.
The incidence of this foul problem is increasing and is now occurring 2-3 times a year. It is a public health problem - see Anglian Water website on how to cope with sewage outflow; the length of time children should be kept off the soiled area and the need to destroy any edible produce.
It also causes pollution of River Oughton.
Anglian Water flush the pipe but currently have no plan or intention to prevent the mixed water and sewage backing up in the system. The pipe cannot cope with the flow, it causes back pressure and comes up through manholes.
It seems currently expedient to put up with the residents complaints, wash down and disinfect drives. The mix of sanitary products and sewage with the water in gardens are hosed into River Oughton, usually a clear chalk stream.
Among other properties in the area, Duncots Close (itself a relatively recent development) is already subject to this problem and any further development in this area will put further pressure on the antiquated mixed storm water and sewage pipe.
As well as the added pressure of water from new homes, the loss of natural rain run off will also exacerbate the problem.

Comments for the Inspector Objecting to proposed development
Ickleford village has a very old mixed sewer running along Arlesey Road.
Although Anglia Water say this can "cope" they refer only to dry conditions. This is not the case when dealing with storm water especially in early Summer when a very heavy rain shower is accompanied by sewage egessing through manholes causing contamination of drives and gardens.
The incidence of this foul problem is increasing and is now occurring 2-3 times a year. It is a public health problem - see Anglian Water website on how to cope with sewage outflow; the length of time children should be kept off the soiled area and the need to destroy any edible produce.
It also causes pollution of River Oughton.
Anglian Water flush the pipe but currently have no plan or intention to prevent the mixed water and sewage backing up in the system. The pipe cannot cope with the flow, it causes back pressure and comes up through manholes.
It seems currently expedient to put up with the residents complaints, wash down and disinfect drives. The mix of sanitary products and sewage with the water in gardens are hosed into River Oughton, usually a clear chalk stream.
Among other properties in the area, Duncots Close (itself a relatively recent development) is already subject to this problem and any further development in this area will put further pressure on the antiquated mixed storm water and sewage pipe.
As well as the added pressure of water from new homes, the loss of natural rain run off will also exacerbate the problem.

I am writing to raise my concerned regarding the local plan in respect of Ickleford.

My parents have lived in the village since I was 15 and I was lucky enough to purchase a property here 10 years ago and have lived here permanently ever since. During my time here the level of traffic coming down the Bedford Road has drastically increased to the extent that it is now quicker for me to walk to my daughters swimming lesson at the local pool than to drive.

One of the main pull of moving back to Ickleford was its village feel and in particular the local Church of England school. I attend the local church weekly and it was very important to me that my daughter be able to attend not only a small village school but also a faith school.

My specific concerns are as follows

1. The proposed housing will have a significant impact on the feel of the village which is in danger of being swallowed up into Hertfordshire. This relates to all 4 proposed sites IC1, IC2, IC3 and LS1. This plan is not sound as it conflicts with NHDC policy to protect and enhance the historic character of villages.
2. For site IC3 the proposed relocation of the school will have a dramatic impact on this village of which the school is at the heart. Again this plan is not sound as it conflicts with NHDC policy to protect and enhance the historic character of villages.
3. In addition in respect of sites IC1, IC2, and IC3 the proposal plans include building on green belt land. This plan is not sound as it conflicts with national planning policy framework and NHDC strategic objectives on green belt.
4. In respect of all 4 sites IC1, IC2, IC3 and LS1, the road both through the village but particularly the Bedford Road is already at breaking point in terms of coping with the level of traffic into and through Hitchin. The traffic is frequently at a standstill by the time you reach the Priory School and becoming more frequently backed up from the village itself. This plan is not sound as it does not account for how the already struggling roads will cope with the increased traffic.
5. There is the added impact this will have on pollution so the plan is not sound as it conflicts with NHDC policy on transport.

I strongly object to the proposal "Local plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission October 2016" to develop new housing on our green belt and to close down the existing school in Ickleford. The school has been in the village for many generations and not seeing children in this beautiful grade II listed property which is in the heart of the village would change the look and feel of this village for the worse for ever.

The plans will change the landscape of the village and the area too. Not to mention an increase in traffic which is already a big problem. With a village with a high number of elderly people the increase in traffic will have an impact on their health and wellbeing.

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