Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

Draft Local Plan Relating to Whitwell - SP2 - St. Paul's Walden

I write in response to your latest proposed Draft Local Plan, which is now under consideration by local communities. I object to the inclusion of site allocation SP2 in Whitwell for the following reasons:

*This area has not been offered up by the community, including the St. Paul's Walden Parish Council. This is against the NPPF requirement to empower local people to shape their surroundings (paragraph 150).

*SP2 has always been allocated as Green Belt and I am not aware of NHDC providing any justification for this designation to be changed.

*Flood Risk - Chapter 13 - SP2 is a known flood risk and on the 25th August 2016 I was at a Planning Committee Meeting whereby they refused permission for development on this site as it was not in a sustainable location and would also have an unacceptable impression on the visual impact of the site.

*The Mimram River runs within c. 200 yards from this site, down into the valley. This is a rare chalk river and if something should go wrong on this site, more run-off due to additional concrete, etc. this will severely damage the river.

*SP2 is not appropriate for additional housing due to the fact that the sewage cannot be taken away as the treatment farm is at maximum capacity and this part of the village requires the sewage to be pumped uphill in order to get it into the main pipes for removal at the other end of the village.

*The SP2 proposal is not appropriate (Chapter 4) as it has poor access to/from and through the village, all four roads leading into the village are single track at points. Any new houses would inevitably mean an additional two cars per household as a minimum. This is unsustainable for the village, also the damage to people's health along the main routes into/out of the village may well be severely damaged.

*St. Paul's Walden per sa has been for many years an area where people come to relax by walking, horse riding and cycling (we are part of the Chiltern Way) introducing a development of this size would destroy this for thousands of people.

Finally, let me say this proposed site is totally inappropriate not only for its location, but the fact that Whitwell does not need this additional housing. We have always accepted 'small scale housing projects' this is not 'small scale'! Whitwell definitely does not require the housing to ensure the village continues to 'thrive'! NHDC should immediately re-classify the village to a Category 'B' and not as shown in the draft document as a Category 'A' village.