Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

I'm submitting the following points on the above mentioned plan, but in introduction I would like to say that I have lived in Baldock since 2001. I came here from London because it is an historic, small market town that I grew to love over a number of years as my Dad and his family were from Steeple Morden.
1. Disproportionate

Baldock is proposed to get 23% of the districts new homes, despite being a small town, this will mean an increase of 80% over 15 years. That is far too rapid a growth that it surely not sustainable. It will destroy a community and put pressure on all our local services. It is an unreasonable amount of building work to expect a small town to cope with and endure.

2. Traffic

This has always been an issue in Baldock because we are en route to London, via the A1, A507 to the A10, and A505, but a bypass was opened in 2006 to elivatate the problem. However, it was proposed some 70 years previously, so I don't have much hope that the roads will be sorted to sufficient standard for the additional housing before the end of the century. Despite the bypass we still get a huge amount of traffic through our town and I can't imagine how bad it will be when we add between 5,000 - 8,000 more cars from the new housing, along with visitors and delivery vehicles.

3. Air/noise pollution
I live on a corner with the London Road. I frequently worry about the quality of the air. When the weather is still I can smell the traffic fumes in my house, even though all the windows are closed. It doesn't have to be a busy time of the day either, that pollution is lying there all the time as Baldock is in a 'bowl'. I can't open my windows because of this and of course, noise pollution. The London Road leading to the A1 is very busy not just with cars, but a lot of articulated lorries and frequent diversions.

4. Historic town

Baldock is currently a beautiful, historic town, but it is, and I'm aware I'm repeating myself, already struggling under the onslaught of heavy traffic. These historic buildings make our town special. There is so much history here, dating back to Roman times. The crossroads at Whitehorse Steet, near the station, have listed buildings on them, so the roads can't be altered, the traffic there is already jammed up. It's worse trying to get across the road at Baldock Station than it is in London from King's Cross Station.

5. Destruction of wildlife habitat

The land around Baldock is the habitat for rare birds and bats, but rare or not, why are we going to destroy wildlife habitat in such large measures. What plans have been made for them.

6. Infrastucture

As I sat through various meetings I wondered if the train company had been approached to increase services. Why was I not surprised that, not only did Govia have no knowledge of this until very recently, they are planning to reduce services at Baldock from 2018, a consultation is currently underway.

7. Employment

There's very little work in this area, most people commute, so again infrastructure is lacking and what there is will be heavily over-used. When I worked in London I would never have considered living in Baldock under the current plans for both housing and transport. Like many people who work in London, I didn't work 9-5, so slow trains would not have been an option.

8. Amenities

I'm very concerned about local services and how much pressure will be put on them by this massive, rapid growth: doctor's surgeries, schools, open spaces like parks and leisure facilities like swimming pools. I don't trust that we will get an increase in these facilities.

In conclusion, I feel that this plan has not been thought through well and does not meet the NPPF soundness criteria. It's not positively prepared, more a knee jerk reaction to having to put in a plan of any sort. It isn't justfied as it is disproportionate given the current size of Baldock. There's no vision and it will have consequences, not only for the people who live here now, but for those who come in the future.

I'm submitting the following points on the above mentioned plan, but in introduction I would like to say that I have lived in Baldock since 2001. I came here from London because it is an historic, small market town that I grew to love over a number of years as my Dad and his family were from Steeple Morden.
1. Disproportionate

Baldock is proposed to get 23% of the districts new homes, despite being a small town, this will mean an increase of 80% over 15 years. That is far too rapid a growth that it surely not sustainable. It will destroy a community and put pressure on all our local services. It is an unreasonable amount of building work to expect a small town to cope with and endure.

2. Traffic

This has always been an issue in Baldock because we are en route to London, via the A1, A507 to the A10, and A505, but a bypass was opened in 2006 to elivatate the problem. However, it was proposed some 70 years previously, so I don't have much hope that the roads will be sorted to sufficient standard for the additional housing before the end of the century. Despite the bypass we still get a huge amount of traffic through our town and I can't imagine how bad it will be when we add between 5,000 - 8,000 more cars from the new housing, along with visitors and delivery vehicles.

3. Air/noise pollution
I live on a corner with the London Road. I frequently worry about the quality of the air. When the weather is still I can smell the traffic fumes in my house, even though all the windows are closed. It doesn't have to be a busy time of the day either, that pollution is lying there all the time as Baldock is in a 'bowl'. I can't open my windows because of this and of course, noise pollution. The London Road leading to the A1 is very busy not just with cars, but a lot of articulated lorries and frequent diversions.

4. Historic town

Baldock is currently a beautiful, historic town, but it is, and I'm aware I'm repeating myself, already struggling under the onslaught of heavy traffic. These historic buildings make our town special. There is so much history here, dating back to Roman times. The crossroads at Whitehorse Steet, near the station, have listed buildings on them, so the roads can't be altered, the traffic there is already jammed up. It's worse trying to get across the road at Baldock Station than it is in London from King's Cross Station.

5. Destruction of wildlife habitat

The land around Baldock is the habitat for rare birds and bats, but rare or not, why are we going to destroy wildlife habitat in such large measures. What plans have been made for them.

6. Infrastucture

As I sat through various meetings I wondered if the train company had been approached to increase services. Why was I not surprised that, not only did Govia have no knowledge of this until very recently, they are planning to reduce services at Baldock from 2018, a consultation is currently underway.

7. Employment

There's very little work in this area, most people commute, so again infrastructure is lacking and what there is will be heavily over-used. When I worked in London I would never have considered living in Baldock under the current plans for both housing and transport. Like many people who work in London, I didn't work 9-5, so slow trains would not have been an option.

8. Amenities

I'm very concerned about local services and how much pressure will be put on them by this massive, rapid growth: doctor's surgeries, schools, open spaces like parks and leisure facilities like swimming pools. I don't trust that we will get an increase in these facilities.

In conclusion, I feel that this plan has not been thought through well and does not meet the NPPF soundness criteria. It's not positively prepared, more a knee jerk reaction to having to put in a plan of any sort. It isn't justfied as it is disproportionate given the current size of Baldock. There's no vision and it will have consequences, not only for the people who live here now, but for those who come in the future.