Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

A development of this size has be considered without adequate assessment of the impact of, conservatively another 2800 cars plus delivery vehicles on the following
1. traffic congestion in the town
Traffic travels through the town to and from A1M avoiding use of A505 bypass
A507 east to west passes through the town forming a staggered junction with the former A505 which is bounded on two sides by listed buildings both of which have be damaged due to vehicles in the last 2 years.
As a regular user of this junction both as a pedestrian and a driver I have witnessed near misses as impatient drivers jump the lights and speed once across the junction. I no longer access Ivel Spring nature reserve via the footpath under the railway bridge having been nearly hit by speeding passing lorries and car wing mirrors. As the only other accesses are on a road with no footpaths or a small unlit tunnel under the railway I seldom visit the reserve.
2. The increase in traffic idling through this point will increase the air pollution levels in the town
3. The already increasing traffic due to the housing developments around north of Letchworth and neighbouring Central Bedfordshire

Public Transport
This development is sited near the railway station and will attract people who wish to travel out of Baldock to work. It has come light that no discussion has taken place with the railway company about the increase in capacity required to support the development and the rail company has announced plans to reduce the number of trains serving Baldock
5. Link road from A505 to A507. I wonder if this is achievable as it will be required to go under or over the railway and neither of these options will be cheap particularly as they will have to be built with frieght vehicles in mind

Density of the development
If this development goes ahead with all the required infrastructure it will become a suburb of Baldock cut off from Baldock Town by the railway bridge and the people may find it easier to travel to neighbouring Central Bedfordshire towns to access shops and leisure facillities

Local environment and wildlife
It is already very difficult to access the footpaths across this area without walking along side the very busy A507 and these will be lost within the development. The loss of the habitat for the endangered Corn Bunting together with natural chalkland geography

Baldock, the oldest town in North Hertfordshire, is expected to grow by 80%
with the largest development separated from the town by the railway and traffic congestion

NHDC have failed to satisfy me that the housing need will be for our local population

Baldock

NHDC have had no discussions with the railway companies with regard to the link road included in BA1 and the proposed development of 3500 new houses and Govia rail have announced that they are reducing the Baldock service in 2018

The loss of Green Belt as 6 sites have been removed including sites around Baldock which is taking the majority of the housing increasing the current size by 80%
which will effect the community as a small rural town

It appears that no transport assessment has been made for Baldock which is taking 80% of the housing development
1. Traffic assessment
2. Failure to inform or discuss with the railway companies as Baldock is to have its rail service reduced in 2018

Failure to consider this development in relation to the Baldock development BA1 in particular with the increase in traffic that will travel through the already congested town to travel for employment to Cambridge and toward the A10 via A507

This small piece of land has been left undeveloped since the Clothall Common development was completed in 1990s.

It is situated adjacent to Hartsfield JMI school and is an area of open space that separates the school from the road and is used as a recreational space by walkers, children and dog walkers with public footpaths bounding it and in relation to the number of proposed dwellings that proposed elsewhere in Baldock it would seem appropriate that it is left as an open space particularly as open space is being lost elsewhere on the estate with the proposed 400 additional houses.

Baldock one of the oldest settlements in Hertfordshire with evidence of occupation since Roman times. The town centre has medieval and Georgian architecture. The town is already congested with traffic and two of the towns oldest buildings have been damaged by vehicles and the proposed 3500 houses in the town an increase of 80% will result in an increase in traffic and the associated polution will impact on this historic town and its buildings