Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

The current local plan for north of Baldock is unclear and needs to be changed to adequately mitigate the development's impact on residents of Bygrave Road, Sailsbury Road and Larkins Close. The key issues not adequately considered are as follows:

Transport Road & Rail

The proposed plan describes 'The use of Bygrave Road / Ashwell Road from the south-western edge of the allocated site to the link road as a sustainable transport corridor'. Furthermore, the plan stipulates '4.180 A range of sustainable transport measures will be required. Critically, this will include measures that allow safe access to the northern side of Baldock station'. The Northern side of Baldock station would also connect to Bygrave road.

Bygrave road currently serves the residents of Bygrave Road, Salisbury Road and Larkins Close. Residents are currently subject to daily traffic jams which prevent residents accessing Bygrave Road from Station Road (i.e. getting to/from our residents). Additionally, parking is extremely restrictive along Bygrave Road with cars having to weave in and out of parked cars. The inclusion of station access to the north of Baldock, and the use of Bygrave Road as a link road, will increase traffic along Bygrave Road to an unsustainable level. Residents of the new development and commuters driving from the A1/A505 will use Bygrave Road as a more convenient pick up/drop off point for the station and/or a rat run from the A1 to the A505. As such, it has an unacceptable impact to the residents of Bygrave Road, Salisbury Road and Larkins Close in terms of:

* Transports access to/from their residents
* Parking outside their properties
* Noise pollution
* Air pollution
* Health and Safety of those attempting to cross the road
* The local environment and wildlife

The Baldock Local Plan needs to be amended to protect residents North of Baldock (Bygrave Road, Salisbury Road and Larkins Close) so that traffic along the roads are restricted to current residents only. Additionally, the new development needs to include its own access to Station Road and access to nearby roads (i.e. Station Road and Baldock Town Centre) needs to be improved to all.


Water Supply

The Baldock Local Plan does not appear to include sufficient mitigation measures to resolve fresh water supply shortages in the local area. I recently received a letter from Affinity Water which informed me the Secretary of State has declared Bygrave Road as an area with significant water shortages. Despite the low water reserves in the area I have not seen anything in the local plan to mitigate the impact a development of this size will have on water supplies.