Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

I wish to register my objection to the massive expansion being planned on the outskirts of Baldock.

The town cannot support such an increase in numbers on many fronts. The school places, the roads, the doctors, the trains and the general amenities cannot cope with such a large influx. Getting an appointment at the doctors - sometimes leading to the Hospital - will be almost impossible anywhere near the time needed. Waiting lists are increasing in Hospitals and all departments. Doctors are complaining now about overwork and long hours, how will it be when they have twice as many to fit in.

The train, packed now in the rush hours, will be overflowing. Our son, travelling to London each day at times has to stand and does without fail on the way home after a hard day's work. He is a constituent and has a vote but a lot of good it does him; councils of all colours don't listen to their voters.

We have lived in Baldock for 30 years and settled here for the small town life, the ambiance, the surrounding countryside which we walk (part of which will be concreted over with this plan), the friendliness of its people and much more. All these I feel will be affected by the extra numbers.

The Baldock we know and love will disappear beyond sight with this huge influx of people.

I am writing to object to the proposed massive increase in housing contemplated by the Local and County Councils.

I agree that more housing is needed all over the country though now with Brexit on the horizon I doubt we'll need so many extra dwellings. But the watchword I feel is proportionality. The numbers proposed for Baldock are way above what would be wise and common-sensical.

For a Market Town like Baldock to be doubled in size at the stroke of a pen is going against common sense. Over many years and after resident's pleas we have had two by-passes. Now with this expansion we shall need a third. But....where shall we put it. We've run out of ways to go.

I have just returned from Plymouth where pleas from residents of a suburb were overridden and now, as predicted there is absolute traffic chaos. And who suffers - the people, the Tax Payers those who have worked hard and done their duty and then are failed by their appointed representatives. Those elected, who have made all sorts of promises to make their lives better.

If this development goes ahead we will be subjected to even worse traffic queues of proportions we have not yet seen. We already have huge hold ups in exactly the area where the traffic from this site would need to travel.

Sadly, profit is at the heart of this plan, many will become rich by the end of this exercise. All bow down to the God Mammon.

I wish to register my objection to the doubling of the number of residents of Baldock.

We have waiting lists for our schools at present; goodness knows how we shall manage to educate our children when there is no available school place for them to take up. I know there are plans to build a school on this new estate but unless it is up and running by the time the first family moves into the new houses there will begin an ever increasing waiting list for the existing schools.

We have at present three schools, all over subscribed, unless there is an equal number of places in the new promised school - what will likely be the same number of children - we have an even worse situation to surmount. I understand that a school large enough to accommodate the extra children is not in the plan. A worry for us all with small children and Grandchildren.