Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

Grounds for objection: Lack of coordinated planning with Bedfordshire Councils and increased traffic in A600 corridor leading to safety issues for pedestrians, cyclists and road vehicles. Not Sound.

I wish to strongly object to the proposed LS1 North Ickleford (near Lower Stondon) 120 home development for a number of reasons (see below).

Planning area location/designation
The LS1 proposed Local Plan is incorrectly listed as development in Lower Stondon, Bedfordshire. This development is within Ickleford Parish Boundary in Hertfordshire, and should be included in the Ickleford section as IC4

Lack of coordination with neighbouring authorities
Local services for residents of the proposed LS1 development will be largely dependent on limited provision in Lower Stondon. These services are likely to be seriously challenged with the proposed 100 home plan from Welbeck Land - which is just across the A600 road from the proposed LS1 site, together with plans for 800 new houses with the closure of RAF Henlow in 2020. Residents of the proposed LS1 development would be paying Hertfordshire/Ickleford Parish council tax and would expect to attend sports facilities/health services/churches/welfare services etc. etc. in Ickleford and Hitchin.

For school provision, parents from the proposed LS1 development will most likely choose to send their children to schools in Ickleford or Hitchin, despite the NHDC idea that "parents may express a preference for their children to go to school within the [Lower Stondon] village." Also Bedfordshire schools operate a different three tier system, i.e. lower, middle and upper schools and this makes the mixing of education choices in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire difficult.

Traffic safety
Increased traffic on the A600 into Ickleford and Hitchin from potentially an extra1000 homes in Lower Stondon and the probability of children walking/cycling to Hertfordshire schools along 2 1/2 miles of the A600 into Ickleford/Hitchin leads to major road safety concerns. The footpath along the A600 is in very poor state of repair and the LS1 development is directly on the site of a fatal accident involving a family walking along the path and another fatality occurred further along the A600 into Ickleford.

In conclusion, the LS1 development is totally unsuitable on lack of planning coordination, and on road safety grounds.