Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

I strongly object to the proposed plans which will severely affect not only our villages in the surrounding area, but also the way of life for everyone living in and around Baldock.

I grew up in a village in the Midlands, this is now a suburb of Birmingham. Our family moved to a market town several miles south of Birmingham. This is now an overspill area for Birmingham. The heart was removed from the town it is surrounded by duel carriageways and housing estates and is unrecognisable from the quaint town it used to be. The roads are always congested, the fields have all gone in the name of progress.

I fear that the number of extra houses proposed for Baldock will swamp the area with not only houses, but with a huge number of people who will have requirements such as shopping, schooling, doctors, dentists, etc beyond the capability of Baldock. The number of cars trying to negotiate the streets at the moment already cause congestion for most of the day. By building extra roads, this won't improve the traffic flow through the town, there will just be more cars fighting for the same space. The railway station is already pretty busy at rush hour with commuters, the trains already full, and there is insufficient parking. What will happen if the town grows to the proposed proportions? Where will all the people work, travel, go to school etc?

I really can't see how building such a huge number of houses will benefit either the town, the area, or the people, new or old.