Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

Myself and family, together with relatives are long standing residents of Baldock, working locally, and using the local infastructure and services which are adequate and balanced for the existing community population. This fragile balance would be cast aside and wrecked by the proposals set out in the District Councils proposals.
This open land is designated protected Green Belt and has been carefully and productively farmed during World War 11 and ever since, there now being farms providing local produce and employment including farm shops which are much appreciated and used by the residents of Baldock and beyond.
The existing narrow winding lane leading from the Baldock Rail Bridge to Bygrave and Ashwell is difficult for existing traffic to negotiate, and would certainly not accommodate an influx of new users. The road which the Ashwell road joins here is already used at all times as a through road for traffic. The bypass originally diverted a lot of traffic from Stevenage to Royston away from Baldock Town centre but it could not address the through East to West flows along the A505 letchworth, Hitchin, nor to Buntingford, Bishops Stortford and Stanstead.
The local services which include Nursery, Primary and Secondary Schools, Doctors Surgeries, Ambulance services, Lister Hospital, Rubbish Collection and Re cycling of waste, Fire Service and Police are already under servere demand and struggling to cope. Any more Development will exacerbate a critical situation and could provide a tipping point.
There are current proposals to cut the Train Services further restricting rail links to Cambridge and Kings Cross. The current overcrowding of trains would be worsened by the influx of fresh passenger numbers.
The parking provisions in Baldock are hardly adequate and could not realistically cope with more traffic generated by a new residential Development.