Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

I am writing to express my concern at the proposed development north of Baldock on the land currently known as Bygrave Common. I understand that this land is owned by NHDC and it was for that reason that it was selected as a suitable site for approx. 2800 houses.

My greatest concern relates to the infrastructure arrangements, and in particular to the road transport links to the site. Currently this land is accessed from the A507 via Bygrave Road, which is a narrow country lane passing through Bygrave village and on to the south side of Ashwell. It was obviously recognised that this road was unsuitable for both construction traffic as well as the additional cars associated with the new housing. It has therefore been proposed to build a new road passing over the railway line from the A505 and passing north and west to meet the A507 at some point north of Baldock. This road would therefore enclose most of the site on the east side. It is unclear how it would traverse the Bygrave Road but I assume there would be a junction at that point giving access to the A505 east of Baldock for both existing Bygrave and Ashwell residents as well as all of the new estate. Unfortunately this would mean that the traffic would increase through Bygrave by virtue of Ashwell residents accessing the A505 and the new housing residents accessing the village of Ashwell and beyond. It would also serve as an easterly ring road round Baldock for traffic wishing to go east towards Royston, and vice versa. Unfortunately it would not relieve the pressure on the Baldock crossroads to any great extent because the southern bypass has no connection onto the A507 south of Baldock. Any north/south traffic would therefore need to continue through the Baldock crossroads.

As I am sure the council is aware, the main point of congestion in Baldock is at the crossroads between the A507 and the B656, and it was for this reason that the new southern bypass was built some years ago now. Failure to provide a link to the A507 seems to me to be a grave omission. This junction is already seriously congested in all directions at some part of the day, with the northern leg being particularly difficult for most of the day, not just during rush hours. Those of us who have to travel this route into Baldock on a regular basis have found this to our cost, and have to set out earlier than necessary to allow for the congestion delay, whilst relying on the good auspices of the A507 users to allow us out onto the main road.

At first glance the new link road to the A505 would offer an alternative route into Baldock and on to Letchworth for both existing residents and the new housing. However they would now be forced to approach Baldock from the east side of the bottleneck junction which would therefore become even more congested than it is presently. Those wishing to go south on the A507 would be similarly affected with only Stevenage bound travellers getting any benefit, assuming the Letchworth Gate roundabout or the B197 would cope with the additional numbers.

I therefore fail to see how the new access road will resolve any of the problems which already exist let alone coping with the additional cars associated with the new housing, and I therefore respectfully ask that no planning approval be given until a satisfactory road system can be put in place to manage existing and expected future traffic flows.