Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

I have followed and considered the ideas set forward for the future of housing development in North Herts.
I feel very strongly that the vast amount suggested for the area North of Baldock will be detrimental not only for this old market town, but for the whole area around it.
Baldock will become a town of almost twice its present size and yet even now there are significant problems with traffic, especially around the station area. This will become dreadful as thousands more try to access this road. They will not use the A1 as some have tried to suggest and a possible bridge over to the 505 across the railway will still not stop people wanting to access the town centre. There has been little talk about the exact amount of infrastructure put in place. This surely needs to be fully addressed before any building work begins.
Schools are another issue. Another secondary school would most certainly be required . Knights Templar is already over subscribed and would need to expand and build. What actual thought has been given to this?
I still feel that this is an easy option for the local council as they own the land . The excellent arable farming land ,which is greatly needed , seems to be irrelevant. The five local councillors were completely outnumbered in voting against this proposal because it`s an easy option for the rest of the councillors.
This is going to be a vast new town, which will alter the landscape of Baldock. It will cause traffic problems, pollution and it will be an over development. The people living there will most likely commute as there will not be the jobs here to support them. Baldock station will not cope . In fact the train service there is already being downgraded. The houses were apparently going to be for local people and their children as well as for those coming out from London. They will not be affordable for our children. Baldock is expensive.
I notice that large trenches are already being made all over the fields in the area North of Baldock. This is probably for some preliminary investigations prior to building. Clearly the council sees this plan as one that will go ahead.
There was and still is huge opposition to this plan locally . We all accept that some building of new houses takes place for our local population and some new incomers to the area. But it is the vast scale of this proposal and the lack of thought about coping with the extra thousands of people, which will be detrimental not only to the present locals but to the newcomers as well.