Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

We would like to register our objection to the East of Luton North Herts District council Local Plan 2013 - 2031.
There are several areas of the proposed development which are a major concern.
Firstly, the land that they hope to build on is designated Green Belt land. As you are aware, Green Belt land is protected "except in exceptional circumstances". In this case there are no exceptional circumstances. We are all aware that there is a need to build homes, but other alternative sites could be used. There are many Brown field sites in the locality that could accommodate the much needed homes and would, in fact, improve the look of the area as a whole. The developers either know about these Brown field sites and consider them less profitable, or have not fully explored the possibilities of building on these sites. Green Belt land is very precious and should not be given up lightly. It improves our lives in a number of ways including of course air quality which is important in this particular area as it is so close to Luton Airport. Furthermore, Green Belt land is there to prevent the spread of urbanization. Luton is already a large built up area. It is important to contain the spread, use the land that is already there and to keep the area around the town green.
Secondly, as someone who has lived in the area for many years, we have seen how the pressure on the infrastructure of the area has steadily increased. In particular, transport has suffered as more and more families have become two or more car owners rather than the one car family of a few years ago. These problems cannot easily be solved. Smaller roads around Wigmore (most are very narrow) and the surrounding area are clogged at peak times. The small roads feed the main roads that lead to the town centre, Luton Parkway Station and the M1 motorway. This is where the problem lies because there is nothing much that can be done about these small roads even if other roads are built. The building of 2100 homes will add to the problem and at peak times there would be serious congestion. In addition to this we also have concerns about the broader infrastructure. The schools for example in and around Luton and Hitchin are full or at near capacity and in reality parents do not get a choice of school for their children. The carpark at the one large grocery shop in this area is full at peak times and the Parkway station has only a few spare spaces at most times. It is the little things like this that seem unimportant, but have a big impact on people's lives. The proposed development of 2100 homes (the size of a small town) is so huge it cannot be assimilated into the community that it borders. Whereas, smaller developments, perhaps on Brown field sites, would have less of an impact and therefore would be easier to assimilate.
In conclusion, we object to the plan because of the effect on the environment, the effect on the lives of the people bordering this development, the effect on the infrastructure, particularly transport, the unnecessary removal of Green Belt land status and the waste of Brown field sites which could and should be used instead.
Luton always gets such an unfair bad press. We don't think this plan will in any way help that. Let us prove that it really is a good place to live!