Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

My concerns about the local proposal are that the amount and number of the houses is too high. The effect will be to have continuous building for twenty years. I am not sure that this can be sustained.

The new estate stands the possibility of the same problems as bedevilled Great Ashby, Stevenage where the population turnover is some 24%. The reasons for this I understand are;
'GA is 4 miles from the town centre with very few local resources. A couple of shops and a community hall cannot cater for the current population. The school is way too small, roads too narrow and house frontages too close to footpaths meaning no room to park off-road. The net result is an estate that on first glance looks to meet family needs but once people move in they find it woefully inadequate, I have moved to within a 10 minute walk from the town. The kids now have the freedom to walk to friends' homes, the town centre shops and sports facilities. They now enjoy life much more.'

In order to prevent his situation we will need to hold the developers' feet to the fire and make sure that they do not cut corners.

This is a serious criticism and one which could consider in depth.

There is inadequate road provision. The Buntingford Road is used as a rat run and the traffic coming into Baldock need to be diverted onto the bypass before the town.

The lights at the junction of station road are inadequate to control the traffic. There does not need to be a left turn after the railway bridge. You will be aware that the traffic is built up for about a mile back and that arrival in the town from that direction often takes 20 minutes or more.

The road to Royston needs to be developed so that Hitchin Street is not used as a rat run from Letchworth East as it is now.

The railway bridge is inadequate. This needs to be widened and possibly a new line needs to be installed. The town will become a major feed to Cambridge and the line needs to be upgraded.

My concerns about the local proposal are that the amount and number of the houses is too high. The effect will be to have continuous building for twenty years. I am not sure that this can be sustained.

The new estate stands the possibility of the same problems as bedevilled Great Ashby, Stevenage where the population turnover is some 24%. The reasons for this I understand are;
'GA is 4 miles from the town centre with very few local resources. A couple of shops and a community hall cannot cater for the current population. The school is way too small, roads too narrow and house frontages too close to footpaths meaning no room to park off-road. The net result is an estate that on first glance looks to meet family needs but once people move in they find it woefully inadequate, I have moved to within a 10 minute walk from the town. The kids now have the freedom to walk to friends' homes, the town centre shops and sports facilities. They now enjoy life much more.'

In order to prevent his situation we will need to hold the developers' feet to the fire and make sure that they do not cut corners.

This is a serious criticism and one which could consider in depth.

There is inadequate road provision. The Buntingford Road is used as a rat run and the traffic coming into Baldock need to be diverted onto the bypass before the town.

The lights at the junction of station road are inadequate to control the traffic. There does not need to be a left turn after the railway bridge. You will be aware that the traffic is built up for about a mile back and that arrival in the town from that direction often takes 20 minutes or more.

The road to Royston needs to be developed so that Hitchin Street is not used as a rat run from Letchworth East as it is now.

The railway bridge is inadequate. This needs to be widened and possibly a new line needs to be installed. The town will become a major feed to Cambridge and the line needs to be upgraded.