Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

I should like to object strongly to this site being included in the local plan. The council has already rejected applications for development on this site on more than three occasions in recent years, for good reasons which still essentially apply.

This is a greenfield site, outside the village boundary and there has been no consultation with the village to extend it.

The site is in an elevated locations, overlooking the whole village and adjacent to and in direct sight of conservation areas and areas of outstanding natural beauty the amenity value of which would be significantly diminished were development on this site to be allowed.

Furthermore the density of the proposed development far exceeds that of the surrounding parts of the village and would and so would be out of character with and be seriously detrimental to these.

The most significant objection however derives for the nature for the adjacent road system and the significant hazards presents to both vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

The site fails to meet statutory requirements in terms of highway safety to protect pedestrians and other road users as defined in the National Planning Policy Framework and NHDC's own current and emerging planning policy for highway safety.

The approach to the village via Claybush Road at this point is narrow and has no pavements. There are no pavements either on most of the adjacent sections of Ashwell Street.

The junction between Claybush Road and Ashwell Street is extremely hazardous. Not only are there no pavements the road is narrow and the corner virtually blind if turning left in a northerly direction - the route taken by most traffic entering the village here.

The junction abuts the rear entrance to the village school and it is obstructed by the school busses at set down and pick up times (no laybys)and parents dropping off or collecting children frequently park along the roadside here.

The verges and adjacent gardens here re frequently damaged by large vehicles running up over them to get round the parked buses and parked cars.

All this presents a significant hazard to pedestrians particularly parents and children making their way to the school.

Claybush road is also frequently used by individual or groups of cyclists making there way into the village - often too fast as they run down the hill into the village.

The is literally a serious accident waiting to happen here and the proposed development , should it go ahead, will add significantly to the vehicular and pedestrian traffic rendering such an accident even more likely.

The centre of the important and historic village of Ashwell is already overcrowded and over congested with vehicles and the location and elevations of the proposed development means occupiers of the properties will almost certain us there cars most of the time when visiting the shops or other amenities in the centre of the village - so adding to and exasperating this.

Furthermore village amenities such as the school and the doctors surgery are already overstretched and could not cope with the increase in populous a development of this size would bring about.

For all these reason I strongly request the council remove this site from consideration