Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

The principal concerns that my wife and I have relate to the road communications for areas GA1 & GA2.
The plans exhibited by the developer earlier in the year for the GA1 area were totally unrealistic in the manner that traffic was to enter and exit the estate. GA1 is completely isolated in a corner bounded by two country lanes. Each of these have significant lengths where it is difficult for vehicles to pass, yet these lanes are expected to bear the traffic generated by a significant housing development. Traffic heading north will either head for Gravely or Weston, neither routes can carry the significant traffic that may be anticipated and neither villages is capable of absorbing such a flow. We already know that Hatch Lane from Weston to the North Road in Baldock is hazardous, particularly at peak periods. Cars driven by members of the family have required two replacement external mirrors and a nearside front wheel during the past three years through encountering speeding oncoming traffic.
So far as GA2 is concerned, access and egress will have to be through the streets of the existing Great Ashby area which are not designed to carry any greater traffic flow than already exists. All traffic from GA2 will have to head for Stevenage town centre before being able to access the principal north - south routes.
And yet all this invasion of greenbelt, crowding of adjacent villages and their access roads and further traffic build up in the heart of Stevenage could be avoided if the land west of Stevenage, already identified and, for some mysterious reason, held in reserve, was to be used earlier. From there would be excellent and direct access to major road and rail links.

The principal concerns that my wife and I have relate to the road communications for areas GA1 & GA2.
The plans exhibited by the developer earlier in the year for the GA1 area were totally unrealistic in the manner that traffic was to enter and exit the estate. GA1 is completely isolated in a corner bounded by two country lanes. Each of these have significant lengths where it is difficult for vehicles to pass, yet these lanes are expected to bear the traffic generated by a significant housing development. Traffic heading north will either head for Gravely or Weston, neither routes can carry the significant traffic that may be anticipated and neither villages is capable of absorbing such a flow. We already know that Hatch Lane from Weston to the North Road in Baldock is hazardous, particularly at peak periods. Cars driven by members of the family have required two replacement external mirrors and a nearside front wheel during the past three years through encountering speeding oncoming traffic.
So far as GA2 is concerned, access and egress will have to be through the streets of the existing Great Ashby area which are not designed to carry any greater traffic flow than already exists. All traffic from GA2 will have to head for Stevenage town centre before being able to access the principal north - south routes.
And yet all this invasion of greenbelt, crowding of adjacent villages and their access roads and further traffic build up in the heart of Stevenage could be avoided if the land west of Stevenage, already identified and, for some mysterious reason, held in reserve, was to be used earlier. From there would be excellent and direct access to major road and rail links.