Proposed Main Modifications

No proposed development in the history of Ashwell has received more objections than that of AS1. This site has been turned down 4 times by inspectors. Over one thousand letters of objection were sent to the council and 300 people met in the village hall with the MP and Herts County Council officers to voice their concern. Every government official present at the meeting was very sympathetic to the objections made. The Herts County councillor accepted we had already met the quota in the plan. Many other sites have been turned down by the planning office in the last few years and none has more opposition than this one. If the public consultation is to be meaningful then these objections should be taken seriously. The Neighbourhood plan has proposed other sites which are within the village boundary. AS1 is outside the existing boundary as it stands. AS1 does not meet the criteria detailed in the village Neighbourhood Plan. It does not meet the housing needs of this village.
The development will be an eyesore and ruin the village as AS1 is situated in the highest point in Ashwell. The width of Ashwell Street which is the proposed pedestrian access is not the measurement by the developer. It is just over 2 metres wide and lorries and cars reverse down it. A traffic report found that AS1 proposal would lead to an increase in risk to pedestrian safety. There is no room for a pavement, and no one can pass if a car is driving down it. Putting an access there is dangerous which is why the council will not adopt it and it is unlit. Ashwell Street is also privately owned by a local farmer and so it cannot be altered by the developer. There are established trees along the street which can not be removed. There is a blind corner and cars have to turn around into and would be riving along the pedestrian route.
Everyone agrees this village has now already built enough houses. AS1 was put on the plan before all the new estates were built and is no longer needed. we have built over 71 houses in the consultation period and more are planned this year. So AS1 is redundant. My previous submissions were never put on the website even though I stuck strictly to planning comments.