Harm to the rural landscape
and biodiversity
Sustainability.
This site is not sustainable. There is a government target of a 20 minute maximum round trip for us to get to shops and services. It is generally accepted that if the trip takes longer in travel time we will jump in our cars and drive. Our new district councillors estimate the journey from this site will take much longer. Consequently more traffic in the village and much of it via the foot of school Hill where the air quality is at its worst. If we add this to the 75 houses planned for STO2 and the new houses agreed for the Downsview site all going to the village on that route the cumulative impact will be considerable.
Water Supply.
This is already an issue. To comply with water neutrality requirements a developer will join with the Downsview developer in using boreholes. These will extract water from an aquifer that supplies water to the Warren and other sensitive sites. There is no certainty regarding the risk to wildlife.
Infrastructure.
Developers are not required to develop or provide infrastructure such as schools, medical serves and roads but our councillors should not be promoting new building where there is insufficient capacity in the system.
Our schools are full, as is the surgery. There are no plans to give us our own school or to make SGS, already 2000 plus strong larger. Our primary school is also full.
This gives us reason to insist that our councillors think again and do what they can to have STO1 removed from the plan.
Health and Safety
At a previous consideration of this site, it was decided that there was no safe entry to or exit from the site. Fryern road is now very heavily used with most users driving at the national speed limit. Pedestrian access to the village, and especially to the schools for young children is hazardous at best.
Cycling along Fryern road as it enters the village is very dangerous since the is barely enough room for two large cars to pass. The bus forces drivers to pull in.
There are other places to build.
Amenity. Dog walking, horse riding and walking.
No proper consultation.
The last version of this plan was held at the start of 2020. That was nearly four years ago.
Building on STO1 will permanently ad irretrievably harm the rural landscape. Three fields will be lost. This at a time when national food security is rapidly becoming a major issue. Being at the top of a north facing slope the building development will be highly visible from the north looking south. The local footpath network used by so many dog walkers and walkers will be irreparably damaged. The considerable scale of this development in this location, particularly at the eastern edge, will harm a biodiverse wildlife corridor.