Parish Council Object to Planning Application off Field Barn Lane.
Reference Planning Application Consultation W/24/00570/PIP Land Off Field Barn Lane.
Cropthorne Parish Council wish to OBJECT to this application. Our objection is based on four key aspects: 1. Access 2. Location 3. Services 4. Aggregated number of new properties being proposed in the village.
1. ACCESS
The Highways Authority oppose other developments using Field Barn Lane (FBL) – their concerns are no surprise to local councillors.
FBL has significant, dangerous inadequacies for use by current traffic and pedestrians before any more traffic is generated by developments like this one.
FBL is a single track country road with passing places. Of the four passing places two are entirely informal – being created by traffic using the road and gradually eroding away the boundary creating space for two vehicles to pass each other. Please see attached a photo showing how the edges of the roadway are already being eroded back by traffic in FBL trying to pass each other. The photo shows a sign that had to be taken down because vehicle erosion was making the edge of the road unstable. The two other passing places are also inadequate – the construction is a cobbled together top surface on top of compacted soil.
FBL has no footpath, pedestrians share the road with vehicles and an increased number of pedestrians and vehicles utilising this space presents potential for increase conflict between pedestrians and vehicles especially in the hours of darkness and inclement weather- there is no street lighting in the village. Walking and cycling to and from the site to local services would be extremely difficult and would be especially difficult for the young, the elderly and those with mobility issues.
FBL also has a 100 caravan holiday park, with some permanent residents. At times this can generate a lot of traffic.
To propose more traffic along this lane without significantly upgrading this road is entirely wrong. It is worth noting that when the brook in Cropthorne floods across the corner of Brook Lane and Main street (which has happened at least six times this winter for a couple of days at a time) FBL is the only way in and out of Cropthorne for approximately 70% of the village, making it a severe bottleneck for any residents of the village.
2. LOCATION
There is already granted planning permission for 4 dwellings on Blacksmiths lane, and a pending application for a further 7 houses in process close
Given the site’s location, it is believed that all journeys to and from the site would need to be made by car. Access to employment, education, health, retail, and other local amenities are heavily dependent on vehicle ownership. Provision of bus services in the vicinity of the site are sporadic (see services section later).
The proposals are believed to be contrary to policy requirements set out in NPPF 110 and 112 and the SWDP 4 and 21 in that the site is not positioned in a sustainable location, nor does it offer a genuine sustainable travel choice.
3. SERVICES
We invite anyone to try to walk from this site to the bus stops which are said to serve the village on the B4084. It will not be an enjoyable experience – either because of lorries going to the FBL industrial estate or cars going to or from the village. In the daylight it is bad enough but, in the winter, when it’s dark in the morning and evening it is a forbidding prospect, especially when raining where water flow down FBL can be a torrent.
The school, (which is already full), is not accessible from this site on foot. There is no route with a continuous footpath and there is no lighting.
The village has no Post Office, shop, doctors or dentist. The pub is on the busy B4084 on the opposite side of the road from the village. It is 400m from the turning into the village itself.
Sewage services for the village are old and have capacity issues. Severn Trent already have to bring a tanker to the holding tank for the village and pump out material.
4. THE AGGREGATE NUMBER OF PROPERTIES BEING BUILT AND SEVERAL OTHER SMALL DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS IN OUR VILLAGE.
Individually, smaller housing developments avoid including any affordable housing elements. Smaller developments won’t be required to make infrastructure changes for instance the much needed improvements to our footpaths and village roads. In addition together they can change the nature of our village and over top our available services.
CONCLUSION Cropthorne Parish Council opposes this development for the reasons stated above. The parish council is not against new housing, it is needed, in the right place, of the right nature and format. Any development must deal with the problems of vehicle access and pedestrian challenges around our village. It must be sensitive to the historic features of the village, its boundary markers and natural resources.