Planning councillors should hang their heads in shame

Firstly, why does every planning application need to be assessed in isolation? It is plain to see that if several large scale developments are passed in one area, there is going to be a huge impact, not only in the immediate area, but further afield.

By assessing a single plan, the powers-that-be are saying, for example, that 140 new homes would not have much of an impact.

In reality, they should be assessing the cumulative effects of both developments in Henthorn Road, the development at Low Moor and Waddow View, some 800-plus houses – all of which will bring traffic chaos to this part of town.

The inspector at the Waddow View appeal himself stated the 125 homes accessing Waddow View via Kirkmoor Road and Castle View would generate on average an extra 875 car journeys a day – using an already difficult junction. I dread to think how many car journeys there will be when all these developments are included.

It is a problem that will take on nightmare proportions if the train services are increased to every 30 minutes, as the level crossing barriers will be down four times an hour, more if Castle Cement make good on their plans to increase their use of freight trains.

Secondly, and I feel this has puzzled a great many people – why on earth have the county highways department failed to reject any of these developments on traffic grounds? The new proposed Henthorn development has previously been rejected for this reason, as was one for Swan Meadow, off Kirkmoor Road, (which was only passed after the number of homes was reduced to 17 – yet Waddow View will subject us to 125!).

What has changed? Has the road network improved? No, the only thing that has changed is the number of houses using these roads. The residents of these areas who have to live there 24/7 can see the chaos that will ensue – why can’t the so-called experts?

Shame on RVBC for failing to deal effectively with the Core Strategy when it was first submitted, leaving us in this position.

The planning councillors should hang their heads in shame that they are giving in to the developers

Sarah Briggs

by email