|
This proposed development is to form the Village Centre for Cedars Park, it lies
on land just north of Creeting Road and creates a number of issues that you may
want to be made aware of:
-
It includes two blocks of up to five storeys high, placed on the highest point
of the hill so that it will dominate the skyline.
-
The Stowmarket Strategic Development Masterplan, which many of you may have
looked at before you bought your house marks this area out for the Village
Centre (shops, community hall, GP surgery) NOT Residential (page 12).
-
The nearest the Masterplan resembles the detail contained in this application is
a proposed village green, with balancing pond overlooked by adjacent dwellings,
shown as houses (page 11).
-
According to planning legislation, decisions are supposed to be made by planners
in accordance with the development plan as it gives ‘local communities greater
certainty about the types of development that will or will not be permitted in
a given location’ That means you!
-
Government guidance encourages 30-50 ‘dwellings’ per hectare – this application
would equate to 92 dwellings per hectare.
-
Such a large number of people concentrated in comparatively cramped conditions
will likely attract the commonly associated problems
-
Research at the University of Bristol and University College London found much
higher rates of crime in and around flats.
-
Census 2001 figures support an estimate of 120-150 cars belonging to the
residents of the flats alone, creating pollution, noise and health and safety
risks, right next to our primary school.
-
Only 76 car parking spaces have been allocated for the flats, 41 additional
‘casual spaces’ are to be shared between the flats, shops, community hall and
GP surgery.
-
Stowhealth GP surgery has over 70 dedicated car parking spaces; many people
still have to park outside designated car parking spaces or on Violet Hill Road
because there are not enough. How will there be enough spaces if we are
supposed to use some of the 41 on offer?
-
It is proposed that flat residents/visitors will use the 41 casual spaces when
they come home from work. If local residents hire the community hall in the
evening where will hall users be expected to park if most or all of the casual
spaces have already been taken?
-
The car park is protected by an Entry Key Controlled Access Boom, how are casual
users expected to use the facilities without a key?
-
The exit from the Village Centre is on Creeting Road. The slip road on Creeting
Road to the A14 is due to close. This means large numbers of vehicles could be
cutting through Cormorant Drive to the Distribution Road and on into
Stowmarket, Tesco or the A14.
-
The area where Avocet Gardens meets Cormorant Drive is used as an exit and entry
point to the Cedars Park children’s play area, experiencing large numbers of
often unescorted youngsters.
-
Roads to the south of the proposed Village Centre (such as Cormorant Drive,
Shearwater Way etc) are already congested with residents’ vehicles, are not
built to be major routes and contain numerous families with children, creating
significant health and safety risks.
|
