I would like to object to this prosed traveller site on the grounds of:

1. It will overlook social housing dwellings that contain vulnerable (elderly and young) people. This will create a significant loss of privacy for the families on Hockering lane, particularly those with their main stretches of garden directly in front of the site area. In these gardens, children play (as signposted by the plethora of outdoor toys) and can do so without fear of being exposed to strangers. The meadow owners also frequently stay in a caravan on their land, which would be overlooked.

2. The increase in traffic will be impossible to accommodate. At peak times (pre-work, school drop-offs and collections and post-work), Hockering lane is regularly at a standstill. This is partly due to there being no yellow lines, which allows cars to park on the roadside, thereby creating a single-file traffic gangway. Add in that the street is a cul-de-sac with only turning circles to allow for movement and the situation is untenable. In fact, it is already beyond reasonable, with private driveways getting blocked by cars, bin lorries unable to maneuver, couriers frequently blocking the street and cyclists almost being hit. As a cycling family, I can tell you t hat we find it difficult to safely navigate our street at congested times but also during more free-flowing hours. Adding more vehicles into the mix and presumably larger styles would be a risk that I don't believe is worth taking.

3. Noise. Hockering lane is a very quiet street. There is a sense of community with everybody waving hello and respecting each other. The few noisy encroachments that do occur (such as the school alarm going off or a loud vehicle) are very unwelcome. I confess that I do not know about the sound-proofing capabilities of mobile homes but I assume they are less effective than insulated brick houses. Therefore, it would be terrifically unfair to expect the residents in close proximity to suddenly have to endure more noise.

4. As a conservation area, Bawburgh is beautiful, relatively unspoilt and enjoys good tourist trade for the public house as a result. Visitors to the village are generally respectful and help to maintain the charm of the area, as they are likely to return regularly. I worry that communities who are potentially not planning to return will not take the same care to drive slowly, be cautious of our very narrow bridge etc.
5. The layout, density and design of development, I'm afraid to say, sounds awful. When it was six pitches, I think I maintained some perspective. I understand the need to provide shelter for travelling communities, but when I discovered that the plans would see up to 24 individual trailers shoe-horned into a small space, in immediate proximity to social housing, I'm afraid I stopped seeing any positives to this project.

6. Nature conservation. On Hockering Lane alone we have nesting herons, bat colonies, bee hives, grass snakes and countless other treasured animal species. These thrive in our village due to the lack of overdevelopment and the careful co-existence that everybody in Bawburgh subscribes to. While there is a need for traveller sites, there is also a climate crisis in full swing, with countries, cities and villages all expected to play their part in a net-zero future. As a rural location, we do our part by protecting the animals that live here, collecting refuse in and around our village, allowing rewilding (a far better use of the site in my personal opinion) and trying to work together. I do not believe that an extra traffic-heavy site will complement these efforts.