GNLP0529

Recent developments has already seen an increase in traffic, including heavy construction traffic in the local area. The mainly single carriage way road into the village Slade Lane is already showing signs of erosion from increased traffic and the bank on the side is looking in danger of collapse. At school drop off and collection times the single carriage way road from Nichols Corner to the School is unsafe to walk on or for children to cycle to school on. There is nowhere suitable for an entrance onto this road from a housing site.

I think this site is totally unsuitable for further development. This is where children at the school enter and leave, and where congestion with traffic and pedestrians makes the surrounding roads hazardous.

Alpington and Yelverton Parish Council objects to this site on a number of grounds:
1. The site is outside the development boundary of the village.
2. By adding further development the character and structure of the village will be materially and irrevocably affected.
3. The highway and surrounding road infrastructure was not designed for the volumes it currently has to deal with and therefore further pressure on the roads and junctions leading to significant safety issues and further congestion.
4. Existing roads around the village are having hedgerows, ditches, verges and bankings damaged by vehicles being forced to the edges in a bid to pass on narrow sections. This is as a result of too much traffic.
5. The village has no street lights and very few footpaths. Walking around the village where there are no footpaths is quite a dangerous pastime already due to the volumes of traffic; this would become more dangerous and probably cause some parishioners to stop walking and either stay at home or take their cars for the short journeys instead. This is not what village life is about.
6. The village has a very restricted bus service that is inconsistent and not conducive to a plausible travel plan. Additional new housing would not boost the potential passenger numbers sufficiently to warrant additional services and therefore every new house would add further vehicle movements to the roads by necessity. This is not sustainable development planning.

I object to the development on a number of grounds as follows - 1. The site is outside the development boundary.2. The highways and roads in the village are inadequate and cannot support the current volumes of traffic let alone any further development and give rise to safety issues and risks. 3. In particular on this site Nichols Rd is very narrow and would not allow a safe access. 4. Roads and hedgerows in the village have already been damaged by traffic this further development would make it worse. 5. This particular site is in an elevated position and will affect the character and structure of the village in a material way. 6. The site is adjacent to an affordable housing site that was only given planning permission as an exception site - we were given assurances that by building this it would not be relevant to a boundary extension. 7. The village has restricted bus service so any any more housing would increase vehicle movements.

The proposed development appears to require access for any vehicle traffic from Nichols Road. This is a very narrow, officially designated Restricted Road and is unsuitable for escallation in vehicle traffic numbers. In addition visibility for potential residents entering and leaving the site would be extremely poor due to the width of the road; of particular relevance as the site is very close to a school. The existing affordable housing was build in contradiction of the last Local Plan. This proposal should not be allowed to extend the settlement boundary further.