Representation by Robert Neville Briscoe
- Date submitted
- 8 April 2024
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I live in Church View, Bishopton, sited within the Bishopton Village Conservation Area. Church View quickly merges into Mill Lane - part of a main thoroughfare through the village and, it would appear, the main thoroughfare for industrial traffic to access the proposed site. The volume of traffic on the road directly outside my house has increased considerably in recent years. The village school is only 100 metres away and the equestrian centres generate much traffic, too. Clearly this is already dangerous (residents require on-street parking) and an increase in construction traffic begs the question of access for emergency vehicles to my home and to neighbouring homes / the school/ equestrian centres. The road is prone to flooding which is made worse by the number of vehicles washing the water on to the pavements. More heavy traffic concerns me regarding the effect it will have on my property. [REDACTED]. To add to this, sadly, is the worry that the close proximity of the site to my property will adversely affect its value, which is so important at this stage in my life. Retirement brought me back to a place of long family association, a place to enjoy rural walks and exercise, open spaces and the associated wild life - all essential to support my wellbeing [REDACTED]. Unspoiled panoramic views continue to maintain my standard [REDACTED]. This was certainly borne out during the recent lockdown. Should this occur again, I and many others would be unable to cope if acres of solar panels provided our only vista. Walks within 2 minutes of leaving my home are important to keep me fit and well, and the pleasure of sharing the land with the wild life is a privilege. Even the bats bring joy! To lose these wild life habitats would be disastrous. The village boasts an excellent primary school located to make best use of the neighbouring countryside. Should this project go ahead, sadly the children in school will have no benefit from its location - only noise and vibration, not to mention the worrying and distracting noise of the construction of an industrial site. Despite efforts made to convince me otherwise, I feel that this project will bring no benefit to me or the community. I do feel qualified to express heartfelt sadness that this landscape, which for centuries has been pivotal in feeding the nation, could now be re-drawn. I currently have the privilege of looking at landscapes which would still be recognisable to my ancestors. Nothing I have read so far can convince me that solar energy and the destruction of agricultural land is of greater importance than ensuring that future generations are fed. I read in the press that the National Grid will not be able to cope with all the electricity generated and that health and safety risks from fire and explosion caused by large storage batteries to nearby residential areas are significant. All of this concerns me greatly and the fact that we will be left with brownfield land in perpetuity is unbearable.