Representation by Baylis Family (Baylis Family)
- Date submitted
- 17 February 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
• The Interested Party is identified in the Statement of Reasons Annex B No. 59 and relates to Plots 11-36 and 11-37 • The Applicant has given insufficient consideration to a possible land swap with adjacent land that could have accommodated replacement buildings for those that are having to be demolished as a result of the diverted High Pressure Gas Mains arising from the enabling works. Instead of balancing loss of employment and likely extinguishment of a business, the applicant considers extensive environmental mitigation and public open space as being of greater priority. • There has been insufficient information from the Applicant with regard to the requirements and methodology of the enabling works that require this Interested Party to have their business extinguished and giving rise to redundancies. The reason given being that the Utility company will not provide that information. As the relayed gas main will need to be at a significant depth to go under the new A122 at the point of crossing and the road level will be in a deep cutting at this point, we do not consider it would have been necessary for the yard and buildings to be demolished when the pipe could be laid in safe walling pipe. The result has been the design of the Thong Lane Green Bridge being realigned and now necessitates the demolition of these buildings. • The Applicant has failed to consider a temporary solution and a potential land swap in order for the Interested Party to continue to operate. Representations were submitted to the various design consultations suggesting solutions, but as it was felt that this was too difficult, the Applicants design has culminated in the entire area being permanently acquired. Whilst discussions continue for a possible acquisition by agreement, the lack of alternative sites to move to will almost certainly result in a business extinguishment case.