Representation by Ian Hillary
- Date submitted
- 2 July 2024
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
The use of land in the proposal is not space efficient and will increase the cost of the scheme, not representing the best value for public money. Attenuation Pond 1 could be located closer to the loop or within the inner area of the Northern Loop. The proposed location of Pond 1 is not space efficient. The proposed environmental mitigation area in the north-east quadrant is not justified. There is no requirement for Biodiversity Net Gain on schemes granted permission by a development order. There is no reference in the scheme documents to the actual area of land area required for environmental mitigation. The proposed environmental mitigation area in the north-east quadrant disproportionally affects one landowner, whilst other landowners have remained unaffected. The land taken in the proposal has been defined arbitrarily based on existing field boundaries and ownership, and not rationalised with specific area requirements, calculation methodology or space efficiency. The land take is not space efficient and it appears to be based unfairly on land ownership. This land is currently well-maintained farmland, with a pleasing visual amenity. If this becomes an environmental mitigation area, it will be at risk to fly-tipping, which is prevalent in the local area. Invasive plants such as Ragwort will take over and cause further spread into the neighboring fields used for cattle and horse grazing. Conditions should be added to the planning permission to ensure that Egypt Lane and Simon Lane are not used for any type of vehicular traffic during the construction phase, except emergency access only. The roads are privately owned single lane tracks and are wholly unsuitable for construction traffic. The roads are used on a daily basis by residents and access is required at all times. The tracks will be severely damaged by even light construction traffic and there is currently no commitment from National Highways to repair any damages or restore the road to the original condition. If the permanent right of access over Egypt Lane is granted to National Highways for maintenance access, then National Highways should become a responsible party, including a commitment for National Highways to contribute to the ongoing maintenance of the road.