LDP - Proposed Housing Development 18

While one would not wish the authorities to be bound in perpetuity by policies set and decisions taken earlier in different circumstances, it is important that when such policies and decisions are to be set aside that there should be full consideration given to the original arguments and reasons for these decisions and that when any alteration is made a full justification should be made and explained to the general public, allowing time for public debate on the desirability of such a change in policy before any decision is made on a particular proposal not annd ain accordance with the previous general policy. With regard to the proposed redevelopment of the rugby ground sited on Sharmans Cross Road, there are at least three instances where this should be addressed:

i) the SMBC 2013 policy to designate this area as only for sport and not to sell the freehold. (Given the recently publicised issue concerning leasehold and ground rent rises it would surely not be acceptable to trap the occupiers of affordable housing in potentially unsaleable properties.)
ii) the NPP Framework that requires developments to have access to local amenities within 800m/10 mins. walk.
iii) the SMBC statutory requirement to replace in this case lost pitches with facilities of equivalent quality an accessibility.

In addition there are other considerations that suggest that the site is unsuitable for a major development:

1) Sharmans Cross Road as a whole is subject to flooding. As a resident at almost the highest point on the road I have not infrequently observed flooding sufficient to significantly affect traffic flow, indicating that the drainage in the area is barely adequate. The problem is clearly worse further down towards the Arden Club, where residents' gardens have been flooded to the extent that residents have been reduced to installing pumps to avoid houses being flooded. Building on an area of the size proposed can only make the problem worse, not only because the area available for drain off will be reduced, but also because of the additional load imposed by adding the water usage of 100 additional households. Have the extra works that will be required been adequately addressed, planned and costed?

2) Have the additional loads on medical and education services been adequately catered for in the plan?

3) Although for much of the day traffic in Sharmans Cross Road is relatively light, at times (principally between just before 8.00 and just after 9.00 in the morning, and in the early afternoon around the end of the school day) the traffic is much worse, particularly for a road which has a flourishing Junior school where many of the young pupils have to cross the road. Adding the traffic that would be generated by a major development would further exacerbate the problem. To what extent has the effects of the proposed development?

4) The proposed development must count as a green field proposal. Have all the possibilities for the preferable brown field possibilities been exhausted?