Newland Park planning application goes in for 264 new dwellings
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Dear SENSE Supporter
As you may be aware revised plans have been submitted for the redevelopment of the Newlands Park site. These may be viewed on the Chiltern District Council website with reference numbers CH/2010/0976/FA and CH/2011/0977/HB. The first of the applications is the redevelopment of the site to provide 264 new dwellings including conversion of the Grade 2 listed Manor House and associated buildings and erection of new fitness and sports facilities and an energy recycling centre. The second application provides for internal and external alterations to the Grade 2 listed Manor House to provide 8 new dwellings and refurbishment of the associated garden buildings, restoration of garden wall, partially enclosing the historic garden of the Manor House, internal and external alterations, conversation of historic stable building to provide four new dwellings, refurbishment of historic garden cottage, internal and external alterations to entrance lodge, demolition of outbuildings to western entrance drive, refurbishment of the lodge to west and arrangement of new facilities for fitness and sport.
SENSE's concern is that the local infrastructure is clearly not capable of supporting a further 264 dwellings in such an unsustainable site. The development is in the Green Belt and is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Accordingly any development is inappropriate. Further the site itself is the very definition of unsustainable. It is well outside of the villages of Chalfont St Peter, Chalfont St Giles and Little Chalfont and is reached only by narrow and dangerous country lanes which are completely unsuitable for the ensuing increase in traffic. We understand the last application put forward was objected to by Bucks County Council on access grounds and we see nothing here which can possibly overcome that objection.
In addition, it seems to us that this number of dwellings puts a further unacceptable strain on the sewage and water systems in the area. This should be contrasted with the proposed retirement scheme development by Audley Homes at the NSE site, which has cleverly addressed this issue by including its own man made lake to take care of surface water drainage. More information on this below, we will contact you soon about this model development by separate newsletter.
In addition, we are concerned that the extra number of residents would put a significant strain on the local facilities particularly doctors' surgeries and of course local schools, particularly given the current fate of the Holy Cross site and loss of educational facilities which the tireless Chalfont St Peter Parish Council is still fighting through the Courts.
We understand that an "on demand" bus service is proposed by the developer but we feel sure that as is usually the case with such service that it will decline shortly after the development is completed and be discontinued leaving presumably school children to walk along such dangerous roads to school or to other (highly limited) bus services or transport facilities. This is simply so dangerous it does not bear thinking about.
It seems to us that despite Chiltern District Council ridiculously including Newlands Park in the Core Strategy as a housing site for 200 homes, this site is so unstable that the planning application should be turned down without ceremony but as we know to our cost, you can never rely on Chiltern District Council to do the right thing and if we wish to protect our own local environment we will need to make our objections clear.
SENSE will itself be putting in an objection to this application which has to be received at Chiltern District Council by 31 January 2012. You are urged to send your comments by email to planning@chiltern.gov.uk but please make sure you quote the relevant planning reference numbers as set out below.
In addition, we understand that Audley Homes has now submitted a planning application to Chiltern District Council for the redevelopment of part of the site at the National Society for Epilepsy as a retirement home scheme and this application will be made public in the next few weeks. We are very much in favour of the development in accordance with the plans we have seen and have already written a letter of support to Chiltern District Council in respect of this application (available here) and we will be writing further to you in due course, hopefully encouraging you to provide further support for what seems to us to be a very intelligent and needed redevelopment of that part of the NSE site.
To see Audley Homes' proposals for the NSE, please click here.
Thank you for your support
With kind regards
Sense4CSP |
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