I am a resident of Chapel Road and have today recieved (with great anger) a letter from Saffron Housing Trust saying that they plan to build 6 new homes on the field opposite between The Bungalow and number 9 Chapel Road. I am looking to set up a group of opposition for the proposals. Anyone's help would be greatly appreciated as there are many reasons that this should be opposed.
Some of the main reasons being, I feel this will ruin the character of the village, increase traffic levels within the village especially on Chapel Road and lead to overspill parking on the road itself. The driveway for the houses is on a blind bend where traffic already speeds in excess of the 30mph limit, there are no transportation links to the village. As well as de-creasing property value to houses in the area, houses between The Bungalow and Number 9 being 'overlooked' and losing their scenic view accross the field.
There are many other reasons for this opposition but I will bring these up at the so-called 'Open Event for Design Consultation' which takes place at village hall on Wednesday 27th January between 3.30pm and 7.00pm. I hope you can join me in strongly opposing these plans as i'm sure if they get permission to build these 6 houses we will end up with 60 or more in the long run !!
I also live on Chapel Road and share your views, I most certainly dont want houses there!! So will definately be up for opposing this and will also be at the meeting.
My letter from Saffron Housing says, these new affordable homes for social rent are for the local people of Spooner Row. Who are these local people who need these new homes? who has requested them?
I too live on Chapel Road and could not believe it when I got the letter. I live opposite the proposed site and will lose that lovely view over the fields. I know there are plans for great expansion in Wymondham but didn't expect SR to be affected.
I am not sure whether 'proposed' means 'we are going to do it whether you like it or not' but we must put up some kind of opposition.
Surely a better site would be on either of the fields between the station and the chapel, less likely to impact on other houses and more central.
also if that gets passed then there will be the 3rd proposal thats been rejected so far for 60 "affordable-social homes" to go up on station road the side of the pub end in the fields there....it will just be an opening for the council to fill spooner row.x
It was only a design consultation showing plans of the proposed site which most of us have already recieved anyway. I voiced my objections to one of the members of staff who 'couldn't help' in that department although you were able to leave written comments on the proposal. There may a meeting some time in February to voice your opinions to the council. What everybody needs to do now is get writing to South Norfolk District Council to object the plans, if they recieve more than 10 objections it will have to go to a comittee. We all really need to push our objections to get the planning permission refused !!
I would urge everybody to write a letter to South Norfolk District Council opposing this development. I would also send a copy to Richard Bacon MP and also Councillors Diane Hockaday, Neil Ward, AD Pond and John Turner. I have done so myself, here is a copy of my letter. Please feel free to use any points from it in a letter of your own. The more people who write letters and oppose, the greater the chance we have of getting planning permission refused.
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to you to voice my outrage and strongly oppose the proposed affordable housing planned to be built on Chapel Road, Spooner Row.
Whilst I realise there is a demand for affordable housing in the local area, I feel Spooner Row is an inappropriate location for this type of housing to be built. As I understand there are proposed plans to build approximately 5000 new homes in Wymondham and surely these new homes will include affordable housing ? Therefore I do not think it is neccessary to build a mere six dwellings in Spooner Row.
There are many other factors as to why this proposed development should not be given planning permission.
Firstly, the proposed development would have an unacceptably adverse impact on the amenities of the properties immediately adjacent to the site and the surrounding area by reason of overlooking, loss of privacy and visually overbearing impact. This will also have an impact on property values to adjacent properties.
The proposed development will be out of keeping with their surroundings and do not preserve or enhance the character or the appearance of the locality nor do they respect the setting of the adjacent properties. The dwellings together with the parking, amenity space and conversion would result in a cramped form of development detrimental to the form and character of the locality.
The design of the dwellings do not give sufficient planning consideration and weight to override clear national and South Norfolk District Council’s local plan policy. Furthermore, the landscape of the proposed development would be harmful to the character of the rural appearance of the locality and not in keeping with the character of the area. The formation of an on-site hard standing area (car park) is also out of keeping with the establsihed character of the locality which consists of traditional front gardens with grassed area.
The proposed entrance to the dwellings are not in accordance with acceptable safety standardsas it positioned on bend where passing traffic already exceeds the 30mph speed limit therefore this will lead to a hightened risk of road traffic incidents on Chapel Road. The road itself is also narrow and has an insufficient drainage system in place.
Also, the small amount of parking spaces could lead to possible overhanging of vehicles on Chapel Road being detrimental to not only other road users but also neighbouring properties.
Spooner Row itself has a lack of amenities for this type of housing:
·There are no public transportation links.
·There is no mains sewage, therefore increasing the risk of flooding in the field in which the dwellings are planned to be built as well as on Chapel Road itself.
·There is no village shop or post office.
·The village school is already at maximum capacity.
Further to these points, the infrastructure of the village cannot cope with more housing. The roads to the village are narrow and always in need of repair. The village becomes heavilly congested at peak times especially during school times and when the level crossing gates are closed.
Finally, there will be an impact on wildlife that inhabit the field and adjacent trees and hedgerows.
Hopefully you will understand that all these are strong, vaild points as to why these properties should not be built and refuse the planning application for the development.
Surely given that the council rejected Spooner Row for the 'Gypsy' dwellings, the same grounds for rejecting that site must apply to these new proposed houses?
