I attended and spoke at the district planning committee meeting this morning. After a long debate the planning application for Welch's Transport site on the A505 south of whittlesford was approved.
The parish council position was also put across logically and with some clear suggestions for reducing both noise and traffic from the site.
This decision to approve was made despite some reservations expressed by the planning committee, and some challenges from the committee to the highways team present as to their assessment on safety for road users and people crossing the road.
The district planners did commit to working with us and highways to try some plan to improve the road generally and we need to hold ten do that.
As the site of the existing lorry yard in stapleford needs to be sold first it may be up to 18 months before anything happens.
What I said at the meeting was:
This is an application which is a clear departure from the district development plan, and which cuts across the council’s own Local development framework with regard to the protection of the green space that surrounds the villages of south Cambridgeshire. It is opposed by the elected representatives of the local communities.
In order to shoehorn the development into it, the environmental health report proposes some 28 conditions and restrictions, which gives some indication of – quite simply – how challenging a site this is, for the purposes to which this planning application seeks to put it.
No-one in their right mind would choose this site to build nearly 3000 sq metres of warehousing, a total build of nearly 5000 sq metres, parking for 72 cars and 40 lorries, not to mention a car show room, a mobile crane facility, lorry washing and so on.
And if this development goes ahead no-one in their right mind will try to cross the A505, whether on foot, or on a bike, or even by car.
The residents of the villages of duxford and Whittlesford, trying to get onto the A505 by car will need to negotiate with even fiercer traffic flows than at present. An already hazardous road will become even more so.
But the bigger picture is that welchs, to remain viable – have to find a site other than that in stapleford.
if it is the case that – out of economic necessity – this scheme is approved, then I ask the committee – on behalf of the local residents - to remit to the officers to find some solution that makes this junction of the A505 a safer one and in particular a safer crossing place. If this road was made safer to cross – then people would feel safer – and they would use it.
Finally, I note from the officer’s report that the development triggers the need for a public art scheme – perhaps that could be an abstract sculpture entitled:
child and bicycle waiting to cross the A505 –
it could become a well known local landmark.
Sent from my iPhone
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