Buckingham RUFC

Possible Objections to the planning application for Land to the North of Manor Park Farm, Moreton Road, Buckingham ref 11/02724/APP

Density of housing

Hedgerow should not be removed to be replaced by a path. The path should be laid behind the hedge in the same way as the new estate on Moreton Road

The houses should not be so close to the play area - there should be at least a 20 metre gap to reduce the annoyance to the residents

I consider the traffic survey carried out to be inadequate and a full traffic survey should be carried out to understand the impact on the roads around Maids Moreton and Buckingham. There is already a considerable increase in the traffic through Maids Moreton

The development on the site is not sustainable and the current infrastructure of Buses schools and doctors cannot cope with the additional houses proposed.

Building so close to Buckingham Rugby Club will result in parking, traffic and dog fouling problems

Under PPG17 there is a shortage of sports pitches within Buckingham whereas there is a surplus of housing land in the rest of the district outside Aylesbury.

The development is in contradiction of Aylesbury Vale green Infrastructure Strategy 2011-2026 principle 9.3 with a payment proposed in lieu of open space.

The development will merge Maids Moreton into Buckingham in contradiction of AVDLP policy RA2

I object to the proposal to remove the hedgerow in contradiction of GP39.

The latest application to add further 80 new homes will add to the traffic impact from the current development. Bellway/Bellcross appear to have come up with an optimistically low assessment of additional vehicles in the morning peak for the 80 additional homes. We are personally aware of the significant impact of the original Bellway development. Trying to turn out of Moreton Drive during the rush hour is nigh on impossible and with a further exit from this new development it will become even more difficult. Nothing was done to address this original traffic impact so the combined impact will be significant and so far not addressed.

We also note from the plan that no school is being built for almost 300 new homes if the 80 go ahead yet the local primary school is full to bursting. Where on earth do the planners expect the extra children to be educated?

700 further homes are to be built at the opposite end of Buckingham near Tesco's and they too will have a major effect on the towns infrastructure and you cannot just keep adding extra houses to this small market town and doing absolutely nothing at all to support the roads, schools, parking etc.

The town centre is drastically short of parking and again with these extra homes and extra vehicles the problems will just increase. Residents will either become more and more frustrated with the parking problems or even worse take their business out of the town and into Milton Keynes, Aylesbury and Oxford. Not what the town needs at all.

The land Bellway intend to use was supposed to be a public open area for the general use of the residents of North Buckingham and Maids Moreton.

We do not want Maids Moreton to lose its village identity which would occur if these 80 houses are allowed to be built.

I believe that 35% social housing is higher than stated in the original planning enquiry and the housing density has increased from the original 200 houses at 17/ha to 22/ha for the new 80

Buckingham is currently in the process of seeing 700 houses built opposite Tesco; surely this is enough to take Buckingham’s quota. Having lived in greater London in an area of heavy development I know exactly what over development brings, and the residents of Buckingham may not currently realise the impact that this and any further developments will have on public services, schools, doctors, dentists, local amenities

I believe that 35% social housing is higher than stated in the original planning enquiry and the housing density has increased from the original 200 houses at 17/ha to 22/ha for the new 80.

Houses should not be so close to the rugby pitch flood lights – these are used at least 4 nights a week. The house should be moved back at least 30 metres to ensure this does not become an issue later.

Houses should not be so close to the rugby club apart from balls landing in gardens there is general noise from matches and training. Also there are social events and hires. These houses should be at least 50 metres away from the rugby ground.

Version 2 additions

The proposed height of the new houses is too high – they will dwarf the current properties on Moreton Road some of which are bungalows

80 more dwellings will add to the current build of 700 near Tesco’s and will overload the local schools especially as a high proportion are allocated to social housing.

The dwellings that back on to the overhead high volt electric power lines should be moved away for safety reasons to ensure the residents and their children are not at risk from electrocution.


Land Use
The proposed site is a greenfield site which, under BU1 AVDC Development Brief, is to be reserved as an area of formal open space. The developer’s proposal to provide a contribution for off-site leisure provision will not result in the needs of local residents being met in this regard as there is little other local open space available for such use.

Appearance and loss of hedgerow
The proposed plans show a pathway along the Moreton Road joining the recent Hedgerows development to the proposed development and on in to Maids Moreton village. This will involve the removal of the full length of hedgerow and mature trees resulting in a significant change to the appearance of the area and the loss of the existing water drainage ditch. After any amount of rain in the area there is already often a small river running down the Moreton Road and standing water on the Whitehead Way entrance suggesting drainage is already insufficient. If this existing ditch is paved over, the problem of potential flooding to existing housing will be exacerbated.

Traffic
The recent development by Bellway Homes has already caused a significant increase in the volume of traffic using not only Moreton Road down to the old gaol, but also the rat runs through Western Avenue, Addington Terrace and Maids Moreton village. To increase this flow further will inevitably cause traffic related problems in these areas. The Bellway proposal states only 12 vehicles will join the A413 from this new development during rush hour, but this is not supported by any specific transport modelling. Based on anecdotal evidence, a development of 80 houses is likely to produce anything up to 160 cars during rush hour attempting to exit the development. This will be further exacerbated by parents having to drive their children to school due to a lack of local school places being available (referred to below).

Entrance
The proposed entrance to the development is very close to both a blind bend and the junctions with Avenue Road and Moreton Drive. This will make it dangerous for vehicles exiting these junctions and for pedestrians crossing the road. The plans show a proposed pathway leading on to Moreton Road almost opposite the Moreton Drive junction which will encourage pedestrians to cross this very busy road at a dangerous point.



Pressure on local services
Buckingham town currently has insufficient services such as GP surgeries and dental practices to cope with demand. Furthermore, the three primary schools and two secondary schools in Buckingham are operating at full capacity and the Maids Moreton primary school is also nearly full. Given that there are already 700 new houses being built on the south side of Buckingham and 200 houses have just been built on the land adjacent to this proposed development, it would seem there will be insufficient services for the residents of this development. As mentioned in point 3, this will inevitably result in parents driving children to a school outside of the area resulting in increased traffic flows. The pressure on GP and dental services will result in increased waiting lists for registration and / or patients having to travel out of the area for basic health care.

Use of adjacent land
The proposed development is adjacent to the Buckingham Rugby Football Club which has been in this location for 30 years. The proposed development will increase the number of people around the area including dog walkers leaving unwanted waste on the rugby pitches causing a risk of Toxocara Canis to players as young as 5. Furthermore, there are up to 400 local players at the club on a Sunday morning which already often causes parking problems in the immediate vicinity. The addition of a new housing estate will only exacerbate this problem. During the week, the pitches are used in the evenings for training under floodlights which will be disrupting for the neighbouring houses.

Loss of village identity for Maids Moreton
Development on this plot of land will result in there being no open space between Buckingham town and Maids Moreton resulting in the loss of the individual identity of this village. Given the surplus of housing land supply in other areas within AVDC, it is not justified to build on this greenfield site.

Increased pressure on emergency services
The recently completed Hedgerows development has resulted in a significant increase in call outs to the emergency services following major incidents such as 2 unexpected deaths and arson. One can only assume, particularly given the high percentage of affordable housing proposed, that the new development will result in a similar increase in use of emergency services. This is particularly concerning in light of the fact that the Local Fire Authority are soon to carry out a review of the level of cover provided in Buckingham with a view to reducing that level. This will result in inadequate service provision for the existing housing within Buckingham.

Landscaping
The removal of the existing hedgerow will leave the new development open to the Moreton Road meaning it does not reflect the appearance of current housing. The result is clear to see on the recent Hedgerows development where large stretches of hedgerow were removed in excess of that on plans resulting in open frontage on to the road.

---------------------------------


The first of many concerns is that the land has been reserved as an area of formal open space and is not allocated for development, and confirmation of a large surplus of land supply in the rest of the district outside of Aylesbury which could be developed instead.


There then becomes the question of impact on the local infrastructure, reported reduced cover of the Fire and rescue services to the Buckingham area, additional usage of the sewage/water/gas and electric systems, especially in view of the housing build in Buckingham by Tesco’s on the Aylesbury road, and the medical/schooling requirements to the community.


Road safety and traffic are also major factors, as I believe there is a proposed new road scheme via Maids Moreton through to Silverstone, which will compound the additional traffic via the new site to the south of Park Manor Farm and this proposed new build ( the newsletter from Bellway/Bellcross Homes traffic survey is inadequate and totally understated ) will impact on all surrounding roads causing more rat runs and possible accident black spots. The need to reduce the speed limit and police speed checks together with a zebra crossing on the Moreton road are also another indication of the already increased traffic flow. Also is there only one entry/exit onto the site from the main road ?.


Building and conservation are the next concern. In my view the houses have a bland appearance and no character in line with the area, also the split of 35% social housing is well outside of the planning enquiry figures. The density of proposed house build to hectare has also increased from the first phase build. The existing hedgerow removal to allow site lines on a blind bend and then the reintroduction of new hedging is of concern, as it would appear the builder has not at this time fulfilled that promise on the earlier south build. I also believe that a mobile phone mast is within the area and that the boundary line to the rugby playing area is outside the prescribed area.


In conclusion there are many other worries that are apparent which I know cannot be considered, but still spring to mind. Bellway/Bellcross homes state that the mix of homes is appropriate to the site and meets local needs, but where will the new/shared housing people come from ?? Crime rate ? and general wellbeing of our village community which would be swallowed up within Buckingham town.


My objections are - the construction of properties onto land that has been ‘grazing’ pasture land and part of the ‘green’ break between Maids Moreton and Buckingham for all of the 65 years that I have lived in Maids Moreton. I do not want Maids Moreton to lose its village identity which would occur if these extra 80 houses are allowed to be built.
The development will merge Maids Moreton into Buckingham in contradiction of AVDLP policy RA2.

I believe that the density of the previous Bellway’s development must contravene planning regulations on density and boundary distances. Is it AVDC planning department that should be policing these developments? Do all of these miss-conformances get swept under the meeting table – not to be discussed?

I was under the impression that following the first development the remaining pasture land was to be used as ‘open space or recreational’ land.
As ‘recreational’ land the Buckingham Rugby club could extend onto it, solving its current problem of insufficient pitches and parking facilities (including its need to install floodlights in M/Moreton playing field and the hazard of dozens (over 400 hundred) children having to walk between the two venues for changing facilities etc.
Buckingham Town Football Club is looking for a new home! This green space may do.

Should this unfortunate planning application be seriously considered by AVDC I would at least expect that the hedgerow should not be removed to be replaced by a path? The path should be laid behind the hedge in the same way as the new estate on Moreton Road, without the loss of any trees. (The felled trees on the first development have not yet been replaced) Does nobody on the planning control department follow these things up?
I object to the proposal to remove the hedgerow in contradiction of GP39.

I have witnessed daily the increase in volume and speed of traffic in Mills Lane, Foscote Road and Bycell Rd and I consider the traffic survey carried out to be inadequate. A full traffic survey should be carried out to understand the impact on the roads around Maids Moreton and Buckingham. With the already a considerable increase in the traffic through Maids Moreton and with the further expansion and development of Silverstone Circuit and the increasing popularity of Stowe Estates and Akeley Wood school I believe the traffic movement will increase significantly in future without this development.

The development on the site is not sustainable and the current infrastructure of Buses schools and doctors cannot cope with the additional houses proposed.
Under PPG17 there is a shortage of sports pitches within Buckingham (come in BTFC and BTRC) whereas there is, I believe, surplus of housing land in the rest of the district outside Aylesbury.

The development is in contradiction of Aylesbury Vale green Infrastructure Strategy 2011-2026 principle 9.3 with a payment proposed in lieu of open space. No amount of money can purchase back lost open green field space

I also note from the plan that no school is being built for almost 300 new homes (if the 80 go ahead), yet the local primary school is full to bursting. Where on earth do the planners expect my grandchildren to be educated?

700 further homes are to be built at the opposite end of Buckingham, near Tesco's and they too will have a major effect on the towns infrastructure and you cannot just keep adding extra houses to this small market town and doing absolutely nothing at all to support the roads, schools, parking etc.

The town centre is drastically short of parking and again with these extra homes and extra vehicles the problems will just increase. Please do not overlook the 90 flats that are slowly being constructed in the town centre – in which direction will they travel to work and school? Where will they park when their spaces below them are flooded – and they will be flooded from time to time?

I believe that 35% social housing is higher than stated in the original planning enquiry and the housing density has increased from the original 200 houses at 17/ha to 22/ha for the new 80

Houses should not be so close to the rugby pitch. If the houses are built they should be moved back at least 50 metres to ensure that noise does not become an issue later. Apart from balls landing in gardens and floodlights being used four nights a week there is general noise from matches and training. Also there are social events and hires to be considered.

There is sufficient space on this site to help provide Maids Moreton and Buckingham, including the schools, with an excellent range of open air green field facilities that can be enjoyed by a wide range of age groups for many years to come. Please don’t choose to fatten the wallets of the land owners who already have so much.




· My understanding of the original plans submitted by Bellway Homes was that the field had been designated as an ‘area of formal open space’. I was pleased to see the installation of the play area, although it is still not open. The area urgently needs sports fields. Buckingham Rugby Club, next to the proposed new housing estate, has over 400 players attending at weekends. BTFC is also searching for a new ground, they are currently playing at Winslow. It is difficult to understand how another new housing development can be considered in this rural area when local sports clubs are in need of green field space.
· The increased traffic from the first stage of Bellway Homes development is very noticeable in the village especially along avenue road where there is a school and play school which causes traffic congestion already.
· M/Moreton village will lose its identity as a ‘village’. It will with this new proposed housing estate become part of Buckingham Town. A great loss for the community.
· The increased pressure on doctor’s surgeries and dentists will cause overloading of the services which are already oversubscribed.
· The proposed development involves the complete removal of the hedgerow and matures trees to enable safe visibility on a blind bend. I have noticed with Bellways first development that none of the promised replanting has been installed.
· I believe that this planning application contravenes following planning policies –
1. GP 8 – The protection of amenity of local residents.
2. GP35 – design of new development proposals.
3. GP38 – landscaping of new developments
4. GP39 – existing trees and hedgerows
5. GP45 - crime prevention
6. AVDLP policy RA2 Coalescence of settlements
7. AVDC green infrastructure stategy 2011 – 2026 ( principle 9.3)
8. PPG17 – planning for open space, sport and recreation.


I trust you will consider these objections when you make your final decision.