CHURCH LENCH NEEDS YOUR HELP Please help us stop this proposed large housing estate ruining our lovely village 31 houses jammed into a Greenfield site outside the Church Lench village boundary and behind existing homes 11% increase in the size of our Parish 82 more people in a Category 3 village with effectively no services 60 plus more cars on our roads affecting all the Lenches, not just Church Lench Precedent setting if this goes ahead which field will be next? The Proposed Mayfield Housing Estate (Church Lench) Action Pack How to make an objection We understand that the planning application for 31 houses has now been resubmitted and was ratified on the 16th January. This means that it is now under consideration by our local planning department and as part of that process everyone officially has 21 days to object (by 12th of February). We have been told by the planning department that they will accept submissions later than this but that there will be a cut off point. We will continue to advise you of this. You can see the full application documents online at: http://goo.gl/hGW49q Or on http://www.wychavon.gov.uk/ in ‘planning’ and under ‘search for planning applications’ and then by application number 14/02836. The proposed development is for 31 houses on a Greenfield site outside of the defined village building boundary lines and behind or close to the last 8 houses at the bottom of Atch Lench Road. The housing estate, as you will see, is a typical high density town development. This is an approximate 10% increase in the total number of houses in the whole Parish (not including the 15 new houses approved since January 2013 in both Low Road and Evesham Road and 3 newly proposed in Malt House Lane). If you need any help with your letter of objection, have any questions or simply want to talk things over we have arranged the following: Public meeting: Monday 2nd February at 6.45pm followed by the Parish Council meeting to discuss the Application at 8pm. It is very important to have as many people attending the Parish Council Meeting as possible as it helps them to report back on the strength of feeling of the villagers. Drop in surgery: Dates to be confirmed Email Q&A: just send your question to [email protected] House visits: If you are unable to easily get out of your house to attend the above just drop us an email or give us a call and we can arrange for someone to come round for a chat. Telephone numbers Ian Jackson: 870408 Jon. Fletcher 871623 To help you write your letters of objection we have listed below some of the factors that the Planning Department will take into account. The reporting officer is required to report to the Planning Committee with a list of relevant opposition factors, so please make yours count as many of them as you feel are important to you and the village. No matter how much you feel certain factors should be taken into account the planning department are not allowed to consider some of them. For example: any effect on property values will not be considered neither will any criticism of the landowner or Developers. We understand that while the loss of a view on its own might not be considered relevant there is an argument for claiming loss of residential amenity resulting from loss of a cherished view. Further there is a clear difference between one house being placed in a landscape and a whole housing estate. In your letter of objection you can mention as many of these issues as you would like but you MUST write your letter in your own words. This is your objection and any two that look to be the same will be counted as one objection only and so be wasted. The list is really meant to help you with ideas and is in no means a complete list. It is to be expected that people whose properties adjoin the proposed development will have more and different objections and concerns than residents who live further away. There is no right or wrong way to write your objection, some will prefer long paragraphs of explanation, others just a list or bullet points. Whatever style suits you and you are most comfortable with is the right one. If you do have any challenges when it comes to writing the objection please let us know and we will be able to help. Please remember that the impact of so many extra homes, their occupants and cars will considerably affect everyone living in the Lenches. This is almost certainly not an isolated development we have been informally advised that others are being considered and will be more likely to succeed if this one does. Suggested Grounds for Objection The following guidelines have been collated from the National Policy Planning Framework, Wychavon Development Plan, South Worcestershire Development Plan (awaiting Inspector sign off), analysis of Planning Officers’ reports on recent applications along with the advice of planning professionals, data from the Parish Plan Questionnaire completed last year and now collated and most importantly recent comments made by Lenches residents. >>>>> Please use your own words or your entry will not count!! <<<<<<<< 1. Character of Village The size of the proposed development would have a major adverse effect on the whole character of the village. It would be totally out of character with the existing ribbon development that we currently have. The dense design and layout is ugly and that of a modern housing estate and not in keeping with the attractive and varied designs of adjoining properties along Atch Lench Road and elsewhere in the village. The current character of the village includes for the most part : ● Large gardens including ample front gardens ● Mixed housing types ● Plenty of space ● Ribbon development ● Excellent country views ● Country roads ● No street lighting 2. Housing Need the Local View In the last 3 years planning approval has been given or is close to approval for some 15 houses being built in Church Lench 8 in Low Road and 11 more on Evesham Road many in the course of construction still. Also, plans have just been submitted for 3 more in Malt House Lane. These 15 represent over a 5% growth in the size of the village, most of which has been in the last 12 months. We are clearly doing our part already in fulfilling the need for additional houses. The proposed development would further increase the size of our village by 11%. 3. Merging Villages Such a large housing estate right on the end of Church Lench acts to start lessening the separation with Atch Lench. Where now only a few houses from each village are in proximity or sight of one another, the development would put all 31 houses in that category. 4. Layout and Visual Impact. Such a large estate would have an adverse visual impact when viewed on the approach from Atch Lench and surrounding high points including from Low Road properties and those houses adjacent to the site. These views are enjoyed by both residents and visitors (walkers, cyclists, various rallies) and this estate will impact on those views directly. The village is part of the Blossom Trail as a result of its one remaining Orchard and its country/rural character. A modern housing estate will detract from this local tourist attraction which has been bringing visitors to the area officially since 1983 and for many years before. Note that Blossom Trail tourists are on coaches and much higher in vantage point than cars. The residents of properties along Atch Lench Road backing onto this proposed development were attracted here by the character of the location with its’ ribbon development and the enjoyment of open views. While they may not have a legal right to a particular view, the loss of existing views would adversely affect their residential amenity. Visual impact has to be judged on a scale. One house may have little overall visual impact but a 31 house estate crammed into a single field will have considerably more. 5. Building Density The overall design and layout of the proposed Estate houses is of dense blocks of buildings. This is an ugly and unsightly layout which is totally out of character with the layout of the existing properties along Atch Lench Road. Almost all of the buildings backing onto the existing properties are in such unattractive blocks destroying views of open land which all of the current residents have enjoyed for many decades. Indeed, all bought these houses precisely because of their charming rural location.This will very adversely affect the residential amenity and enjoyment of life of existing residents. 6. Noise and Light Pollution Unacceptable increase in noise and lighting from such a major development will also seriously affect the peaceful enjoyment of their homes and therefore the residential amenity of the local residents along Atch Lench Road and Low Road. Car parks adjacent to garden fences and boundaries will cause peaks of noise during morning and evening rush hours in addition to the increase in traffic noise throughout the village. Car headlights leaving for and returning from work will significantly add to light pollution. All of the proposed houses on the Southern boundary face squarely onto the backs and gardens of the existing homes along Atch Lench Road. Where there is currently only moonlight and starlight after dark there will be multiple lighting from the back windows of these houses, as well as security lighting. Because there is no artificial illumination at night behind the adjoining properties or in sight of other village residents along Atch Lench Road and Low Road, the addition of 31 houses on this field will create a significant nightsky glow problem from windows, ornamental and security lighting. this will not only affect local residents but will almost certainly be visible from other parts of the village. It will also impact upon wildlife in the area. 7. Development Boundaries / Greenfield site Development boundaries are put in place to prevent inappropriate, unsustainable, unacceptable and random building developments. The Planning department has already set these boundaries, expanding on what went before, and is waiting for them to be agreed to by the Central Government Inspector. This proposed estate is outside of the defined development boundaries for the village and is unacceptable, unnecessary and unneeded backfill. The land involved is agricultural land and clearly a greenfield site, which should be protected against inappropriate and unacceptable development. PPG3 of the Wychavon Local Development Plan 2006 provides specific guidance to limit the amount of greenfield development to protect the countryside from unnecessary development in order to limit the amount of greenfield land used. It only allows development which is essential and this development is unnecessary and is certainly not essential. 8. Road Traffic increased car travel. There would be a dramatic and unacceptable increase in car traffic. The Road Traffic Reduction Act 1997 requires Local Authorities to minimise the need for car travel. The 2011 National Census revealed that of the 306 residents of Church Lench Parish of working age, 79% drive to work, 49% homework, and only 1 catches a bus to work! We can reasonably expect at least another 50 to 60 cars using our roads morning and evening, with additional traffic for shopping, school runs etc. 9. Highway Safety There would be a permanent seriously adverse effect on Highway Safety for motorists and pedestrians particularly school children made worse by having limited or no public footpaths in many parts of the village. This increase in car journeys would be a major problem with the narrow village and country roads, the dangerous bottlenecks and bends in Atch Lench and towards the top of Atch Lench Road and also alongside the school and Church. Existing residents would suffer considerable inconvenience and risk. The situation has already caused a number of residents to take their children the length of the village by car, to the school bus collection point, to ensure their safety. Remember, this village has evolved over the last century from narrow road systems designed to be negotiable by horse and cart to dealing with modern vehicles in increasing numbers. The existing narrow, footpath free style of most of our roads reflect this and are not suitable to cope even with the existing levels of traffic. The village has no street lighting and on a rainy Winter’s morning a car travelling at 30mph cannot stop in time for a child pedestrian even if they are paying full attention at a number of danger points in the villages. Any further increase in traffic will just make a bad situation worse. An increase of between 60 and 80 cars going to work mornings and evenings plus shopping trips is going to cause major damage to the whole village amenity, safety and quality of life permanently and irretrievably. You will all be aware of the cars that have driven off the village roads, through fences, into ditches and recently off the Whitsun Brook bridge. Many of these go unreported but we all have seen them. How long before it is not just a hedge or bridge that is impacted. We must also note that if and when Harvington gets several hundred new houses built there will be inevitable increase in through traffic from commuters to Worcester and even Redditch and Droitwich. 10. During Construction a. Highway Safety Risk. There would be a major adverse impact upon Highway Safety during any building programme as the existing road network will not cope with continuous heavy lorries travelling into and out of the village for months on end with motorists and pedestrians being at serious risk of injury. All residents accessing the main roads from their own drives will have their safety severely compromised. Many drives have almost blind access to the main roads, as does Malthouse Lane, The Croft, The Tuer and Ab Lench Road. b. Damage to residential amenity. This same heavy vehicle traffic will have an adverse effect on the amenity of all of the residents along all roads into and out of the village. The village has many local walkers, cyclists and wildlife enthusiasts. Many houses in both Atch Lench and Church Lench especially in the heart of the village (esp. the conservation area) are alongside of or close to the road and would suffer considerable disruption from months of daily heavy lorries passing by, with attendant noise, vibration and personal risk. We have already experienced the often severe disruption of traffic and access by pedestrians where building is happening in Low Road. c. Noise Pollution. There would be major noise pollution from the land excavations and building of 31 houses over a considerable period of time affecting the whole village adversely. The building of the existing small developments on Low Road alone can be heard all over the village. d. Mud on the road. As we already experience along Low Road, any building works create serious amounts of mud on the local roads, and a major development such as this will make the village roads into a filthy mess for at least a year and maybe more. This will be especially true in wet weather because of the wetland nature of the proposed site. Walking and cycling will be a really filthy activity, and apart from damaging the whole village amenity it will present an additional Safety Hazard. e. Damage to verges. The volume of heavy vehicles moving through the villages will certainly damage verges many of which are private land with low walls, flower beds and the like. The construction in Low Road is evidence of this. 11. Limited Local Services Despite what Spitfire Properties say in their application, Church Lench has very limited existing services, does not need and cannot sustain any additional house building beyond those already agreed or proposed within Wychavon’s acceptable planning criteria. Wychavon Planning have stated in the recent refusal of development at Stockwell House, Low Road (W/14/01520/PN) and we quote; “ Church Lench is identified as a Category 3 village in the Village Facilities Survey and the Rural Public Transport Survey which is defined as having at least one key service (other than a parish/village hall) and have access to at least a daily bus to a ‘designated town’. Based on this the village is considered one of the least sustainable villages in the district, which is only capable of accommodating limited development. Church Lench has a first school, a recreation ground and has a bus service available Monday to Saturday.” (later comments refer to the planned reduced service from Sept. 2014). We have no shop, no post office, no doctors’ surgery, no library, no chemist, no laundrette, no youth club or any other service that would normally support such a large housing estate. Our school is close to capacity, especially with the possible addition of new families in the existing new properties being built. The test of sustainability would normally apply to village services, what happens when we have virtually none to start with? 12. Social Housing The village already has a significant stock of building association and low cost housing options. There is no ‘Proven local need’ for social housing. The very nature of social housing requires easy access to facilities such as shops, doctors, post office, and easy walking/cycling access to or public transport to and from work, which is not available in Church Lench. Wychavon’s Local Development Plan strongly directs that such housing should be close to the main towns and be close to essential facilities. Government policy requires them to reduce the need for car travel in any event. 13. Nature and Conservation The site is important as a foraging site for Great Crested Newts – a protected species which are present in some local gardens backing onto the field, and consequently are likely to be present in wetland closer to Whitsunbrook itself. The likelihood is that the planned field is a valuable foraging area for these newts. The environmental report commissioned by Spitfire recognises Great Crested Newt’s near the field and neighbours have confirmed many sightings. Also, this field sustains a lot of diverse wildlife. There are many bats at night, red deer and muntjac deer are common nocturnal visitors in local gardens as are rabbits, grass snakes, field mice, pheasants, partridge. Herons and kingfishers frequent the local residents ponds buzzards, peregrine falcons and sparrowhawks are regular, often daily visitors. The buzzards have a regular perching post on Brooksides field just over Whitsun Brook. Apart from a great diversity of birdlife one resident counted 21 different species in his garden last year. There are voles and stoats and weasels and almost certainly many more we rarely see. The survey conducted by Spitfire seems to be a ‘desk based’ one where no visit was made to the site and does not even come close to representing the diverse species in this secluded habitat. 14. Drainage The land consists of a couple of feet of topsoil and then a thick clay substrate. Consequently it is subject to significant ‘run off’ of surface water which would create both a risk of overflow onto the existing properties along Atch Lench Road and any proposed development down this sloping field. Existing residents will know that in winter their gardens are almost permanently waterlogged, and heavy or continuous rainfall causes significant volumes of runoff down Atch Lench Road which can regularly flood the bridge over Whitsunbrook. The field bottom is continuously wet and boggy for much of the year. The existing Sewage system already does not cope with heavy rain which often blows off the sewer access lids at the bottom of Atch Lench Road and further along the 9 inch pipe in the lower field adjoining Mayfield’s land to the East. The Sewage Farm apparently struggles to meet the demands of heavy water flow from the village during heavy or continuous rain. 15. Privacy The high density block style layout of the houses directly parallel to the rear windows and gardens of the existing properties means that there will be a serious loss of privacy with gardens and houses being overlooked directly. All of these residences have enjoyed almost complete privacy for decades and the loss of such an important part of enjoyment of their properties seriously reduces their established quality of life and enjoyment of their property. Another major blow to their residential amenity and simultaneously changing the whole character of the location. 16. Pre and First School The local primary school cannot cater for more than a very small number of new children, and there are already some 15 new properties being built in the village. In addition it is expected that there will be an increase in the overspill from town schools as requirement for places nearby increases. The small preschool facility is only just coping with its existing number of children and could not deal with any more. There is no possibility of expansion for the existing school buildings and we may well find local children being denied places in the village school. The nature of the school is one of small rooms, small class sizes (with a maximum capacity of 15 in each year group) and a real ‘village’ feeling. Expansion would crush this. 17. Environmental Impact of Demolition The house ‘Mayfield’ is a substantial property that required a massive expenditure of energy and resources to construct. Demolition will have a significant negative impact on the overall environmental position of the whole estate build, to say nothing of the sheer waste. Factors that can not be considered by the Planning Department The following will be disregarded: ● Any effect on property values is of no consequence ● Personal criticism of the landowner ● Criticism of the developers In Conclusion and a Reminder Please pick as many of the areas for objection as you wish, but you must write your letter in your own words. Obvious duplicates will be gathered together and regarded as only one objection, and so be wasted. You don’t have to cover every topic, just the ones that concern you. Clearly, people whose properties adjoin the proposed development will have more and different objections and concerns than more distant residents. There is no one way to write an objection. You could write an essay or just a set of bullet points factual or heartfelt its your objection in your own style. Noone will be judging what you send in, they will simply be taking note of your opinions. The planning officer does record and list relevant factors raised. If you do need any help however just let us know by Emailing; [email protected] Please remember that the impact of so many extra homes, people and cars will considerably affect everyone living in the Lenches. If you have open land behind you and this development happens you could well be the next on the list. One thing is for sure it will change the whole character of our lovely village for ever. How to Send Your Objection Please go through the above list and choose the areas for objection that, firstly, affect you most, and secondly cause you concern in terms of wider effect on the village character and community. Please remember to use your own words! The fact that the proposed Estate is not behind your home does not prevent you commenting on the development itself you might be concerned about compromising village character, visual impact, night glow, noise, traffic, sewage capacity, road safety, wildlife, etc. You can see the full application documents online at: http://goo.gl/hGW49q Or on http://www.wychavon.gov.uk/ in ‘planning’ and under ‘search for planning applications’ and then by application number W/14/02836/PN Objecting on the Wychavon website 1. Follow the short link to this page: http://goo.gl/hGW49q 2. Click on ‘Comment on this application’ 3. Fill in the form and click ‘submit’ Hint: It would help to write your objection in advance on a word processor of your choice and then cut/paste onto the online form. If you need help with this please contact us, we can show you how in a few minutes. Objecting via email You can object via email to [email protected] Please include at least: House number/name, Street and Post Code If you would like us to keep a copy of your objection and check that it has been uploaded please cc [email protected] (Let us know if you need help with this). Objecting in writing IN BLACK INK The Civic Centre. Planning Services Wychavon District Council Civic Centre Queen Elizabeth Drive Pershore, Worcs. WR10 1PT Again if you would like us to keep a copy and check on submission please drop a copy into Kilverstone (bottom of Atch Lench Rd) or call 870408 for it to be collected.