Moor Lane Project: Outline Planning Application 2006 – Objections!

In the outline planning application that was submitted for the project in June 2006 the following objections were raised by local residents – it makes interesting reading.

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REPRESENTATIONS

24 letters of objection have been received including one from Moor Lane Residents’ Association. They raise the following matters:

1. The rural setting of the area will be ruined.
2. Wildlife/Protected Species concerns
3. The road [Moor Lane] is too small. Works to improve the road would cause pollution and possible structural damage to nearby houses.
4. Brookwood Farm is better suited for development.
5. Infrastructure concerns – shops, water provision, police, drainage, schools and medical facilities
6. Social problems arising from high density of social housing
7. Little evidence of investigation of alternative brownfield sites
8. Flooding concerns.
9. Concern at traffic generation and its impact on road safety
10. Objection to demolition of existing houses on the site
11. Density and intensity of development (Note: no level of development is proposed as part of this proposal). Density should reflect the 10 dph prevailing in the area.
12. Residents will be obliged to drive to facilities rather than walk.
13. The site is bordered by a Conservation Area (Note: there are no Conservation Areas in the vicinity – the site is, however, bordered by the Green belt and an SNCI).
14. The mix of social and private housing will be problematical.
15. Loss of views of common.
16. Seek assurance trees will be retained.
17. Cumulative impact with development also at Westfield Tip and Woking Park.
18. Local people will not benefit from the development. Local Authorities not concerned with protecting environment/identity of town.
19. Could the development be phased?
20. Play and recreation facilities should be provided.
21. Heights, visual impact, three-storey buildings would be inappropriate (Note: no form of development is proposed at this stage)
22. Impact on historic barn at Moor Lane Farm (Note: there are statutory Listed Buildings at Moor Lane Farm to the SW of the application site – any development will need to respect their setting).

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Do you think these concerns have been adequately dealt with?  Was there evidence that the proposed developers were aware of all these issues? What do you think?