Attached below is the Crudwell Parish Council response in document form, or read in full below.
If you would like to register your comments about the proposed housing allocations, you can do so, the deadline is: 5PM ON FRIDAY 22ND SEPT 2017
The simplest way to make a representation is via email to spatialplanningpolicy@wiltshire.gov.uk , but you can also write directly to:
Spatial Planning, Economic Development & Planning, Wiltshire Council, County Hall, Bythesea Road, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, BA14 8JN.
Crudwell PC response to HSA 180917
To: Spatial Planning, Economic Development & Planning, Wiltshire Council, County Hall, Bythesea Road, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, BA14 8JN
Dear Sir/Madam,
Re: Wiltshire County Council Draft Site Allocations Plan – Crudwell Parish Council response
It is important to differentiate between the village of Crudwell and the designated area for the Neighbourhood plan which is the Parish. The Parish Council believes the village has been described as Large because it has two Hotels, two Pubs, a large lorry haulage yard, a car sales and servicing facility and a School. Many farms surround the Village farms. The village has about 250 dwellings
Crudwell Parish Council has in the past supported the introduction of new build housing projects as a means of sustaining the viability of the village and will continue to do so in the future. With the introduction of small estates every few years the character of the village has not been spoilt and the Conservation area has not been threatened. The centre of the village has been developed from the A429 and the rural feel of the village has been maintained. Ridgeway Farm had been submitted to Wiltshire Council back in 2014. That application drew much local opposition from local people, principally on the grounds of the scale of the development, it being outside the designated red line settlement boundary, and its likely impact on the local infrastructure, specifically: the likely increased traffic on Tetbury Lane; impacts on already overburdened drainage and sewerage systems and oversubscription of Crudwell Primary School.
It is clear there is a lot of local opposition to having a site allocation plan forced on the village. Over a hundred parishioners turned up at the last Area Board meeting to voice their opinion and over £5000 was raised in a fortnight to engage a consultant to put the villages case to an Inspector.
Whilst it is understood that Wiltshire Council needs to ensure an adequate five year housing land supply across each housing market area, the Site Allocations Plan would result in an oversupply of 4,284 dwellings to 2026 when past completions are combined with deliverable commitments, and windfall sites are included. Even when windfalls are excluded, the oversupply is still 2,198 dwellings across the Housing Market Area.
The Site Allocations Plan also results in an oversupply of homes in the Malmesbury Community Area, even without windfalls. Wiltshire Council has a history of oversupply of homes in the former North
Wilts area excluding Chippenham. In eight of the last ten years more homes have been built than planned, in the other two years targets were virtually met. In fact over the last ten years the average oversupply has been 143% higher than planned.
On this basis, there is no strategic need to identify any new homes at Crudwell, so the Wiltshire Site Allocations Plan should not do so. This Parish Council believes that this plan if adopted will set a planning precedent that will be impossible to manage, it being outside the designated red line settlement boundary.
A major concern to Parishioners is the risk of flooding which happens to properties around the Swillbrook which runs through the centre of the village. Significant damage has occurred to many houses in the village in recent years both through surface water and raw sewerage. Surface water from the proposed site would make this situation far worse. We must not overlook the fact that many properties around the school and(former) post office green as far up the A429 as The Butts estate already need non-return valves to stay safe from sewerage flooding until the excess over capacity subsides. In addition, sewerage frequently exudes from all the manhole covers around the PO Green in Tuners Lane due to the lack of Pumping Station capacity , even during only moderate rainfall. The Council have been contacted by Hankerton Parish Council expressing their concern over the increase in Sewerage this plan would bring to their own pumping station as it barely copes at present.
In Conclusion Crudwell Parish Council is surprised a Development as large as this is proposed in a small village with a significant conservation area which already has a School which is full, an identified Sewerage and Drainage problem, has no shop and a bus service which at best is poor and is planned to be reduced. We believe the village has the opportunity through its emerging Neighbourhood Plan to define its own future.
Yours faithfully
Lisa Dent – Clerk and RFO
For Crudwell Parish Council
=================================================================
