Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Development Plan Document

Strongly disagree

Re: Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Show People Policy Public Consultation by Maidstone Borough Council. Whilst I believe that part of what makes Great Britain such a great place to live is the inclusivity we give to all, I am strongly opposed to the above site being given the go ahead, for the below reasons:- Limited site and access via Water Lane which is a very narrow country line. This lane comes out very close to our driveway, which, like many in Roundwell, has obscured visibility. Concerns around extra traffic coming out of Water Lane would mean possible accidents coming out of our driveway and more congestion around the village. Making a quant, quiet village becoming more of a busy town. Which would reduce house prices and make Bearsted a less desirable place to live. This could also result in the Maidstone Borough Council having to reduce council tax. The visual impact of the Kent Downs landscape would be affected and I believe there are several Oak trees with a preservation order which have been put in place for a reason. This could change the landscape of the village, which is why residents pay a premium to live here. Pressure on local services would be affected. Local Schools, hospitals and health support in the area would mean current residents would have longer waiting lists. Local GP's already busy and working hard would need to see even more patients. Local Schools already popular and oversubscribed would not be able to cope with additional children in the area. Concerns around drainage would be an issue as Water Lane, on a regular basis, floods and additional traffic coming in and out of the Lane would be affected with the current drainage in place. The village has a lovely variety of wildlife and hedgerows which make up this lovely place to live. Again this would be affected by the suggested planning permission above. I hope that Maidstone Council can consider my comments and that they would review the location for the Gypsy/Traveller area to somewhere more suitable than Bearsted.