Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Development Plan Document

Strongly disagree

I would like to express a strong objection to the proposal for the site at C4S (008) The Lodge. The proposal for the site to be access via Water Lane is impractical, and will at times, be impossible. Water Lane has been identified on gov.uk (https://flood-map-for-planning.service.gov.uk/map?seg=sw,hr&cz=580687.3,155961.8,16.56) as being at a high risk of flooding, and you will see from the above map, that this risk applies to both sides of Water Lane, which will mean that access into or out of the site is not possible for tenants, including in the event of an emergency. The surrounding residential roads already experience issues with drainage and ground water, and increasing the number of occupants in this notorious flood zone, will only serve to exacerbate existing issues. In addition, Water Lane is a narrow, rural road, that is simply not appropriate for a volume of large vehicles, and it is certainly not suitable for pedestrians (I have witnessed firsthand the numerous times that the water has literally gushed down Water Lane into the village in heavy rainfall, and I have only lived here for a year!) It is not practical for public transport links, or amenities, and will result in a poor quality of life for the tenants, and presumably, be a total waste of money as an uninhabitable site. I wish to submit a comment in opposition to the proposed site in Bearsted / Thurnham. My main concern with the proposed development site is the location. This is a notorious site for flooding and surface water. I've attached two images, that both demonstrate that the site location is very likely to be completely inaccessible to vehicles due to surface water (Marked the highest rating for likelihood of flooding). This would put the tenants at great risk of not being able to leave or enter the site, as well as emergency services. Coupled with this, the area is rural, with few amenities around, and not suitable for pedestrians.