Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Development Plan Document

Nothing chosen

I write in response to the invitation to submit comments in respect of the above. I have several concerns, which are set out below. They centre on safety, environmental and infrastructure. The site is accessed by a country lane, unsuitable for use by significant volumes of traffic and/ or pedestrians. The lane has several blind bends and is very narrow. Its dangers were dreadfully demonstrated by the recent deaths of two residents, who were hit and killed by a car while out walking on Thurnham Lane, a nearby lane of the same type. For reference, Thurnham Lane is wider than Water Lane. Water Lane suffers regular, significant flooding. The run off from the North Downs reaches down through the lane and builds up at the junction with Roundwell. Any additional development further up the lane, with the requirement for hard standing will add to the rainwater load and impeded traffic both on the lane itself, as well as in Roundwell. The stream that eventually drains this build up, runs south into Lilk Meadow and already struggles to cope with the flow of water. Additional volumes will add to the problem and may threaten the houses built recently at the Roundwell Park development on the adjacent land The site will be visible from the North Downs, an AONB. The type of structures and the vehicles on site will damage the AONB designation. The vehicles that will need to be moved along the Lane will be very large and cumbersome, such as static caravans. This will create dangers for other users as this process will take up substantially all of the road width. The perils of such an issue as this are already obvious, given my comments in (1) above.