Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Development Plan Document

Strongly disagree

My comments relate to Policy C4S (008) The Lodge Thurnham. The site is described as a preferred site but there is no evidence of what assessments have been carried out with reference local and national policies relating to proposed GTTS sites. The policy states that planning permission WILL BE GRANTED but this is unacceptable prior to a planning application being submitted. The council appears to have already made up its mind. There is no indication of how many pitches will be placed on this site. I do not see how we are expected to comment without this information. In my opinion the site is unsuitable for many reasons. The site is situated between the M20 motorway and the local railway line. The high speed railway line is of course very close too as it runs behind the motorway. This site if approved will suffer from air and noise pollution for the traveller community and is therefore not suitable. The existing property on the site was of course there before both the M20 and high speed railway. Access to the site is to and from Water Lane, a narrow country lane with particular and serious safety concerns for pedestrians and cyclists including children having to walk to school. There is no footpath or pavement along the lane in either direction. The lane is unlit making walking even more dangerous in the winter months. There is constant water run off from the fields - hence the name Water Lane. During heavy rain the road often floods under the motorway bridge and at the junction of water lane with Roundwell/The Street. There are times when it is impossible to drive through these floods let alone walk through the water. During icy periods the road becomes an ice rink and dangerous to drive along or cycle or walk along. These issues make the site unsuitable for accessing local amenities including shops, schools, GPs and transport links. There are no large shops within walking distance. The Sustainability Appraisal by Lupus Consulting refers to LPRSP10 and LPRHOU8. Para 1 (b) specifically states that Traveller sites in order to obtain planning permission should be able to access local services including schools, health and shopping facilities preferably on foot, by cycle or public transport. The length of Water Lane from the site to the main road poses serious safety concerns for Traveller families needing to access such services. A site of unknown numbers of pitches will put pressure on local services and infrastructure. Water lane is already overused by cars and other vehicles, horse boxes and HGVs, which have caused dangerous potholes and rutting down the side of the lane. The Council has difficulty adequately maintaining this lane to a safe standard and Increased traffic to and from the proposed site will exacerbate these problems causing more safety concerns. The site is within the setting of the Kent Downs National Landscape