Advice on how to object to a housing development

edgex

LTA wrote: »

Sorry it says 'greenfield' on the proposal I've found. Not the same is it?

OK put down the hedges as a reason, it's got that in the council development plan document. Thanks for that!

Only footpaths round the cul de sac.

Not sure how I'd approach drainage issue?

The traffic would end up with more people coming onto and off a major A road.

youd want to know how they intend to drain the land, as at the moment it will be self-draining
once they build houses, driveways & roads on it, where is all the surface water going to drain to?


how many houses are there on the cul-de-sac?
if its an avg one, ~10 houses? the extra traffic from 100 houses would be a massive increase.
as for the A road, contact your councils transport or highways dept, & the local police, they may both have objections to that increase in traffic.


as for the hedges, are they a route for wildlife between different sites?
do they & the fields act as a route/bridge between sites that the council has identified as to be left alone.


youve also then got the construction traffic, how do they intend to access the site.
a cul-de-sac would not be built to handle construction traffic, your talking about multiple lorries & trucks a day.
where are the contractors & staff going to park?

it also means that it would no longer be a cul-de-sac, are the developers going to pay to have the road infrastructure upgraded.



its not just about raising objections, but also asking lots of questions, which could lead to further questions, & further objections.
if you can stop any outline planning consent, it may well scare off the developers, & it puts a serious question mark over any future development.

LTA

Ok I'll look into drainage (or try to!) thanks for that tip!

There are about 50 houses on there so people accessing 100 more through there is a massive increase.

Next stop Highways Dept!

Construction traffic would be coming through the same way!! I asked!

Thanks so much for all this great advice, it really helps.

Got an email back from Local MP already saying they were aware of it and would be opposing it.

bubblybee

Depending on your earnings you may be eligible for assistance from Planning Aid or Planning Aid Wales (if you live in Wales). If you are eligible, the organisation can help you prepare a letter of objection. Simply search Planning Aid through google.

As it has been said by others, you can only object on valid planning grounds, and those which are contrary to the Local Plan. That said, simply state the reasons why you do not think the development is appropriate clearly and without personal gain. Is the site allocated for housing development in the Plan? If so, you'll have far less grounds to object to the development - in this case it will be on the detail of the proposals e.g. number of houses, amount of car parking etc rather than the principle of development.

rjaton

It might be worth finding out which of your councillors sit on the planning committee and lobbying them directly. Although the local authority planning officer will make a recommendation on the proposals based on local policies etc. it is ultimately down to the planning committee to make the ultimate decision. I would agree that the worst type of objection is the "nimby" type approach. Also I wouldn't focus too much on the relatively short term disturbance relating to the construction phase as these issues are typically dealt with by imposition of planning conditions. Ensure that other concerned residents/neighbours make separate and well informed objections - generalised petitions are less effective as most people will sign these.

tandraig

went through most of those objections when a local housing association built on site near me. the objections which weighed the most with the planning committee were - sewerage - was using an old system originaly designed for the demolished school - was supposed to be renewed in three years - this was 1998 and we still waiting - get probs in our street occasionaly as the system cant cope! was supposed to be redesignated (waiting) as a green field site - but housing needs took priority. traffic - council sent someone round at 7.30 in morning and pronounced road adequate !!!! wont comment on this as martin will ban me! the costruction took 18 months more than they said - compensation was promised - has any resident had any? no is the short answer - but we all had to renew hall stair carpets. oh - and it was only later the council apparently recieved our letter pointing out that a very rare plant was on site! hate to be so negative - but that was our experience with our local council - they were determined housing would go ahead.

LTA

It sounds like most residents feel strongly enough to object and I've spoken to local councillors and the local paper so at least it is getting some attention.

I'm not aware of any sewerage or drainage issues so it will be difficult to mention those I think.

lisal0u

If the site is at flood risk that would be a good one to stop it happening! Check here: http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods/default.aspx

Good luck!

LTA

Thanks I'll take a look

Robbie_Duck

My specialist area is traffic so I’ll just talk about that. A Transport Assessment is likely to be required at the planning stage. This will aim to show that there will be little or no effect on the road network when their development is in place. These are always fairly optimistic and may be challenged, especially if you’ve done a bit of preparation in advance…


A few questions…

How busy is the A Road? An A road is likely to have had several traffic counts on it in recent years. Your council highways department may allow you access to these. Ask them to provide 24hr, 12hr and peak (8-9 and 5-6) hour flows near to your junction. Always ask the date when the survey took place. I also expect the developer has done a turning movement survey at the end of your street which he will use in his planning application. Ask the council if they have done a turning count on your junction. What we’re aiming for here is to call the developers data into question.

How easy is it to currently access the A road? Is it signalised or a simple give way junction? How long would you have to wait to turn right out of the junction? Likewise how long would you have to wait to turn right into the cul de sac? Is there a dedicated right turn lane to turn right into the cul de sac from the main road. Do some timings of your own where whenever you can, noting the times of the day. Here we want to try and show that a, the traffic will not be able to access the main road and cause queuing in the cul de sac and b, the right turn into the cul de sac will cause delays on the main carriageway.

Are there any junctions nearby (within about ½ mile) that have regular queuing at them? If so, its likely that this extra traffic will make them worse. Again, a valid objection.

When the TA is in the public domain, you will need to pay careful attention to their trip generation. This is how much traffic they think their site will produce. They will try all sorts to keep this low including saying that the majority of trips would use Public Transport instead of cars. How far away is your nearest bus stop and how well is it used?

There’s a lot to think about there. Before their planning application goes in, you can’t really call into question their data but you can do a lot of preparation work and start planning your argument. I’ll check in with this thread whenever I can.

LTA

That's absolutely great and all totally relevant.

I'll try and get access to a traffic count then.

Sorry to sound dim but what would does a turning count look at? The amount of cars that turn into the street?

No it isn't signalised, it's simply a case of waiting to go but it's also just off a corner so it is quite dangerous already pulling out if a car is going too fast around the corner if you see what I mean.

Yes we do believe it would cause queuing on the main road which could potentially stretch around the corner.

Yes there are other junctions within 1/2 mile.

You are right though the initial proposal letter highlights that alot of people would use public transport rather than cars. It is a popular bus service but most people I know use their cars.

When the planning application goes in, will it detail what they think the traffic situation will be.

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply.