Response to 20/00319/FUL - Land at Silchester Road, Bramley

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Parent Category: Planning and Development

Category: Planning Applications

Last Updated on Wednesday, 04 March 2020 15:27

Published on Wednesday, 04 March 2020 12:03

Written by Parish Clerk

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20/00319/FUL - Land At Silchester Road Silchester Road Bramley
Erection of 13 no. dwellings, associated access, parking, landscaping and amenity space

(Link to Application on Planning Portal)

Bramley Parish Council has now met to consider the above application, and strongly object to it on the
following grounds:

• The site is adjacent to a conservation area, and it will adversely affect views listed in Bramley Neighbourhood Plan policy D1. The setting of nearby listed buildings will also be adversely affected.
  
  
• The application states that there is a regular bus service. However, the service is far from adequate or reliable. This will lead to more car use within the village, particularly as the target occupants are elderly. Many who wish to use the train will need to drive to the station, since the distance from this site is likely to be too far for residents to walk. This will lead to more traffic, and exacerbate the existing severe parking issues around the station area.
• The Parish Council notes Thames Water’s positive response to this application. However, Bramley does have ongoing sewage capacity problems, about which the Parish Council has been liaising with Thames Water (correspondence attached). There have been several sewage spills already just this year. A sewage study (ref: SMG 1294 G4027 – attached) was completed by Thames Water which states the sewage capacity is inadequate and needs upgrading. To the Parish Council’s knowledge, the work has not been carried out.
  
  
• The village has no amenities for older residents within walking distance from the site.
  
  
• The application notes the community engagement event carried out late last year, and notes some of the concerns that existing residents raised. It should be noted by planners that much of the feedback received by the developers was also copied to the Parish Council, and was overwhelmingly against the development of this site.
  
  
• Many of the issues raised by residents had already been raised by the Parish Council at a meeting with developers in July 2019. Whilst the plans have been scaled back from what was originally proposed, the Parish Council feels that development at this site is very difficult to support, particularly bearing in mind the target market.
  
  
• The proposed access point onto Silchester Road will cause problems, particularly in the morning rush hour, as eastbound traffic approaching the village are facing a low sun approaching this site. It is also a known speeding area – recent Community Speedwatch results bear this out. The road also floods at this point during heavy rain. Finally, a recent traffic study (attached) carried out on behalf of the Parish Council shows that the village roads are already struggling to cope with existing traffic – more traffic will only increase the problems.
  
  
• The site is one of the few breaks in development that stops the village being a completely built up ribbon from Bramley Green to Bramley Corner
  
  
• There will be an element of affordable housing within the proposed development. However, Bramley has no need of further affordable housing since there is enough from developments currently being constructed in the village.
  
  
• The application is against Local Plan policy SS6 – houses in the countryside, for the reasons stated above.
  
  

A copy of the response sent to the Planning Officer at Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council can be found below along with the supporting documentation mentioned.

Attachments:

File	Description	File size	Last modified
01228167.PDF		219 kB	Wed, 04 Mar 2020 12:31:55
20-00319-FUL Land at Silchester Road.pdf		164 kB	Wed, 04 Mar 2020 12:01:18
20-00319-FUL_Land_at_Silchester_Road.pdf		164 kB	Wed, 04 Mar 2020 12:03:00
Bramley_Sewerage_Issues_2019_correspondence_redacted_optim.pdf		3013 kB	Wed, 04 Mar 2020 12:03:08
Bramley_Traffic_Review_2019_local_optim.pdf		7916 kB	Wed, 04 Mar 2020 12:03:22
Sewage_Impact_Study_SMG_1294_G4027.pdf		2346 kB	Wed, 04 Mar 2020 12:03:31