Object

Representation ID: 10203

Received: 29/07/2022

Respondent: Mr Ian McIver

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Re: Local Plan 2040 - EMP6 - Water End and St Neots Road proposals (Sites 761 & 764)
We wish to register our objection to these potential developments as follows:
If they were to be permitted, would lead to a huge increase in traffic movements to and from the sites at the already congested A421/A4280 junctions where it is not unusual to see cars stationary in the inside lane, waiting to join the exit lane(s).
Such an increase in traffic movements would clearly lead to conditions even more detrimental to highway safety and convenience and, I suggest, great danger to road users.
Please examine any background traffic modeling data held by the proposed developer and the police and if such independently assessed traffic modeling data is not available (and we have not seen any independent in-depth analysis to date), please ensure that it is required to be provided by a completely independent, competent organization and that the results are taken into account when deciding the outcome of any application to proceed with the proposed development.
Whilst considering the traffic loading at the adjacent A421 Junction, it is clear that the whole roads infrastructure through Renhold is totally inadequate for the extra traffic that the proposed development would of necessity bring to our Village. Also, Renhold is home to a number of ancient and listed buildings which would inevitably suffer from the huge increase of heavy traffic that the proposed development would entail. Our roads and especially our footpaths are quite simply unsuitable for the traffic types and loading that the proposed development would bring to our Village.
We note also that the proposed developments include areas which are recognised as of Historic interest. We do not accept that a major development such as is proposed is consistent with such historical knowledge and in our view this alone is reason enough to reject all notion of the proposals.
You will also be aware that parts of Renhold are currently subject to either a T.R.O. or a Weight Limit. It would be necessary to retain and fully enforce these restrictions otherwise the very nature, not to mention the fabric, of parts of our ancient Village will literally begin to fall into decline. It seems to us that retention of these restrictions whilst upgrading with modern Vehicle Activated Registration Number photographic Cameras installed to ensure 100% compliance with the regulations during all of the development phases and indefinitely thereafter would be essential.
We note that whilst the proposal is presented as a high-quality research and development ‘Science Park’, it also includes provision for manufacturing, warehousing and distribution activities. These latter activities would surely be wholly unsuitable for location in the ancient and rural village of Renhold in terms of its impact upon the community and the local landscape.
The sparse information available at this stage clearly shows that the proposed development would totally dominate the landscape in the area, would lead to coalescence with Great Barford and would be totally out of keeping with the nature of our community. Furthermore, there is no apparent need in our community for the level of employment the suggested development would bring to Renhold or the locality.
No mention or provision is made regarding facilities (shops, schools, health, housing, etc.) that would be required to support the large number of personnel associated with such a development.
We are also very concerned about the loss of habitat for the natural wildlife in our area. We love Renhold in part because we delight in the fauna we see when walking on the footpaths and by-ways in our village. The proposed development can only have a negative impact on this aspect of our rural existence and we plead for the refusal of the proposed developments in favour of the future existence of wildlife in our Village.
Our Village has a long-standing ‘dark skies’ policy which would be totally ruined by the development as proposed. We are proud of this policy which both reduces power consumption (and thus, ultimately, greenhouse gas generation) and sets Renhold apart from the ‘Urban Sprawl’.
Another aspect for consideration is the noise generation that would result from the proposed development if it were to go forward. We villagers enjoy quiet nights, which would be lost to construction traffic and then a huge increase of ‘commuting’ traffic if the proposed development were to go ahead.
Coming to the current working method of ‘Working from Home’, it cannot be sensible to develop centres of concentrated employment as is the nature of the proposed development. Large offices and workplaces are surely dead in the water and a thing of the past given modern technology and communications methods which facilitate instant communications and on-line meetings without the need for ever-larger gas-guzzling motor vehicles which serve only to worsen global warming, serious climate change, desecration of the countryside and worsening public health due to more and more pollution and less and less exercise for individuals.
Still speaking of travel, the proposed development is distant from the main public transport facilities (such as they are) and this only substantiates the expectation that more and more road traffic will be experienced by the rural village of Renhold on a daily basis.
Again, our rural community being built over (as would be required by this proposed development) will lead to a further loss of arable land and/or green areas which would serve to feed our population and at the same time serve as a ‘sink’ for the (previously mentioned) general increase in CO2 pollution. Please let us have more green space and less tarmac and steel sheds!
We note with interest that the ‘Oxford/Cambridge Arc’ proposal has been dropped by Central Government. Please see this proposed development as a ‘last gasp’ of that behemoth and decline its acceptance in order to align rural Bedfordshire and the North Beds villages with this change in Government Policy.
When all is said and done, please recognise this application for what it is - speculative, opportunistic and of little or no economic or environmental improvement value to the existing inhabitants of Renhold and, indeed, North Bedfordshire Villages in general.
We desire to continue to live in the green, beautiful, quiet and historically important rural village community that is Renhold and we strongly suggest that such developments as this are found suitable locations on a brown-field site as has been suggested by central governments and key environmentalists in the past.