What To Object About

We consider any of the following points to be legitimate grounds for objection. It is up to you to choose those you feel are most appropriate, but it is important that you put this IN YOUR OWN WORDS. Do not cut and paste these statements. Scroll down the page for Longholme Road (UPW2).

STORAGE DEPOT (UPW1)
• Site currently in operational use by a farmer for vehicle storage in keeping with agricultural use of the area.

• Adjacent land in operational use by the gliding club and for agriculture.

• Health and Safety concerns over gliding operations (movements of gliders and powered aircraft, steel launch cable release and safety cone for landing and takeoff) where consideration must be given to ‘the relatively high density of children likely to be on site’.

• Health and Safety concerns over access from a recognised accident blackspot where vehicles regularly speed in excess of 60mph

• Lack of facilities – no shops, health services or secondary school in the village. Nearest facilities in Ramsey (4 km) requiring transport

• Poor public transport service – unreliable and limited service in terms of frequency and destinations (e g travel to hospital). No evening services.

• Health and Safety concerns over cycling and walking to Ramsey – dangerous due to nature of the road, lack of dedicated cycle track, poorly maintained and unlit paths.

• Site is a historic landfill but Guidance states ‘Sites must not be on contaminated land’. Contaminated land may be unfit for habitation without remediation.

• Noise impact – the open nature of the landscape means that noise disturbance has widespread impact.

• Visual impact as on slightly raised land, visible from great distance due to the open landscape. This will be overbearing on Farm close residents with or without landscaping, and from the end of the high street (the main village pedestrian and vehicular route)

• Drainage – the impact on the historic network of land drainage of the airfield would need to considered. Previous disruption led to flooding of existing residential property.

• Access – the road is not owned by HDC and would need improvement in anticipation of increased wear and tear.

• Access (pedestrian) – the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment invites lawbreaking – ‘there could be an option of walking a more direct route through private land’.

• Impact on the character of the village - site is very exposed and open to the landscape with long distance views across the flat open Fens. ’The fragile nature of the landscape makes it very sensitive to development. Whilst landscaping could help to screen the site, landscaping itself may be intrusive and visually detrimental to the character of the open landscape.

LONGHOLME ROAD (UPW2)
• Impact on the character of the village - Loss of heritage assets - Loss of views into and out of the conservation area. The site is visually sensitive and forms part of the Central Claylands Character area (recognised by HDC and forms part of their environmental planning documentation)

• Refusal of previous planning – this site has been turned down for residential housing in the past – it is outside the village boundary for residential housing and is considered unsuitable. It has also been refused planning for agricultural buildings.

• Impact of the character of the nearby properties – the immediate proximity to current housing would provide no visual or acoustic privacy.

• Health and Safety concerns over gliding operations. The glider club prefer a 30% safety cone for landing or taking off, which means the Longholme Road site is within the preferred safety cone.

• Health and Safety concerns over access from a recognised accident blackspot where vehicles regularly speed in excess of 60mph and visibility is limited. The small gate access would need significant alteration.

• Development would have a negative impact on the biodiversity and ecology of the site (including established hedgerows).

• Site includes a Public Right of Way – a potential point of conflict as may be considered to impact the privacy of the Traveller community.

• Lack of facilities – no shops, health services or secondary school in the village. Nearest facilities in Ramsey (4 km) requiring transport.

• Poor public transport service – unreliable and limited service in terms of frequency and destinations (e g travel to hospital). No evening services.

• Health and Safety concerns over cycling and walking to Ramsey – dangerous due to nature of the road, lack of dedicated cycle track, poorly maintained and unlit paths

• Drainage/Flooding – this land floods during winter months, flooding residents gardens. It is thought that it sits on a number of ponds or springs underneath.