Local Development Framework Consultation

Meal Bank

28 Open Countryside Sites near Kendal

RN7

Oppose

Oppose

Oppose

Oppose

Oppose

* The development of the field in question would substantially compromise the historic and rural character of Mealbank. It would have a negative visual impact on the culturally important Victorian mill housing and school and its essentially rural setting.
* The need for development on this site specifically has not been demonstrated. In fact there is no identified need for housing in the Parish other than affordable housing, which is more appropriately situated with better access to services.
* The LDF documentation and the Core Strategy document in particular make a social and economic case for expansion of the provision of housing in South Lakeland.This refers to the principle that the effect of such provison on the existing natural and historic character of South Lakeland should be minimised. The key passage in the Core Strategy for housing development in villages and hamlets is as follows 'For the remaining rural areas, a limited amount of development will occur, supporting the social and economic viability of the communities living and working there, in line with the spatial strategy, whilst minimising the impact on the countyside'. - The projected new housing would constiture a 34% expansion of the Hamlet, which is wholly unacceptable. There would be no benefit to the residents of Mealbank.
* The proposed site is on a site called Brantfield (Brant meaning steep):
* The access would be on a narrow ancient bridleway
* There are no significant public transport services, no schools, and no amenities such as shops or pubs.
* The access to the bus service is dangerous, and not used by anyone in the hamlet on a regular basis.
* The reality is that you need a car to be able to go to all of the services - shops, schools (no primary school within 3K), employment etc. The road is dangerous with no footpath and floods many times throughout the year. It is already busy and unable to cope with the traffic as it stands - both the bridleway and the roads to Mealbank are not equipped to deal with the amount of lorrys and vans frequenting the trading estate. There is also the environmental aspect to the proposed development with regard to the need for a cars. Such additional car use would, moreover, contradict SLDC policy with respect to the effect of housing development on local transport. Relevant passages from the Core Strategy - i.) 'A key objective for planning is to ensure that jobs , shopping, leisure facilities and services are accessible by public transport, walking and cycling. This is particularly important... in order to support attempts to encourage people who do not have access to a car, to use it less or stop using it' ii.) 'Development will be designed to reduce the need to travel and to maximise the use of sustainable forms of transport appropriate to its particular location'.
* The LDF documentation listed in the bibliography and the SLDC website all emphasize community consultation as part of its evidence base, and the Sustainability Appraisal Report: Land Allocations Interim Consultation Statement goes into great detail on consultaitons undertaken thus far. In addition, Cllr Thornton has publicly and explicitly said that housing will not be forced on Mealbank if the community does not want it. The follwoing quotations are representative of several comments made by him at a Parish Council meeting of 7 February 2011 'If nobody wants it, not just if one person says they don't, if there's no overall feeling that the community doesn't want it, we'renot going to push it on small communities'. 'This is not a site that we're going to fight in the ditches to maintain. If noboldy wants it we'll drop it. There's no point the council pushing housing on you'.

No. We live in the country we do not want any more facilities

Meal Bank

RN7

Oppose

Meal Bank

RN7

Oppose