Local Development Framework Consultation

Kendal

1 (4 of 6) Kendal South West

SL1B

Oppose

The area is totally inappropriate for this purpose for a variety of reasons:

Lake District National Park, Kendal Golf Club
A recycling site is not an appropriate use of land which goes almost up to the national park boundary.
The view southwards from Kendal Fell and the golf course would be seriously affected for the worse by such a development.

Wagon traffic & access
Development would increase traffic levels on Greenside, and all adjacent roads on the western side of Kendal. The Kendal Transport Assessment has said that the highway network cannot cope with any additional traffic from potential development to the west of Kendal.
Access to the site would have to be via Boundary Bank Lane and where this joins Underbarrow Road is already a problem for large wagons currently accessing the site. The junction itself is close to the brow of a hill, near a bend in the road and close to where Underbarrow Road narrows from 8m to 6m wide.

Presumably it is expected that loaded wagons leaving and accessing the site would use the restricted access junction on the bypass as they do at present from the adjacent Waste Transfer Site. If so, the narrowness of Underbarrow Road where lorries have to mount the grass verges to pass each other, and the increase in such traffic would increase the already hazardous use of the road for pedestrians and cyclists for whom there is no provision.
Would this private road become adopted as a public highway? If this were to be the intention there would be a devastating effect on traffic circulation in the already congested western and central parts of Kendal.
I thought that the purpose of a by-pass was to keep traffic away from the town.
Or is it expected that loaded wagons would come down Greenside with its weight restriction into Kendal’s existing road network on the way to their final destination. This sort of traffic should not be using largely residential roads, nor should it come down the steep hills leading into Kendal.

Traffic Generation
The relocation of the recycling facility to SL1B would mean there would be a large increase in the number of cars which would have to use the following roads and junctions:

The busy junction of Milnthorpe Rd with Glebe Rd.; Anchorite Rd with its traffic calming; the tight and busy junction with Gillinggate; Gillinggate, with restricted width due to parked vehicles and a School Crossing on a bend in the road; Allhallows Lane and Beast Banks; the very awkward and busy junctions of Windermere, Green and Queens Roads; Queen’s Rd, and High Tenterfell with their traffic calming; with all the routes converging on the hazardous junction on Greenside.
All of these except All hallows Lane are through residential areas, and most involve steep climbs as SL1B is at the top of a hill. It is over 300feet (95metres) higher than Nether Bridge. Not only would traffic increase, but the fact that the uphill journey would be the loaded one, fuel consumption, noise and emissions would be much higher than if the journey were to be made on level ground. The effect of this increased traffic would be detrimental to all the residential areas but particularly the final 400 metres up Greenside as there is no alternative route to SL1B.
This is contrary to the sustainability aims constantly referred to in the LDF.
It must not be forgotten that journeys to the site are of course double, as they are all return trips.

Encroachment
The development of SL1B in conjunction with E33 would create an industrial zone which would not only be inappropriate to a rural gateway to a market town, adjacent to a National Park, but would also overwhelm the two adjacent residential properties and radically change the character of the area to such an extent that development costs ought to include compensation for loss of amenity.

Kendal

1 (4 of 6) Kendal South West

E33

Oppose

The area is totally inappropriate for this purpose for a variety of reasons:

Lake District National Park
An industrial site is not an appropriate use of land which goes right up to the national park boundary.
E33 is on higher ground than the adjacent, recently built, employment area (EEA26) and therefore would be even more prominent. Additionally the existing site is still not fully occupied. Is more of the same really needed?
The view eastwards from Scout Scar and Cunswick Scar (within the National Park) would be seriously affected for the worse by such a development.

Traffic & Access
Development would increase traffic levels on Greenside, and adjacent roads. The Kendal Transport Assessment has said that the highway network cannot cope with any additional traffic from potential development on Underbarrow Road.
Access to the site would have to be via Boundary Bank Lane, which is steep and extremely narrow, and where it joins Underbarrow Road is already a problem for large wagons currently accessing the Waste Transfer depot. The junction itself is close to the brow of a hill, near a bend in the road and close to where Underbarrow Road narrows from 8m to 6m wide.

Is it expected the inevitable traffic generated would approach from Greenside? In which case the effect of heavy commercial vehicles on that steep hill would be seriously detrimental to that area. There is at present a weight restriction on this road, which should not be lifted. The increase in noise, and emission levels is contrary to the environmental objectives of the Core Strategy of the LDF.

Or is it expected that commercial traffic would use the restricted access junction on the bypass? If so the narrowness of Underbarrow Road is a serious hazard particularly for pedestrians.
I thought that the purpose of a by-pass was to keep traffic away from the town.
Would this private road become adopted as a public highway? If this were the intention there would be a devastating effect on traffic circulation in the already heavily congested western and central parts of Kendal.

Encroachment
The development of E33 in conjunction with SL1B would create an industrial zone which would not only be inappropriate to a rural gateway to a market town, but would also overwhelm the two adjacent residential properties and radically change the character of the area to such an extent that compensation ought to be a necessity.

Kendal

1 (4 of 6) Kendal South West

R129M

Oppose

Character of Greenside
Greenside is a residential road, which is also a route to Scout Scar, Lyth valley villages and the LDNP.
It is the only remaining road out of Kendal which does not double as an access to housing estates.
One side of it is within Kendal’s Conservation area, next to the historic Limekiln.
Given these circumstances, it has a village-like community atmosphere, and if any development were to go ahead this would be lost.

Traffic
If this development were to go ahead it would generate a large increase in traffic volumes on the local road network.
The Queens Rd., High Tenterfell, Gillinggate North-South axis is already extremely busy and these roads are unsuitable for a large increase in traffic.
The All Hallows Lane, Beastbanks, Greenside, Underbarrow Rd., East-West axis is even more unsuitable for large increases in traffic.
There are four nursery schools and one Primary School in the neighbourhood; facilities that do not sit easily with increased traffic.
Where these routes intersect is already a hazardous junction for all users.
There is a height difference between the Town Hall and the proposed site of 75metres (250ft). Vehicles going uphill are much noisier and use a great deal more fuel than they do on the level thus producing emissions far greater than they would over a similar distance on the flat. (This is contradictory to the Core Strategy’s environmental policy)
There is no continuous footpath for pedestrians along this E-W axis, and no dedicated provision for cyclists. Such is the nature of the hill involved it is probable that most people would use cars anyway to access the town centre, thus exacerbating the noise, congestion, and emissions issues.
Greenside is 8m wide but narrows to 6m on Underbarrow Rd. Adjacent to the presumed access to R129M the road is on the brow of a hill and on a bend.
Kendal Transport Assessment said that the highway network could not cope additional traffic from potential development in this area.

Lie of the land, natural drainage.
The four fields have a general southwards slope away from Underbarrow road, towards Blind Beck and Brigsteer Rd. However between the site and Blind Beck are seven private dwellings. Surface water goes into the underlying limestone and emerges in Blind Beck but at times of heavy rain some emerges in springs within the bounds of these properties, and in the most easterly of the fields. This field in particular is unsuitable for development not only because of the natural drainage problems but it slopes very steeply southwards at 20 degrees (1 in 3)
Any development would produce much more rapid surface run-off, having a detrimental affect on the properties downhill from the site.
Buildings in the fourth field would be clearly visible from within Scout Scar within the National Park, thus spoiling the essentially rural view as most of the rest of Kendal is not visible, being in a valley and screened by the existing trees on R129M.

Services
Gas, water, and electricity are not present on the site.
Surface water drainage will have to be provided presumably to the south with all the potential problems of flooding and the capacity problem of Blind Beck. (see above)
Foul water drainage (sewerage) will presumably also have to go downhill to the south, presenting an even greater threat to the properties in that direction.

Nature and Wildlife
These meadows and woods at present host a wide variety of wildlife; not only grasses, wild flowers and mature trees, but insects and the resultant natural food chain, including bats, birds feeding and nesting (tawny owls, tree creepers, nuthatches, curlew, greater spotted woodpecker among the rarer species plus numerous commoner birds). There is also a badger sett.

Amenities
The document states that there should be a ‘bus stop within 400m. The nearest is 450m away so presumably a bus route will have to be extended up Greenside.
Ghyllside Primary School is 650m away (not within 500m as stated) and is already at capacity.
The nearest Secondary school is 2km away by car or 1.75km on foot (not < 1.5km as stated)
The College is 1.5km away (not < 1km as stated).

Consequently R129M is far less conveniently placed than it appears on a map because
a) All access would have to be from Underbarrow Rd.
b) The fact that it is on top of a hill means that the effort required to access it is far greater than it would be on the level.
This means that to develop this site would not be a sustainable option, as not only would it mean the loss of a greenfield site but access to it would be largely by car, thus contradicting the aims of the Core Strategy of the LDF.