2 responses from Chairman HLMC, Helsington Laithes Management Company Ltd (Individual)
1. Chairman HLMC, Helsington Laithes Management Company Ltd (Individual) : 20 Apr 2012 09:45:00
Policy/Site No.
LA1.3 Housing Allocations - M41KM KENDAL SOUTH OF LUMLEY ROAD
2.1 Do you consider that the South Lakeland District Council Land Allocations DPD is sound?
No
2.2 If NO please identify which test of soundness your representation relates to by selecting the relevant option(s) below and completing section 2.3.
The DPD is not justified in that it is not founded on a robust and credible evidence base and/or is not considered the most appropriate strategy when considered against the reasonable alternatives.
The DPD is not effective in that the document is not deliverable, flexible or capable of being monitored.
2.3 Please give details of the change(s) you consider necessary to make the South Lakeland District Council Land Allocations DPD sound, having regard to the test you have identified at question 2.2 above.
It would be helpful if you could state your proposed change to the DPD and the reasons why you think it is necessary.
We wish to object to and challenge the soundness of proposal to develop land to the south of Lumley Rd. and Scroggs Wood Industrial Site on the following grounds:
M41KM- Land South of Lumley Road
I. Notwithstanding the need to provide affordable housing in Kendal, the southern
approach to the town is not the best site for such development, for the reasons noted
below. It is anticipated that there will be increasing opportunities to develop parts of
the town centre as more shopping moves out oftown or to the internet. Also, social
habits are changing, as witnessed by the recent closure of a number of pubs in the
town, providing other opportunities for brown-field development.
2. This land should be protected as part of the district's green infrastructure. Once this
agricultural land is built on, it will be lost forever as open space; such development of
green-field sites should always be the last resort, to be used only when no brown-field
sites are available.
3. The proposed access directly onto Milnthorpe Road would necessitate another
junction on this stretch of road which already has multiple junctions (Lumley Road,
Kent Park A venue, Helsington Laithes, Scroggs Lane and a car dealership) -
potentially increasing the risk to pedestrians and road users. Density of traffic would
further increase on this already busy and congested stretch of road.
- Visitors to the town from the south might well prefer to continue on the by-pass to
Windermere and beyond, rather than sit in traffic waiting to enter Kendal. This would
pose further risk to the viability oftown centre businesses and facilities.
- The A6 is a crucial access for emergency services, particularly following the
downgrading of Westmorland General Hospital. Further congestion on this route
would introduce undue risk. The soundness ofthe plan is therefore challenged on
safety grounds.
- Increased density of traffic would increase the associated noise and pollution
experienced by nearby residents.
The soundness of the development is challenged on the basis that there is no traffic
plan to address these issues.
4. There is no assurance that the infrastructure and site services are adequate to support
development on this land. Concerns relate to social infrastructure (education, health
service provision etc), and to factors such as water run-off (from the hill at 102m
behind the site) and the adequacy of drains and sewerage treatment facilities....
9. Developing the northern and north eastern edges of Kendal is made difficult by the
fact that road access from the east, west or south is predominantly through the town
centre. The Local Development Framework should not be constrained by failure at
the County Council or Government level to consider the future transport needs of the
area. SLDC should make strong representation to the County Council to progress the
Northern Link Road. Traffic congestion is already an issue for the centre of Kendal.
Locating a high proportion of all the new development (both residential and
employment) for South Lakeland in Kendal as a Principal Service Centre will result in
an unacceptable increase in density of traffic in the town centre unless the Northern
Link road is built. Construction of this road would also facilitate further development
of employment sites to the north and north east of the town where much of the
existing light industry is based, thereby reducing the need for such development to the
south of the town.
2. Chairman HLMC, Helsington Laithes Management Company Ltd (Individual) : 20 Apr 2012 10:00:00
Policy/Site No.
LA1.6 Strategic Employment Sites - E4M KENDAL LAND AT SCROGGS WOOD, MILNTHORPE ROAD
2.1 Do you consider that the South Lakeland District Council Land Allocations DPD is sound?
No
2.2 If NO please identify which test of soundness your representation relates to by selecting the relevant option(s) below and completing section 2.3.
The DPD is not justified in that it is not founded on a robust and credible evidence base and/or is not considered the most appropriate strategy when considered against the reasonable alternatives.
2.3 Please give details of the change(s) you consider necessary to make the South Lakeland District Council Land Allocations DPD sound, having regard to the test you have identified at question 2.2 above.
It would be helpful if you could state your proposed change to the DPD and the reasons why you think it is necessary.
E4M -Land at Scroggs Wood, Milnthorpe Road
1. Site E4M represents an extension to the southern boundary of Kendal. The area is
adjacent to a principal access route to the town from the south, used inter alia by tourists and visitors to the area who arrive via the M6. In keeping with Kendal's
desire to promote itself as the 'Gateway to the Lake District', and to attract visitors in
order to support the local commercial economy, this attractive route into the town
needs to be maintained.
2. Although Site E4M may appear to be superficially attractive for employment use due
to its proximity to existing infrastructure, it has serious deficiencies in respect of other
key criteria. The size and scale of the proposed development are out of keeping with
the surroundings, will detract from the amenities of nearby residents, harm the
character of the landscape and give rise to unacceptable levels of traffic (in the Land
Allocations Development Plan Document these considerations are highlighted as
being applicable to rural General Employment, but they are equally relevant to
Strategic Employment).
3. If greenfield land is to be allocated for a Strategic Employment development, the
corridor of land right up to the M6 should be reviewed to determine whether a
suitable alternative to site E4M might be found, further away from residential areas of the town, eliminating the impact on existing residents. Public transport can be
provided to any such site and therefore existing public transport availability should
not be an influence on the selection of sites for development. There is no imperative
for an employment site to be contiguous with the current town boundary. Indeed,
although many potential employees might live in Kendal, not all would do so, and
there is an argument for locating a new Employment Development site where it forms
a local 'hub', easily accessible not only from Kendal but also from other South
Lakeland communities. Many potential employers may find a site closer to the M6
junction to be attractive.
4. The proposal ignores the conclusion of the Employment and Housing Land Search
Study that Scroggs Wood forms a strong boundary to the town and that development
to the south of this would be highly visible and therefore should not be permitted.
5. The proposed development of site E4 M clearly does not meet the Landscape and
Settlement criteria identified in the Land Allocations Development Plan Document. It
fails to adequately take into account the proximity of this site to important natural
environmental sites of Scroggs Wood and the River Kent, and to the historic buildings
at Helsington Laithes (including the Manor House), Helsington Mills and the Roman
Fort.
6. Developing site E4M would increase traffic flow on the A6 Milnthorpe Road, raising
the issues as noted in point 3 of the comments above relating to the development of
site M41KM, land to the South of Lumley Road.
7. The Land Applications Development Document indicates that the landowner is
willing to sell this land for development and that potential developers have already
expressed interest in it. This has the appearance of convenience-led planning, with a
particularly narrow focus. Decision-making processes should take account of a full
range of factors and have regard in particular to the impact upon communities
neighbouring sites under consideration for development.
8. The Land Allocations Development document indicates the need for particular
attention to be paid to landscaping and boundary treatment on the southern and
eastern edges of the E4M site. However, screening the western edge would be no less
important, to avoid spoiling the rural and residential nature of the approach to the
town on the A6.
9. Developing the northern and north eastern edges of Kendal is made difficult by the
fact that road access from the east, west or south is predominantly through the town
centre. The Local Development Framework should not be constrained by failure at
the County Council or Government level to consider the future transport needs of the
area. SLDC should make strong representation to the County Council to progress the
Northern Link Road. Traffic congestion is already an issue for the centre of Kendal.
Locating a high proportion of all the new development (both residential and
employment) for South Lakeland in Kendal as a Principal Service Centre will result in
an unacceptable increase in density of traffic in the town centre unless the Northern
Link road is built. Construction of this road would also facilitate further development
of employment sites to the north and north east of the town where much of the
existing light industry is based, thereby reducing the need for such development to the
south of the town.