Response from Mr & Mrs Bob & Roz Butcher (Individual)
1. Mr & Mrs Bob & Roz Butcher (Individual) : 5 Sep 2013 12:07:00
Please add your response below, quoting the further proposed main modification reference number or relevant document title including reference to section / page / paragraph: (limit 3000 words)
Re : Further Development of Union Lane Fields, Ulverston – OBJECTION
We are contacting South Lakeland District Council to raise our strong objections to the suggestion that two fields currently classed as agricultural land be re-classified as 'land included within the development boundary'. The reasons for our objections we list below;
Twenty Five homes are currently under construction on Union Lane and my understanding is that Persimmon homes are now seeking the alteration of the classification of the above fields with a view to later submitting application for a further Forty Four homes. Alterations to Union lane have already been made to allow for additional traffic for twenty five homes but we assume not to cater for a further Forty Four homes. With the average household currently owning two vehicles, instead of an additional fifty vehicles we would be looking at something in the region of one hundred and forty vehicles using Union Lane. This in our minds would be an unacceptable increase in traffic.
One suggestion we have heard is to allow traffic access onto Mowings Lane. Again this raises serious concerns.....
Mowings Lane is very steep and a danger in bad weather (the lamppost outside 12/14 has recently been repaired after being struck numerous times by vehicles losing control). The lane beyond 14 Mowings Lane and the top lane leading to the agricultural fields under discussion are single track unadopted highway with no street lighting, pavements, drainage or highway maintenance (no gritters in bad weather) and classed as a public footpath which is widely used by walkers (with another footpath from Star Street crossing it). The left turn onto the top lane is blind and very restricted with a mature ash tree at its junction (which has been there for generations). Tractors also use Mowings Lane for access to the agricultural fields along the full length of the top track. To increase the amount of vehicles on this lane would be ludicrous and incredibly dangerous to all users including emergency vehicles.
Any increase in traffic to the west of Soutergate has safety and traffic flow implications in relation to the Health Centre (emergency vehicles), Mill Dam Old Peoples Home and Mill Dam Play Park. All traffic using this area are forced into a one way system out of town which has to be accessed via a number of blind junctions onto Soutergate at Mowings Lane, Old Hall Road, Mill Dam and Mill Street.
Additional housing in this area would have a visual negative impact on Gill Banks (the start of the Cumbria Way). Wildlife would also be affected.
We feel that the application by Persimmons (an amendment to a previous application) is deceitful and that a lack of consultation by the council to those that may be affected is appalling. The secretive nature in which this issue is being conducted leads to mistrust all round.
Roz & Bob Butcher
