Response from Mrs Sarah Fishwick (Individual)
1. Mrs Sarah Fishwick (Individual) : 9 Jan 2017 12:08:00
Please make your comments in the box below and refer specifically to the number of each site / policy you are commenting on.
S56 South of Whinney Fold, Silverdale
I object to any development on this site. It is proposed back land development behind back land development.
The spreadsheet in Arnside and Silverdale AONB Development Plan Document states, “Cannot mitigate landscape impact of developing whole site. Planning application submitted and withdrawn (15/01400/FUL). Smalller area would have moderate landscape impact which could be mitigated, subject to satisfactory drainage/sewerage treatment, and specific biodiversity mitigation”.
If development is allowed on part of this site, because it would only have “moderate landscape impact”, it would be very difficult, and probably impossible, to deny extending the site because the precedent for development would have been set.
The original development, after protracted legal arguments and objections was granted, but designed so that there was no suitable (supposedly) access to the site past and behind the current properties on Whinney Fold.
The road where it joins with Shore Road already causes parking and access issues for residents and visitors to the properties on Shore Road. Any houses built on the site would need at least two parking spaces unless the future residents are expected to be benefit claimants or retirees.
This is because there is very little local employment, the railway station is over a mile from the village down unlit roads without pavements. The bus service, already under threat, only runs around the village and south. There are no buses to Arnside, Sandside or Milnthorpe, the areas where much of the local employment is sited or planned.
Anyone working further away from Silverdale, in any direction, on shift work or with early starting or late finishing needs their own transport and longer distance cycling is not an option for many working age people.
Shore Road is a cul-de-sac which leads down to The Shore across a cattle grid and onto what used to be a large car park. This is very popular and well used by visitors and locals who enjoy the amazing views across the bay.
Over time the car park has been reduced to a fraction of its size by the natural erosion of the coastline caused by the changing tidal flows and sand displacement.
What is left of the car park is prone to regular and sometimes prolonged tidal flooding making it unsafe to park for extended periods.
This means the whole of Shore Road is well used by car drivers, many with older or less active occupants, cyclists and a great many walkers of all ages.
The option of restricting parking, yellow lines or other enforcement measures would destroy the character and ambience of the road and surrounding area and ruin the visitor experience which is so important in the AONB.
The latest housing needs survey asked residents in each village in the AONB what their future housing needs were, which is a reasonable thing to do, but then aggregated the findings into a needs list for the whole AONB.
Family support systems, eg grandchild minding/taking to and from school etc, and older people supporting/caring for older parents, work access and availability make many of the aggregated housing needs unrealistic in this area.
