Local Development Framework Consultation

1. Traffic

At the present time the site is said to accommodate 79 homes accessed entirely from Milnthorpe Road beyond the current boundary. A fair estimate of the number of cars which will use the location is two per household(158) plus say 20 for a third family member giving a total of 178 vehicles. This in itself will generate approx 356 car movements per day out and in onto Milnthorpe Road. Add to this visitors to site (Van deliveries, services ,friends etc.) then the figure could easily be 400 movements per day.

The question to be asked is which way will the flow of traffic go on Milnthorpe Road? Drivers who require to go to Carnforth or the M6 will turn left out of the development and drive through the centre of the village creating further blockages in the stretch in front of the Post Office or North Road if they choose to go towards Junction 36. Cars going towards Carnforth must pass through Burton in Kendal which already has severe pinch points in the main street. Burton has its own housing development plans which together with the possibilty of 400 car movements from Holme, will have an intolerable detrimental affect on the village. It is important that Burton Parish Council are part of the consultation process and asked to comment.
If vehicles turn right out of the new proposed development then similar problems are likely to ensue. Cars will use Elmsfield Lane to access J36 or go to Kendal via Endmoor. Elmsfield lane as you know is a single track road and already is suffering from the impact of satnav. If the traffic goes towards Milnthorpe then it must pass through Whasset which again is single file and dangerous. Likewise Beetham Parish Council should be included in the consultation.
My conclusion is that South Lakes District Council (SLDC) must carry out an independent Traffic Impact Assessment to support their proposals and reduce the number of houses to be built if the report indicates unacceptable traffic flows which would impact on the quality of life for existing residents in the neighbourhood. The question of speeding traffic through the village also needs to be addressed by SLDC.

2. Housing Layout

The design, layout and landscaping for the proposed development must not be dictated by the developer whose main interest is in maximising his profit from the sale of houses. SLDC should stipulate the minimum plot sizes to be greater than is normal and I suggest that garages should not be integral with the houses to ensure that properties are kept reasonably apart (Detached houses should not be a shoulders width apart!). With regard to Affordable Housing, then the positioning of these should be spread throughout the development, thus avoiding a look of a scheme within a scheme. As Holme is a rural location with a high density of car ownership, then off road parking for three vehicles per household should be provided.

Over all, if my suggestions were taken on board I would expect the size of the development to reduce. It would be useful if a representative of the Parish Council could be involved in drawing up the developers brief to ensure that the people of Holme continue to live in a village they can be proud of.

With regard to ensuring that all homeowners are aware of the implication of this large scale development in the village, then I agree that a major notice in the Parish Newsletter should be made as soon as possible, encouraging them to submit their comments to SLDC.

Regards,

Niven Ballantyne

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