SNTS Report on the Public Presentation on 3rd May

A breakdown of points raised at the recent meeting. It may be helpful when sitting down to write your objection letters. I am still working through the documents and compiling a list of objection points if anyone would like to use them, they will be sent in the next few days. If you intend sending an objection letter from your household, can I suggest that everyone over the age of 18 years in your household send one - it can be a copy of the same email/letter but just change the sender's name. My worry is that as Sandleford has been running for quite some time, people may think that their previous applications will be noted which is not the case. Best regards, Julie Newbury Town Council organised a public presentation at Newbury Rugby Club to discuss the new Sandleford planning applications on Thursday, 3rd May. We thank the Town Council for making this session public and giving residents a forum to air their views, as this appears to be the only opportunity to do this for these applications outside the formal mechanisms of West Berkshire Council meetings. Not all the Committee were able to attend, but we have collated reports from other attendees and Julie from the Wash Common Action Group to give an overview of what was discussed and the issues raised. The perception was that there was a hostile atmosphere. The Developers' Agents scored a huge own goal when they seemed to only be capable of answering about 40% of the answers posed, a point highlighted by a gentleman in the audience. Topics covered: Planning Application Procedure: A request for the objection date to be changed by West Berkshire Council (WBC), to give the public longer to object. Newbury Town Council did not seem willing to make the request to WBC on our behalf. Access Issues \ Access for construction traffic: The A339 access will not commence for several years. Nothing is known about the Southern link access but there is a plan showing the link going through Gladman's land. Donnington Homes say they are actively pursuing the southern link but have 3 obstacles: landowner, proposing access to a site that doesn't have approval and the next planning framework currently due out soon. This makes the concentration of traffic on Monk’s Lane and Andover Road all the more apparent if the alternatives are so far away and reinforce our contention that access to the site is not adequate to support the volume of housing proposed. A lady suggested suspending the build until the access roads (or one) were built as there had already been a removal of Sandleford from the 5 year plan. No consideration in the plans of vulnerable road users, including school children. Is the bridge across the middle of the site a primary road as the plan appears to show the road narrowing at the bridge? We were assured by the Developers it will be a primary road. Also the new Bloor plan will not take a corner of the Rugby Club, which in previous plans has been essential to the route of the central road across the site. Haul route (i.e. access for construction vehicles): Bloor have one but through Monks Lane during extended working hours. Donnington New Homes will use the Warren Road Access also through extended working hours. Extended hours appear to mean the following: No limit on the number of HGVs and delivery vehicles associated with construction as far as I can see. Access times: Mon-Fri 0730-1800, Sat 0830-1300 No deliveries/collection outside of working days. No deliveries on Sundays or Public Holidays. The Agents could not answer questions accurately regarding the public footpath and could not answer how many Construction HGVs we should expect, nor when the bridge would be built. There is no Construction Management Plan. Member of the audience highlighted that the surveys at the Warren Rd junction did not include the St George's carpark. The Developers said that they intended to put a signalised junction here but plans have yet to be finalised. A gentleman brought up a conflict in category of Warren Road, one report saying "minor", another "significant" sensitivity. Questions regarding Kendrick and Garden Close Lane: Kendrick, query over how a junction at the cross over point at Sanfoin would work. Suggested bollards (!) or locked gate for affected residents of Kendrick Road. Also query over Emergency Vehicle Access, suggested key access - suggested by MN. A lady brought up the pedestrian/cycle access on Garden Close Lane. Asked regarding liability if an accident and the fact that the lane was dark and resident funded for maintenance. No real reply but note taken by Council. Other traffic issues: Budgens Roundabout: The larger single roundabout proposed in previous plans has been dropped in these new plans but existing roads are widened in places. The roundabouts on Monks Lane. A request that the roundabout that will incorporate the new large houses at the Rugby Club end be moved by 5 metres or so. Also a question as to why can't the Eastern parcel come out at the existing roundabout? Some talk about Swan roundabout linking with Wash Water. Nothing really transpired. Lack of cycle access was pointed out, but apparently West Berkshire Council have a plan. Housing: The developers stated that the development housing number would not be changed from 1500 but this was challenged by the audience and the question of trust was introduced into the discussion. A perception that the phasing of construction with infrastructure -clearly not been considered in detail. Amenities: Doctors surgery, Developers will pay around £630,000 towards upgrade Secondary school - the number of places did not seem to match the amount of primary places. Anthony Pick said there are education specialists for this. Primary schools - There was confusion over whether the primary schools would be one or two form entry. If 2 form then 420 pupils per school. One of the highway responses to both applications questioned why transport numbers for schools were 25% lower than they expected. Note: In previous developer presentations Bloor Homes in particular challenged West Berkshire Council’s estimates of primary school numbers and suggested that 2 form entries would not necessarily be need for one or both schools. West Berkshire have stuck to their numbers that suggest 2 two form schools are required in addition to the planned new primary school on the Newbury College site. A question was raised as to who would adopt Country Park. No real answer other than it should be protected from Anthony Pick. Also someone pointed out an issue of the positioning of a playground in country park.