NEW WARREN ROAD WIDENING APPLICATION - PLANNING APPLICATION 20/03041/FUL

Hello everyone, I hope you are well? As you know there is another application to widen Warren Road. If you feel strongly about this being a trojan horse in order to get through the Sandleford red tape then I would appreciate if you would send an objection letter by email to Planapps@westberks.gov.uk

Here are a few points that you are welcome to cut and paste and make it your own if you need them. It is important that we get to 20 objection letters minimum - I know that this seems to be going on and on but we need to keep going with this.   Thanks, Julie
 
· NPPF Paragraph 91c states: “enable and support healthy lifestyles, especially where this would address identified local health and well-being needs – for example through the provision of safe and accessible green infrastructure, sports facilities, local shops, access to healthier food, allotments and layouts that encourage walking and cycling”. The proposed inclusion of Public Footpath Newbury 5 into Highway with footpaths would result in the loss of a valuable community asset for encouraging local residents’ healthy lifestyle and would not be replaced with like-for-like as required in NPPF Para 97b “the loss resulting from the proposed development would be replaced by equivalent or better provision in terms of quantity and quality in a suitable location”.
 
Unless West Berkshire Council has conclusive legal evidence of an additional right of way on Public Footpath Newbury 5, they cannot apply to amend the Definitive Map and Statement to add these Motor Vehicular Rights of Way.

· Public Footpath Newbury 5 is a “highway”, so that once a right of way exists it remains in existence unless and until it is lawfully closed or diverted. 

· A right of way is recorded on the “definitive” map and becomes a legal record of its existence at that point.  

· This application fails to consider the impact of the Andover Road/Warren Road on key pedestrian routes around the local schools and churches if the new width is approved and there is subsequent development. This is particularly important with the Sandleford Development being on the Local Plan and the Warren Road being considered within the SPD.

· The supporting transport information fails to consider the transport environmental impacts of the proposed Sandleford development on sensitive receptors such as local schools and vulnerable road users, particularly associated with local schools. This is especially important as the Warren Road is contained within the SPD as “to be explored” as an access road to the Sandleford Development.

The Warren Road is adjacent to 2 Schools: Park House and Falkland Primary, as well as local community hubs including 2 churches, pre-school and a community hall. There is no alternative HGV haul route for the work required to improve this road, nor for any housing development resulting from this, leaving vulnerable road users at risk.

· This application should be considered alongside the Sandleford planning applications to ensure necessary procedures are followed and there is a holistic “one-application” approach to planning the development as mentioned in CS3.