GNLP2172

I object to ANY more houses being built any where in Blofield Heath, beyond those that already have a FULL planning permission. We have far more than was originally told by BDC at the start of consultation of the GNLP.
The infrastructure is totally inadequate to take any more vehicles, absolutely nothing has been done by Highways to receive the present congestion. The Schools, Surgery and drainage system are already at capacity.
Taking valuable farm land also destroyed the ecology system.

We wish to protest against this application on the grounds that it would create a significant risk of serious road traffic accidents.

Firstly, the exit from the proposed housing scheme would be directly on to an already hazardous stretch of Woodbastwick Road which in recent years has seen a marked increase in traffic on this narrow 60 mph stretch, presumably due to the continuous increased housing and population in the area. The widening in 2013 of a bend on the southern approach to the stretch in question gave rise to significant increase in speeding. The limited visibility for motorists trying to exit from the houses directly adjacent to that stretch and from Holly Lane has caused worrying incidents and has already been reported to the County Council. The impact of more cars, possibly in excess of 100 at peak times is frightening.

Secondly, with the already increased flow of traffic on Woodbastwick Road an ever increasing number of motorists bound for the A47 to Norwich are choosing to avoid the congestion and bottleneck in Blofield (particularly during school term parking) and the battle with the notorious Cucumber Lane roundabout. They are instead filtering from Woodbastwick Road on to the eastbound carriageway of the A4 7 towards Acle and then making a dangerous U-turn across the central access gap to Lingwood/Blofield in order to travel on the westward carriageway towards Norwich. The proposed A47 improvement does not address this problem as there appears to be no plan to provide a westward filter from the north at that point. In any case this practice has the knock­on effect of increasing the A47 flow of traffic across the Cucumber Lane roundabout, further hampering access of motorists from Blofield and Brundall.

Thirdly, flooding frequently occurs on the stretch of Woodbastwick Road along the proposed site of building. Presumably, a substantial drainage reconstruction would need to be in place before the addition of a further 85 houses could be contemplated.

Fourthly, we fail to understand the alleged benefit stated in item "5d" of "improved foot/cycle paths for the community''. There are at present no footpaths or cycle paths in the whole stretch of Woodbastwick Road between ta few yards short of the junction with Blofield Corner Road to the north and Shack Lane to the south. The construction of a footpath along the length of Blofield House land would peter out at either end, leading nowhere. We fail to see how an isolated stretch of footpath inaccessible from either end could be regarded as any kind of benefit to the local area.

We understand that previous applications for the construction of a single house on this stretch of road ,as already been rejected on grounds of dangerous access. We request that this application for the building of 85 houses should be immediately rejected for the reasons above

After much thought and consideration Blofield Parish Council would like to make the following response to the proposals contained in the Greater Norwich Local Plan New, Revised and Small Sites consultation : -
Blofield and neighbouring parishes have already seen a large number of developments built or approved. The local infrastructure cannot cope with what is happening now and the council has specific concerns about:
* The capacity of the access to the A47 (Cucumber Lane roundabout). The existing planning consents have taken forecast flows to the limit of the capacity.
* The provision of essential local services including healthcare and schools. The existing developments have overloaded the services and there is no capacity to cope with the impact of the housing which is being built let alone the significant additional houses that have planning permission. There are no credible proposals to improve the situation.
* The capacity of the Postwick Hub if large housing developments occur in the locality: were these housing proposals factored into the traffic flow forecasts when the junction was designed? We already have tailbacks onto the A47 from the slip road that are as bad as before the improvements to the 'hub'; significant additional flows through that junction as a result of housing growth and the NDR won't improve the problem.
* Loss of Grade 1 or 2 agricultural land at a time when there is concern post-Brexit about food security.
* The ability of the water supply and treatment infrastructure to service the proposed housing developments in and near the parishes.
The current Local Plan allocated 'about' 50 houses to Blofield itself and 'about' 25 to Blofield Heath giving the parish of Blofield growth of, say, 75 - 100. The actual growth under the current Local Plan will be about 500 houses - which is 500% of the planned number, casts serious doubt on the utility and effectiveness of Local Plans, and is crippling local services.
Given the extent of development experienced under the current Local Plan the Parish Council opposes all the proposed sites within the parish put forward in the GNLP New, Revised and Small Sites consultation: the parish needs time to absorb the current developments and for the infrastructure issues to be addressed by bodies such as NCC.