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ePetition details

New Road Hill / A4 development proposal Objection Petition

We, the undersigned, petition the Council to REJECT planning application 20/03028/OUTMAJ for development of 16 dwellings at the junction between New Road Hill and the A4 in Woolhampton.

We, the local residents, object in the strongest possible terms to the proposed construction of more new residential buildings on the identified site.

Woolhampton has already accommodated a significant amount of recent development, particularly at the eastern approach on the A4 (Reed Gardens), and this application is to the west, which will book-end the village in new-build housing. This will completely change the character of this historic village, and the landscape of its approach from both directions.

Other major concerns are:

• Existing significant sewage/drainage capacity issues already occurring. Thames Water have acknowledged that the system is already over capacity, with the main sewer which travels down Station Road to the pumping station south of the Canal and services the whole village needing significant upgrading to facilitate the existing properties. Residents have been informed by Thames Water that it is not wide enough, has insufficient sumps and is already causing drainage to back up in some houses even before additional development is considered. Tankers are regularly already used by Thames Water for this reason to cater for the system shortfalls, which has already increased traffic and noise in the village. It is therefore unfathomable that plans should be in place to add further pressure to an already failing piece of infrastructure.

• There is an already over-subscribed and under-funded local school with no safe pedestrian access from the village, despite the claim in the initial report saying there was good access.

• A highly concerning highways proposal for this development with a new “ghost lane” to be placed between two existing ones, making an already dangerous junction significantly more so.

• Parking on New Road Hill is already insufficient, and when combined with the blind bend/hill, pedestrian access and driving are already dangerous. The addition of 16 dwellings with limited parking will only serve to make this situation significantly worse, increasing the chance of a serious incident/accident.

• The proposed site has a significantly sharp incline similar to Reed Gardens, which has seen land slippage and increased water run-off onto the A4 causing significant concern for residents and drivers. Existing surface water run-off issues down New Road Hill on to the A4, which the existing green field site helps to mitigate. In the winter, the bottom of New Road Hill becomes treacherous already with the run-off often freezing on regular occasions. With less options of soaking away, the water issue will increase, in turn making the situation even more dangerous.

• The initial proposal was rejected on 23rd January 2020, citing that “the proposed development will have a harmful impact on the landscape and character of the area” as the opening statement to rejection point 2, which then goes on further to explain why the development site is not suitable. This was also a statement made even before the Reed Gardens development was built, and any impact assessment undertaken. It is evident that since this previous determination, nothing has changed to the proposal that would change this determination. Therefore even by the planning committee’s own judgement, this site is unsuitable,

• The village has seen housing development in the immediate area increase rapidly in recent times, while seeing amenities like the Post Office and local pub (Falmouth Arms) be lost. Housing is already not matched by adequate infrastructure.

• Despite parish boundaries determining this site to be within Midgham, in reality in lies within the village of Woolhampton. The village hall is directly opposite the proposed site, and Woolhampton Parish Council meet within it. Midgham Parish Council and Woolhampton Parish Council havew both objected to this application.

Representatives on behalf of the residents will be putting forward our objections at the Planning Committee Meeting on 11th May.

The residents of Woolhampton feel that this continued run of attempts to gain planning authorisation by the applicant is relying on the local population growing tired of fighting the plans, apathy setting in, and resistance to the proposal dropping away. Application #1 in 2019 gained ~10 objections and was rejected. Application #2 gained almost 40 objections, and this number will rise time and again with each attempt until this proposal is rejected once and for all.

This ePetition ran from 05/05/2022 to 16/06/2022 and has now finished.

60 people signed this ePetition.