BASE HEADER

No

ID sylw: 106525

Derbyniwyd: 06/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Jason Kirwin

I wish to provide comments on the SWLP and in particular with respect to the SG23 site North of Henley in Arden.

Turning to the SG23 site North of Henley in Arden, I oppose the development of this site for the following reasons:

1. It is identified that the site could be developed with up to 2,500 homes on green belt land. Such a development would fundamentally change the character of Henley, by tripling the size of the community. The infrastructure of Henley is already significantly stretched, and any further development of this nature would push the community to breaking point with respect to existing infrastructure relating to healthcare facilities, education, drainage and traffic management.

2. On the issue of drainage, Henley is already subjected to significant flood risk in the North due to the inability of the existing drainage to cope with the run-off water from the neighbouring farm land. We now have flooding of the North of Henley and the closure of the A3400 on a more regular basis. This flooding appears to be occurring more often due to the UK's increasingly wetter climate (current scientific evidence on climate change is such rainfall is only going to increase and become more common in the area). The drainage in Henley, already stretched to cope with current demand, will be unable to incorporate the increased volumes required as a result of the proposed development of SG23.

3. Of particular concern is the proposed development of the land to the east of the railway line in SG23. This farm land provides rain run-off from the surrounding agricultural land. During the winter months this land absorbs the substantial volume of water that flows from the surrounding farm land before it reaches the A3400 North of Henley. By developing this land (east of the railway line in SG23), such water will no longer be absorbed by the ground and will simply flow down the hill (the land east of the railway line in SG23 is all on a downhill slope going from west to east towards the A3400) and will inundate the already stretched drainage, resulting in regular flooding of the A3400 north of Henley every time there is heavy rainfall. The damage to the grass verges by the row houses north of Henley is still visible. This was caused by cars stuck in the floodwater over the Christmas period, being some three months ago. Such occurrences will become more common if the land east of the railway line in SG23 is developed, resulting in further physical damage to the roadside and general disruption to access in and out of Henley to the north every time there is heavy rainfall.

4. There is no suitable vehicular access to the proposed substantial development of SG23. The A3400 going into Henley is already a congested road, with traffic disruption already occurring on a regular basis where the A3400 crosses the A4189 at the traffic lights. The SG23 proposal will add thousands of more cars to the Henley community, which will exacerbate the existing traffic congestion issues experienced by Henley. Such traffic issues are already compounded during the summer tourist months with extensive traffic coming from the Birmingham direction towards Stratford, or when the M40 is closed in the area, resulting in all motorway traffic being rerouted through Henley via the A3400 and A4189.

These are all serious issues, which if unaddressed, will result in any development of the land at SG23 leading to significant disruption and damage to the already over-stretched infrastructure services within Henley.