Gypsy and Traveller Site Options

Dear Sirs

GYPSY SITE CONSULTATION ON BEHALF OF HARBURY SOCIETY

We object to the inclusion of the Sites GT03 Barnwell Farm and GT04 Land at Harbury Lane Fosse Way for the reasons listed below. The responses are the same for both of these areas of search, but to comply with your rules we include both separately.

Site GT03 - Barnwell Farm OBJECT

YOUR CATEGORY:-
Convenient access to a GP surgery, school and public transport;

We know that in the last few years Harbury School and Surgery have been under severe pressure.

YOUR CATEGORY:-
Avoiding areas with a high risk of flooding. This area floods badly. Harbury Lane has at times been impassable. The land is often under water for several days after periods of heavy rain and not just in exceptional weather. It is within the Environment Agency's Flood Zone. The Agency must be consulted about this risk and how this risk would be increased by development.

Any "hard" landscaping or development of roads, buildings, etc necessary for a Travellers' Site would serve to increase run-off.

YOUR CATEGORY:-
Safe access to the road network and provision for parking, turning and servicing on site;

The Bendigo Mitchell Crossroads are an acknowledged accident blackspot particularly for turning traffic. This problem is exacerbated by the numbers of workers travelling to and from Jaguar/Landrover at peak periods. The congestion causes long tail-backs for vehicles trying to cross or access the Fosse. The Peak Period starts about 7.15am and continues until 9.30am and again between 3pm and 6pm. At all times it is very difficult for even private cars to get across the junction and much worse at peak periods. Long vehicles and trailers turning here would present a very real danger at any time.

The District Council must take into account the County's traffic figures and accident statistics relating to this junction and the effect or otherwise of the County's past attempts to make the crossroads safer.

There must be a properly conducted traffic survey and safety audit of this junction in its present form and a full traffic study of sites GT03 and GT04 to demonstrate the effects of the vehicle movements generated from these sites on the background traffic, taking into account future traffic growth on the high speed route - The Fosse, and the designated Lorry Route - Harbury Lane.

Should either site GT03 or GT04 be considered for a Travellers' site then we believe that extensive remodeling of the junction to provide a roundabout would be necessary

YOUR CATEGORY:-
Avoiding areas where there could be an adverse impact on important, features of the natural and historic environment;

Development of either Site GT03 and/or Site GT04 would have an adverse impact on the views from Chesterton Windmill - an historic feature in the Warwickshire Landscape as lauded and acknowledged by the Europa Nostra Award given for its restoration.

Chesterton Windmill is a building of local, national and international importance and its setting should not be challenged or damaged by development.

It is an important tourist attraction much loved and photographed (see Google Images!).

But the windmill is only part of the historic landscape that could be compromised by development. Research by David Adams on the Roman occupation of the Chesterton Valley has shown that settlement extended beyond the present village of Chesterton, over Windmill Hill and beyond the Camp on the Fosse.

There are thought to be Roman and possibly earlier remains on the western side of the Fosse and these would need to be investigated and excavated properly before any further development were sanctioned.

Site GT04 - Land at Harbury Lane, Fosse Way OBJECT

YOUR CATEGORY:-
Convenient access to a GP surgery, school and public transport;

We know that in the last few years Harbury School and Surgery have been under severe pressure.

YOUR CATEGORY:-
Avoiding areas with a high risk of flooding. This area floods badly. Harbury Lane has at times been impassable. The land is often under water for several days after periods of heavy rain and not just in exceptional weather. It is within the Environment Agency's Flood Zone

The Agency must be consulted about this risk and how this risk would be increased by development.

Any "hard" landscaping or development of roads, buildings, etc necessary for a Travellers' Site would serve to increase run-off.

YOUR CATEGORY:-
Safe access to the road network and provision for parking, turning and servicing on site;

The Bendigo Mitchell Crossroads are an acknowledged accident blackspot particularly for turning traffic.

This problem is exacerbated by the numbers of workers travelling to and from Jaguar/Landrover at peak periods. The congestion causes long tail-backs for vehicles trying to cross or access the Fosse.

The Peak Period starts about 7.15am and continues until 9.30am and again between 3pm and 6pm.

At all times it is very difficult for even private cars to get across the junction and much worse at peak periods. Long vehicles and trailers turning here would present a very real danger at any time.

The District Council must take into account the County's traffic figures and accident statistics relating to this junction and the effect or otherwise of the County's past attempts to make the crossroads safer.

There must be a properly conducted traffic survey and safety audit of this junction in its present form and a full traffic study of sites GT03 and GT04 to demonstrate the effects of the vehicle movements generated from these sites on the background traffic, taking into account future traffic growth on the high speed route - The Fosse, and the designated Lorry Route - Harbury Lane.

Should either site GT03 or GT04 be considered for a Travellers' site then we believe that extensive remodeling of the junction to provide a roundabout would be necessary

YOUR CATEGORY:-
Avoiding areas where there could be an adverse impact on important, features of the natural and historic environment;

Development of either Site GT03 and/or Site GT04 would have an adverse impact on the views from Chesterton Windmill - an historic feature in the Warwickshire Landscape as lauded and acknowledged by the Europa Nostra Award given for its restoration.

Chesterton Windmill is a building of local, national and international importance and its setting should not be challenged or damaged by development.

It is an important tourist attraction much loved and photographed (see Google Images!).

But the windmill is only part of the historic landscape that could be compromised by development. Research by David Adams on the Roman occupation of the Chesterton Valley has shown that settlement extended beyond the present village of Chesterton, over Windmill Hill and beyond the Camp on the Fosse.

There are thought to be Roman and possibly earlier remains on the western side of the Fosse and these would need to be investigated and excavated properly before any further development were sanctioned.

OUR CATEGORY
Intimidating and restricting nature of online response format. We found your online response format intimidating, unnecessarily restrictive and liable to cause the exclusion of many potential respondents. We would urge you to make any future consultations more user-friendly and accessible.

see attached

Dear Sirs

GYPSY SITE CONSULTATION ON BEHALF OF HARBURY SOCIETY

We object to the inclusion of the Sites GT03 Barnwell Farm and GT04 Land at Harbury Lane Fosse Way for the reasons listed below. The responses are the same for both of these areas of search, but to comply with your rules we include both separately.

Site GT03 - Barnwell Farm OBJECT

YOUR CATEGORY:-
Convenient access to a GP surgery, school and public transport;

We know that in the last few years Harbury School and Surgery have been under severe pressure.

YOUR CATEGORY:-
Avoiding areas with a high risk of flooding. This area floods badly. Harbury Lane has at times been impassable. The land is often under water for several days after periods of heavy rain and not just in exceptional weather. It is within the Environment Agency's Flood Zone. The Agency must be consulted about this risk and how this risk would be increased by development.

Any "hard" landscaping or development of roads, buildings, etc necessary for a Travellers' Site would serve to increase run-off.

YOUR CATEGORY:-
Safe access to the road network and provision for parking, turning and servicing on site;

The Bendigo Mitchell Crossroads are an acknowledged accident blackspot particularly for turning traffic. This problem is exacerbated by the numbers of workers travelling to and from Jaguar/Landrover at peak periods. The congestion causes long tail-backs for vehicles trying to cross or access the Fosse. The Peak Period starts about 7.15am and continues until 9.30am and again between 3pm and 6pm. At all times it is very difficult for even private cars to get across the junction and much worse at peak periods. Long vehicles and trailers turning here would present a very real danger at any time.

The District Council must take into account the County's traffic figures and accident statistics relating to this junction and the effect or otherwise of the County's past attempts to make the crossroads safer.

There must be a properly conducted traffic survey and safety audit of this junction in its present form and a full traffic study of sites GT03 and GT04 to demonstrate the effects of the vehicle movements generated from these sites on the background traffic, taking into account future traffic growth on the high speed route - The Fosse, and the designated Lorry Route - Harbury Lane.

Should either site GT03 or GT04 be considered for a Travellers' site then we believe that extensive remodeling of the junction to provide a roundabout would be necessary

YOUR CATEGORY:-
Avoiding areas where there could be an adverse impact on important, features of the natural and historic environment;

Development of either Site GT03 and/or Site GT04 would have an adverse impact on the views from Chesterton Windmill - an historic feature in the Warwickshire Landscape as lauded and acknowledged by the Europa Nostra Award given for its restoration.

Chesterton Windmill is a building of local, national and international importance and its setting should not be challenged or damaged by development.

It is an important tourist attraction much loved and photographed (see Google Images!).

But the windmill is only part of the historic landscape that could be compromised by development. Research by David Adams on the Roman occupation of the Chesterton Valley has shown that settlement extended beyond the present village of Chesterton, over Windmill Hill and beyond the Camp on the Fosse.

There are thought to be Roman and possibly earlier remains on the western side of the Fosse and these would need to be investigated and excavated properly before any further development were sanctioned.

Site GT04 - Land at Harbury Lane, Fosse Way OBJECT

YOUR CATEGORY:-
Convenient access to a GP surgery, school and public transport;

We know that in the last few years Harbury School and Surgery have been under severe pressure.

YOUR CATEGORY:-
Avoiding areas with a high risk of flooding. This area floods badly. Harbury Lane has at times been impassable. The land is often under water for several days after periods of heavy rain and not just in exceptional weather. It is within the Environment Agency's Flood Zone

The Agency must be consulted about this risk and how this risk would be increased by development.

Any "hard" landscaping or development of roads, buildings, etc necessary for a Travellers' Site would serve to increase run-off.

YOUR CATEGORY:-
Safe access to the road network and provision for parking, turning and servicing on site;

The Bendigo Mitchell Crossroads are an acknowledged accident blackspot particularly for turning traffic.

This problem is exacerbated by the numbers of workers travelling to and from Jaguar/Landrover at peak periods. The congestion causes long tail-backs for vehicles trying to cross or access the Fosse.

The Peak Period starts about 7.15am and continues until 9.30am and again between 3pm and 6pm.

At all times it is very difficult for even private cars to get across the junction and much worse at peak periods. Long vehicles and trailers turning here would present a very real danger at any time.

The District Council must take into account the County's traffic figures and accident statistics relating to this junction and the effect or otherwise of the County's past attempts to make the crossroads safer.

There must be a properly conducted traffic survey and safety audit of this junction in its present form and a full traffic study of sites GT03 and GT04 to demonstrate the effects of the vehicle movements generated from these sites on the background traffic, taking into account future traffic growth on the high speed route - The Fosse, and the designated Lorry Route - Harbury Lane.

Should either site GT03 or GT04 be considered for a Travellers' site then we believe that extensive remodeling of the junction to provide a roundabout would be necessary

YOUR CATEGORY:-
Avoiding areas where there could be an adverse impact on important, features of the natural and historic environment;

Development of either Site GT03 and/or Site GT04 would have an adverse impact on the views from Chesterton Windmill - an historic feature in the Warwickshire Landscape as lauded and acknowledged by the Europa Nostra Award given for its restoration.

Chesterton Windmill is a building of local, national and international importance and its setting should not be challenged or damaged by development.

It is an important tourist attraction much loved and photographed (see Google Images!).

But the windmill is only part of the historic landscape that could be compromised by development. Research by David Adams on the Roman occupation of the Chesterton Valley has shown that settlement extended beyond the present village of Chesterton, over Windmill Hill and beyond the Camp on the Fosse.

There are thought to be Roman and possibly earlier remains on the western side of the Fosse and these would need to be investigated and excavated properly before any further development were sanctioned.

OUR CATEGORY
Intimidating and restricting nature of online response format. We found your online response format intimidating, unnecessarily restrictive and liable to cause the exclusion of many potential respondents. We would urge you to make any future consultations more user-friendly and accessible.

see attached