Access on a blind bend, inaccurate traffic reporting, and the severing of the Harcamlow Way are just a few of the issues raised by residents and the Newport Parish Council who are concerned about the proposed development of 150 houses off Wicken Rd in Newport. The deadline for public comment on the proposed Countryside Properties planning application has been extended to Friday 1st December, so residents have more time to respond.
If you wish to comment on the application the reference is UTT/17/2868/OP, and you can find out more here on the UDC website, and your comments can be emailed to planning@uttlesford.gov.uk.
Access to the new estate of 150 homes is planned onto the inside of the blind corner on Wicken Rd.
Local people are not happy about the application and there are a number of issues. The access to the site would not connect with the village. Instead a vast swathe would be cut through the copse bordering Wicken Road and the banking would be removed to create a new junction right on the inside, blind bit, of the bend going out of the village. Whilst inside the proposed development the estate road would cross the site cutting through the Harcamlow Way footpath at right angles.
The Harcamlow Way would be sliced in 2 by the estate road.
As part of its application in its assessment of traffic volumes, the developer used a computer model to calculate that the peak time traffic queue at the High Street / Wicken Road junction. Their report said that queue lengths were only 1.4 cars long, which anyone who uses the junction will know, is not correct, and as can been seen below.
The developer claims there are only 1.4 cars at this junction at peak times. This typical picture shows more than 6x that number.
Elsewhere in their transport sustainability claims, they incorrectly asserted that there was a fast and frequent train service from Newport direct to Stansted Airport, when there is neither bus nor train service direct to the airport.
Read the Newport Parish Council’s public consultation response here [PDF].
The Newport Parish Council urges residents to respond to the Public Consultation before the deadline.