More concern has been expressed to me about the planning application at Upperfield Farm than about any other application I have dealt with.
Apart from the view that this is overdevelopment of the site, the main concerns are possible damage to the access lane caused by heavy construction traffic, and possible damage to the older properties near the lane caused by vibration from this traffic. More recently there has also been concern about the possible discovery of asbestos on the site.
Construction traffic from all the previous developments at the location caused damage to the lane, and it has still not been properly repaired from the last time. The Parish Council asked for there to be a planning condition limiting the size of the construction vehicles and another condition ensuring that the lane was repaired by the developer following completion of the project.
The District Council’s Planning Officer has told me that he is not prepared to include any highways conditions because they have not been requested by the County Council’s Highways Liaison Officer. This is because the Planning Officer does not feel that the conditions could be defended if there was an appeal unless the County Council had recommended them.
This is very frustrating, particularly because the developer has said that he had expected there would be a planning condition asking for restoration of the lane when the work finishes.
The Highways Liaison Officer agrees that the lane is insubstantial and lightly used but he still does not consider that there should be a condition asking for its repair.
It appears that the Parish Council is wasting its time asking for there to be highways considerations for planning applications unless these are agreed by the County Council. I have asked how the Parish Council may express any views it has to the Highways Liaison Office before he makes any planning recommendation to the Planning Department, but I have received no response.
On a happier note, Richard Palmer has replaced the material on the roundabout. Although it is not so brightly coloured as the wooden sections, it should last a lot longer. All that is now left to do is to paint the metal parts of the roundabout.
Mike Mount
Parish Clerk
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