Object

Representation ID: 29384

Received: 23/03/2021

Respondent: Jane Wearing

•No justification given for building on green belt land when there are brownfield sites available in the district. Fundamental aim of Green Belt is to prevent urban sprawl and the essential characteristics are openness and permanence. Green belt can help urban regeneration by encouraging the recycling of derelict land.
•Development should be focused on urban and brownfield land for regeneration and to stimulate investment in the site allocations and wider area to provide infrastructure improvements.
•Proposed approach is a wasted opportunity to focus development within the settlement boundary. Ignores the need to regulate the size and shape of urban areas which are currently bounded by Green Belt.
•Approach does not adhere to the basic principle of Green Belt as the sites risk the potential of neighbouring towns eventually coalescing. If developed they will blur the contrast between urban and rural facets of Ilkley.
•No suggestion that there will be any social housing in these two developments.
•Proposals would significant change the character of the town and surrounding areas.
•Developments will significant increase traffic through the Wheatley Road railway bridge and junction with Valley Drive. No plans to widen the bridge and single land traffic will remain. These two areas already have a high risk of accidents.
•No traffic assessment has been carried out. Increases of traffic will have a significant impact on air quality.
•Ilkley Grammar is already at capacity, is unable to expand further and has already limited its catchment area. No additional secondary school capacity has been proposed.
•Demand for GP services will be extreme. No plans to create additional medical centres.
•Developments will put serve pressure on utilities. Sewage sites are already over capacity and regularly overflow their storm surge capacity.
•Broadband is exceeding capacity. At a time when record numbers of people are working from home. Additional homes will create significant issues for access to reliable broadband.
•Ilkley’s character is defined by its natural setting amongst the countryside, and these proposals go completely against the defined local plan to protect the local environment.
•Ilkley Moor is an SSSI, and the Wheatley Grove site is only 350m from the moor and falls within the buffer zone for this. Development should specifically be avoided in these areas.
•Both Wheatley Grove and Coutances Way provide wildlife corridors and significant habitat for wildlife. They have mature trees and a number of Tree Protection Orders / Woodland protection, due to the nature of the land.
•Significant existing flood risk. Development would exacerbate these issues.
•Sites are sinks for rain water delaying the flow through Ben Rhydding/Ilkley. These areas are regularly sodden and have springs.