Response to TDBC on planning applications 48/2007/061 and 48/2007/062

WEST MONKTON PARISH COUNCIL
Response to TDBC
Applications 48/2007/061 and 48/2007/062

The Parish Council has had information gathering meetings with the Developer’s Consortium, Taunton Deane Planning Authority, and SCC Highways Authority.

There are two applications: one is largely the same as the application registered in 2005 and registered with the Inspector as an Appeal by the Developers’ Consortium on the grounds of non-determination by TDBC. The other is an application excluding the Hookipa site.

The Hookipa site is the subject of a separate application for a roundabout.

The Parish Council has considered the information it gained and wishes to make the following comments.

1. Introduction
The Parish Council does not object to the application in principle, understanding that it is a government requirement that this large number of houses and associated building works should be delivered. It is also aware of the government requirement to provide affordable housing and social housing. The Parish Council would wish the TDBC Planning Committee to note that it wishes to work towards the successful integration of the existing community with the new settlement: the existing parish is circa 1200 houses and this application is for a further 900. A further 4000 have been identified in the Regional Spatial Strategy 2011 - 2026.

2. Eastern Relief Road (ERR)
The line of the Eastern Relief Road (ERR) road, at the southern end, does not follow the original line shown on the Local Plan. Although the Parish Council understands that the Local Plan line is neither mandatory nor statutory, it represents a smoother line through the application site. However, the Parish Council has been informed by the SCC Highways Authority that they are satisfied that the dog-leg on the application will not slow or deter traffic, and will serve the needs of the development until 650 houses are built. Despite assurances from the SCC Highways Authority that Saturn modelling confirms this to be true; the Parish Council has serious doubts. Having the benefit of local knowledge of the situation as it exists now, the Parish Council knows that at peak hours the traffic regularly backs back up the current A38 from Creech Castle as far as the Land Rover Garage at Bathpool, blocking the junction at Milton Hill. This can only be due to the inefficiency of the junction at Creech Castle. Apart from some minor works at the Creech Castle (described as ’minor tweaking’ during information gathering meetings), the junction there will not be changed. The Parish Council believes that the situation that exists at the moment will replicate itself when the A38 is bus-gated and traffic is directed along the ERR. If traffic backs up on the ERR, then the through traffic is going to find alternative routes, and estate traffic will have difficulty leaving or entering the estate at peak times. SCC Highways Authority has noted government requirements to get cars off the road, and hence the green travel plan is included..
Traffic already uses the lanes north of the A3259, through West Monkton Village, Goosenford, Gotton, Cheddon Fitzpaine and Rowford as a rat run whenever either of the two trunk roads through the Parish is obstructed in any way. The Parish Council is very concerned that, if traffic does not flow easily on the ERR, the lanes will become a regular rat run. These lanes are not, in any way, suited to speeding traffic and repeated representations by the Parish Council to SCC (Taunton Deane Highways) have been unsuccessful in finding a solution.
The Parish Council believes the ERR and the roundabout at the southern end will not serve the traffic from the 650 houses nor through traffic adequately. The travel plan, though worthy, will not match peoples’ aspirations which include buying a house and having a car. The designation of the employment land is likely to be storage and warehousing so will not provide a large number of jobs for people on the proposed development to walk or cycle to work. The Parish Council anticipates that most residents in the new development will be commuters, so the road capacity is important.

3. Western Relief Road (WRR)
The Parish Council knows that the WRR per se is not part of this application. The Developers’ Consortium stated that the WRR is not required in law to be part of the application, and stated that TDBC Planning had verbally agreed with this. But because the ERR will only allow for the building of 650 houses, the WRR becomes part of the whole development since the outline application currently before the TDBC Planning Committee is for 900 houses, 350 of which cannot be delivered without the WRR.
The Parish Council wishes to make a clear note that the line of the WRR currently shown running up Milton Hill is very unsuitable, since traffic will need to leave the Farriers Green estate (more than 150 houses) directly onto the WRR, and part of Milton Hill is a ’Safe Route to School’ from Taunton and Bathpool. This Safe Route to School needs to be protected and so the Parish Council is reassured by the SCC Highways Authority’s statement that the A3259 will be bus gated only when the WRR is in place, and not before. The Parish Council has been reassured by the Memorandum of Agreement drawn up between TDBC and the Developer’s Consortium: for TDBC, if necessary, to use its powers of Compulsory Purchase; and the Consortium to make financial contribution, so the WRR can be built. At the top end of Milton Hill with the junction at School Road, currently, chaos exists at school times, with traffic entering and leaving the cul de sac of School Road to drop children off at the Primary and Secondary Schools, and Tacchi-Morris. The Parish Council understands that the WRR is required to be in place by the occupation of the 651st dwelling, although local knowledge would indicate that the WRR would be needed sooner than that and a lower threshold than 650 as the trigger point would be advantageous in getting the WRR completed in time to service the development as it grows. A corner of the orchard at the junction of Milton Hill with the A38 would be needed smoothing the line of the WRR from the roundabout(removing the dog-leg in the current application). The Parish Council has been informed by SCC Highways Authority that they are preparing to enter into a legal agreement with the Developer’s Consortium to link the remaining 350 houses of this application with the provision of the WRR.
The Parish Council knows that the WRR is not included in this application, but consideration of it is essential to reach a satisfactory conclusion over the roundabout at the southern end of the ERR, the proposals to bus gate the A38 and A3259, and the delivery of the remaining 350 houses after the 650 are built.

4. School Road
The issue of traffic in School Road at school arrival and departure times has been a vexed issue for the Parish Council for many years, and despite the plethora of double yellow lines in the area, the situation remains as bad as ever. There is little room for improvement because Heathfield School, Tacchi-Morris and West Monkton Primary School are situated at the end of a cul de sac. Additionally, in fulfilling government initiatives, Tacchi-Morris/Heathfield School will soon open a unit for 14 -19 year old vocational Higher Diploma candidates. The Parish Council believes that the traffic situation could be resolved by making the permissive path running from the bottom of School Road to Brittons Ash on the current A38, into a one way single track, traffic- calmed road. The Parish Council has had verbal agreement from the Developers’ Consortium, the TDBC Planning Authority and SCC Highways Authority that this would be a good idea, although apparently it has never appeared on any plan. The Parish Council believe that this road would also serve to integrate the existing with the new settlement, and, by allowing vehicular access, assist in ensuring the sustainability and financial viability of the proposed Local Centre. Parents dropping their children at Heathfield School would have time to get round to the Primary School in time for its later opening. The Parish Council wish to emphasise the importance of securing the goals of integration and sustainability and request that the solution offered herewith is seriously considered.
The Parish Council is pleased with the arrangements for new accommodation for the Primary School, with accompanying Community Hall.
The Parish Council wishes to strongly endorse the route from the bottom of School Road to Britton Ash being made a vehicular one way road.

5. The green wedge
There is a green wedge separating Farriers Green/Bathpool from Taunton. This separation is blurred by the presence of a scattering of older houses. Generally speaking, at Bathpool it is one field wide and is traversed by the A38 running east/west; and for a short distance from Dyers Lane (a closed junction with A38) to the Milton Hill junction the A38 has no houses either side of it. The northern side of this stretch of the road and Milton Hill form 2 sides of the small orchard that would need to take the road line smoothing the WRR to the roundabout at the southern end. The proposed line of the ERR including the roundabout would traverse the green wedge running north/south and would have no houses either side of it in the area south of the Hookipa site. The Parish Council is satisfied that the acoustic barrier, proposed bunding and tree planting would effectively mitigate the effect of the ERR approaching the southern roundabout. This has been checked out by Parish Councillors standing on the canal side at St Quintins Park and looking across the canal to the field comprising the green wedge. The Parish Council believes that there is sufficient of the green wedge remaining, plus associated landscaping and tree planting to protect the canal, the canal side footpath and the local environment. The assessment of the green wedge by TDBC Landscape Office has not been provided to the Parish Council.
The Parish Council, whilst sharing TDBC concerns about the protection of green wedges, believes that in this case, it has already been breached by the A38 and existing dwellings; and the proposals in this instance, with the bunding and landscaping, mitigate intrusion into the green wedge.

6. Hookipa site
The Parish Council has noted the issues regarding the Hookipa site. If a solution is unable to be found the Parish Council understands that the ERR could be built as far as the boundary to the Hookipa site. It is difficult to imagine how the aims of integration and the relief of traffic issues could be met if this were to happen. The Parish Council has been informed that should the Hookipa site not be part of the development then the development will be short of the required amount of employment land.
The Parish Council would expect the Developers to resolve the problem regarding employment land and the provision of an incomplete ERR would not be acceptable.

7. Bus gates
The Parish Council has been informed by the Developers’ Consortium that they are committed to building the ERR before the rest of the site is developed. SCC Highways Authority have confirmed that the bus gate at the southern end on the A38 at Bathpool would be put in place when the ERR opens. So traffic will immediately be directed down the ERR. SCC Highways Authority state that there will be no change in status or grade of the A3259 until the WRR is complete. Furthermore the SCC Highways Authority state that the bus gate at the other end of the site, at Camels Hump (Hobbs Lane) junction will be put in when the WRR is open.
Whilst the Parish Council remains concerned about traffic flow round and through the site, it has no objections to these arrangements for bus gates.

8. Play and open space areas
The Parish Council understands that the application submitted in November 2007 comes under different legislation than the application submitted in 2005, (currently the subject of an Appeal). Consequently this application is accompanied by a Design and Access statement. The Parish Council is satisfied with the proposals for Play requirements.
The Parish Council is pleased that the Dyers Brook area will become a wildlife corridor, but the area must have appropriate illumination and be overlooked by housing so it is also a safe area.
To assist integration and sustainability, the Parish Council believe the Dyers Brook area should be traversed by more than just the permissive walkway. The Parish Council consider it is essential to see turn this into a one way road, and a footbridge at the other end of Dyers Brook should be another link between the existing and the new communities.
The Parish Council wishes to ensure that every opportunity is taken to integrate the existing and the new communities. The area around the proposed Local Centre, and the Dyers Brook wildlife corridor would benefit from another footbridge access into the existing estate. Otherwise there is only one link between the two communities. The Safe Route to School (from Creech St Michael) across the permissive path could be retained adjacent to the single track traffic - calmed one way road.

9. Drainage issues
The Parish Council has been assured that there will be no issues with capacity for rain water draining from the site. However, water does regularly 'pool' at the junction of Camels Hump (Hobbs Lane) with the A3259, causing danger to motorists - provision for surface and rain water removal should be given high consideration.
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