Summary of Comments and Responses re Key Messages document : Q1 ‐ Q8 APPENDIX 1 Representee Comments Response Recommendation General Comments National Grid No comments to make on this document. Noted No change Coal Authority No comments to make on this document. Noted No change Wrexham Bidston Rail Response relates to those issues which relate in some Noted No change Users Assoc way to the passenger train service provision on the Wrexham‐Bidston line; Rail connectivity linking communities and employment locations in north east Wales and across the border into north west England is poor; forcing many to drive to work on heavily congested roads and denying work opportunities to those who cannot afford to drive or who are unable to drive to work. Young people are at a particular disadvantage if they need to drive as the cost of running a car can represent a significant element of their salary which many may not be able to afford. In an area which has 30% of the Welsh economy (without even considering the significant and growing economic activity immediately over the border, which employs many Welsh residents), the 2011 census shows rail’s share for travel to work is 1% in Flintshire and 0.9% in Wrexham; both less than half of the average of 2.1% for Wales as a whole. It is the WBRUA’s view that modest rail service improvements in north east Wales will further unlock the economic potential of the area The WBRUA’s strategy for the Wrexham‐Bidston Line is to identify, justify and promote: Opportunities to improve current service performance, passenger satisfaction and passenger numbers; Opportunities for an improved service frequency and an extension to current operating hours between Wrexham and Bidston together with improved interchange with other services at both Shotton and Wrexham during the course of the new franchise; The case for the introduction of a new station, Deeside Parkway, on the route adjacent to the Deeside Industrial Park and the A548 (see Figure 1 below). This new station would enable employees to get to the Deeside Industrial Park by train and at the same time provide easy access from the network of dual carriageways to park and ride facilities for rail services to Birkenhead, Liverpool, Wrexham and beyond; The introduction of a through service between Wrexham and Liverpool, if and when suitable rolling stock (such as IPEMUs – Independently Powered Electrical Multiple Units; battery/electric trains which can run beyond the limits of electrification) becomes available; A case for full electrification of the route. Deeside Parkway Station ‐ It is the WBRUA’s view that this strategy fully aligns with the vision of Flintshire’s local development plan; namely to achieve a sustainable and lasting balance which provides for the economic, social and environmental needs of Flintshire. Northop Community Members of Northop Community Council met on 11th It is disappointing that the Community No change Council April and resolved to respond to the consultation as Council did not feel that they were able follows: to respond as they have provided detailed feedback on previous The Council does not have the technical knowledge to consultations. The KMd was written in an be unable to comment in detail on what are complex easy to understand format and has been professionally drafted documents setting out options complemented by other respondents. for the future direction of the Flintshire Local Although the two appendices are more Development Plan. The Council does however feel detailed in setting out the settlement strongly that if a rigorous methodology for decision assessments and the drawing up of making is adopted by Flintshire County Council, then different settlement hierarchies, the that methodology and subsequent policies and paper was primarily seeking to call upon development briefs must be adhered to. the detailed local knowledge of stakeholders, particularly community councils, in ensuring that the settlement strategy in the Plan is both soundly based and sustainable. Cllr Cindy Hinds For our community to have confidence in the changes Noted No change in the UDP to those being proposed in the LDP we must make sure that all the information about our community ‐ Penyffordd, Penymynydd and Dobshill is correct. If I start with Housing as my first observation and At the baseline of the UDP Penyffordd / obviously the most contentious for our community I Penymynydd had 1340 dwellings. Taking would wish to make these objections to your proposals completions and commitments (planning in the LDP. permissions) of 363 units this gave a total theoretical growth of 27% over the Plan 1. We have suffered under the UDP an increase in period (this broad level of growth was new developments to a percentage rise approximately sanctioned by the UDP Inspector). 35% under the guidance of ‘Settlement B’ category, we However, as at April 2015 (when the should have had only 8 to 15%. This increase left our monitoring of growth as part of the UDP villages with severe problems. ceased) some 81 dwellings had not been competed so the actual growth over the Plan period was 21%. These 81 dwellings are in effect contributing to growth over the LDP Plan period. A) The sewerage system is too small, too As part of preparing the UDP all statutory antiquated and is very close to collapse. By inadequate consultees were involved in the process survey and drainage works on The Groves site has now to ensure that the allocations in the Plan caused severe problems for existing residents and the could be delivered in terms of new development itself is in a state of surface water infrastructure. These sites have also been flooding. Latest example new play area under approx 2 through a further round of consultation foot of water, photographs can be provided. On the as part of the consideration of planning Corwen Road, for the first time that I can remember, applications on them. The events listed in had surface water right across the road and the culvert the objection must also be considered in is right by and was full and flowing over. The other the context of unprecedented levels of areas being affected ‐ the youth club and scout hut, concentrated rainfall where such there was sewerage and water all in front and coming problems have occurred throughout out of the gate onto the main road. The Post Office and North Wales. surrounding areas ‐ water coming down Penymynydd Road and causing the whole of Chester Road by here to be just like a river. Alyn Drive and Abbots Lane. Approximately four years ago Welsh Water did some remedial works and put non return valves on a number of houses, aimed at stopping the sewerage and excess water and FCC helped out. This did alleviate the problems until this year and this, I feel new developments are adding problems. B) There is no doubt in my mind that the Redrow See response above site, whilst it is off the top of Penymynydd Road the drainage runs downhill and puts extra pressure on Penymynydd Road and Chester Road. Your proposals do not emphasise strongly enough that The LDP nor the lpa has the remit to older villages need complete refurbishment and require per se the complete renewal of the water and sewerage systems, in fact you refurbishment or renewal of water and have now made the situation worse by declaring your sewerage systems. Rather, the Plan can intentions to class our villages as an urban settlement. seek to establish through consultation with the relevant statutory providers, whether existing infrastructure can accommodate further development and whether any necessary improvements to the infrastructure can be made to improve capacity. Our community finds this proposal absolutely ridiculous The document has not declared its and just an attempt by Planners to use your intentions of classifying the settlement as concentration paragraph to give the backing to increase an urban area. Rather, the KMd has put housing development once more. forward a number of options for organising settlements into hierarchies. One of these possibilities is the identification of urban areas. All stakeholders are being given the opportunity to submit their views in order to assist in identifying the most appropriate approach. The issue of housing numbers is not being considered as part of this exercise. The community is surrounded by farms and fields and a The reference to a ten – fold increase in by‐pass which was built, if I may remind you, to the village is not clear as to whether this alleviate the congestion through the village. The UDP refers to the level of housing or the level housing plans, which I have referred to, have increased of traffic. The settlement has a number of in the centre of the village ten fold, evidence early access points onto the A550 at the top, morning queues to get onto the by‐pass and tea time, middle and bottom of the village as well evidence the amount of traffic calming measures which as access via Chester Road onto the had to be placed to make the village safer. A5104 for residents travelling to Broughton and the A55. The impact on highway capacity and the creation of a safe vehicular access and egress will be assessed as part of looking at all Candidate Sites. Our school has classes 35 and over and increasing all The settlement audit shows that the the time when the houses are occupied. To remind you settlement does in fact have a range of once again that we have no doctors, or health services, facilities and services. Although the bus services are being reduced, some are under threat, medical centre no longer operates, a new no Sunday service and the X55 which was taken off a medical centres is being built nearby in number of the older people in the village very angry Hope.