I Am a New Member of the Stratton-On-The-Fosse Parish Council, but Am Writing As a Villager and Not in Any Official Capacity
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I am a new member of the Stratton-on-the-Fosse Parish Council, but am writing as a villager and not in any official capacity. I would like to express my concern regarding the proposed new housing development near The White Post public house in Stratton-on-the-Fosse. I wish to address the following sustainability questions: Matter 4 – Consideration of the six sites suggested in the Main Modifications 4.1 Edge of Midsomer Norton: Sites MN1 (Land at White Post, near Westfield for a minimum of 250 dwellings), MN2 (Land at Underhill Lane, Midsomer Norton for a minimum of 60 dwellings) and MN3 (Land east of the A367, near Westfield for a minimum of 145 dwellings). (i) Are these sites sustainable as sites for new homes, and are there ownership or other delivery constraints? (ii) If the housing/employment balance in Radstock/Norton is already skewed in relation to a serious issue of out-commuting (e.g. to employment opportunities in Bath and Bristol), how critical is this consideration in relation to the overall sustainability of these sites or any other potential housing sites on the edge of Midsomer Norton and Radstock? (iii) What other sustainability issues should the Plan have regard to in relation to these sites? Obvious Sustainability Issues are Employment and other Economic Factors such as lack of local employment and having to travel. Environment issues such as Traffic, Roads, Pollution etc. Social issues such as schooling, two parts to Stratton Parish, medical factories, Care facilities etc. Firstly, any housing adjacent to The White Post pub will be within the Stratton-on-the-Fosse parish boundary. The parish has a current population of about 1,200 and is largely a rural agricultural landscape. This new development would completely change the nature of the village and create two “hubs” of housing - one rural development straddling the main road (the current village) and the other clustered around The White Post and abutting the established new housing development on the A367 on the edge of Midsomer Norton - with a large gap in between the two settlements. The new settlement would potentially double the size of the current village and it will completely change its nature - from a quiet rural community to a satellite of Midsomer Norton and Radstock - does this mean that there are plans for more development that will completely swallow the village in the future? Secondly, all housing proposals have been listed as being 'on sites adjoining Midsomer Norton and Radstock' and no mention has been made of being in Stratton on the Fosse, of being in Kilmersdon, or as being in Ston Easton. As a result, the parish has missed out on consultations, both on a local District Level and indeed at a Government Inspector Level, whereas other parishes such as Norton St Philip, Selworthy and Rode have been involved throughout. This is completely unacceptable as the new housing would have such a huge impact on the village. As a Parish Councillor, would we be responsible for looking after the local needs of the people in this new housing development as it would fall in our parish? If it goes ahead our voluntary work could potentially double and it would bring all kinds of different challenges for the parish council to handle (with associated costs on a finite budget) - from local planning issues to maintaining the infrastructure of the development. Why, when we will be responsible for the needs of the people in this new development, has Stratton-on-the-Fosse Parish Council and its villagers not been involved and consulted from the very beginning of this proposal - would Bath residents be ignored and discounted in the same way, for example? I fail to understand where the new population of this new development would find work - or, indeed, send their children to school. There are few opportunities in the local area - with little industry on offer - Mulberry, one of the larger local businesses, for example, is shedding jobs at the moment due to COVID-19 and the difficulties they have had in their own market. There would be few opportunities for these new people to find work in the immediate area - therefore most of the new population would be working in Bath, Bristol and the surrounding larger towns. Why then, has this site been chosen as it is at least 12 miles away from the nearest available employment? Surely it would be wiser to house people closer to their places of employment? Commuting would create even more pollution in the area - the road network is already heavily used by people living in Midsomer Norton and Radstock and the surrounding villages who work in Bath and Bristol. “A survey of the currently nearly-completed Barrett site (which IS on the edge of Midsomer Norton), found that about 90% of those in employment travel to Bristol and Bath to work,” according to the submission of objection made by the Parish Council. The proposed new development and subsequent rise in car journeys by new residents would lower the air quality for the current population of Midsomer Norton and Radstock - potentially creating more health problems for both children and adults. Buses are unreliable and take a long time to get into Bath or Bristol - with COVID-19 issues and restrictions people are also less likely to want to use public transport. There is already heavy demand on the Odd Down Park & Ride scheme on the edge of Bath so any new traffic would potentially have to park in residential streets or in the centre of town - creating more pollution for Bath and its own residents who already live in a heavily polluted city. It would also create more general traffic congestion at both school run and rush hour for both residents of the local area and for the towns and cities where these new people work. As for schools, I know that our local school St Vigor and St John’s, based in Chilcompton, is over-subscribed - a current new villager could not enrol his twin boys into the school as they were full and had to send them out of the area for their schooling. As the local school for Stratton-on-the-Fosse, how will it cope with these new children? The Stratton-on-the-Fosse primary school was shut several years ago, so there is no schooling provision in the village itself. I realise that their is a new primary school being built at Silver Street in Midsomer Norton - again this is a controversial development due to the nature of the dangerous country road it sits upon - is this the new school intended for the children of the new White Post development? How will these children get to their new schools - there are busy and dangerous roads to all the area’s schools so parents are more likely to choose to take them by car - creating even more congestion and loss of air quality in the process. The local council would have to provide more free school buses perhaps to cope with the extra influx - another strain on their overstretched budgets. There will also be the inevitable affect on the local environment - the loss of hedges and fields, trees and the loss of natural habitats for the local wildlife. Not only that but the new development will also have a direct affect on drainage in the area, as it will end up covered in concrete and tarmac. Socially, with the influx of new people to the area, there will inevitably be more crimes committed, more social and elderly care needed, more medical facilities required and so on - has the local council got the capacity in their budget to cope with the increase in demand for all these services? Is it fair to current residents to use the local council and parish council budgets to help fund the infrastructure for this new and superfluous development? I completely understand the need for new housing and it should be everyone’s right to have their own home, but the location of this new development makes no sense and would only create more significant problems for the local people and local council. Surely it is common sense to build houses near to available work and more abundant schools, transport infrastructure and social services? I know that both the Parish Council and local District Councillors are firmly against the inclusion of this site for development. “Not only would they create a new community separate from the main village, we believe they would be unsustainable environmentally and economically.” Surely their views must be taken into account. Sue Bartucca .