Dear Stuart,
I am writing to OBJECT to the proposed development west of Harlington Railway line CB/21/05416/OUT.
I am objecting on traffic and access and environmental grounds.
1. Traffic and access
The access to the new development is inappropriate. Toddington Road/Station Road is too narrow and sinuous for safe ingress to such a large development, and any traffic mitigation measures proposed, especially on Westoning Road, where the carriageway is to be restricted, will make our traffic issues worse.
2. Environmental
The road access to the development has bizarrely been planned where there are six or seven mature oak trees, one of which would have been a seedling when Queen Victoria came to the throne. All are going to be felled according to the Outline Plan. These trees are a striking rural feature for this entrance to the village.
The hedgerow within which the trees grow is an important corridor for wildlife to travel between the mature tree habitats Briarwood and the woodland area to the west of the railway station. It will take several decades for the proposed replanting to compensate for the CO2 and methane released by the felling and decay of the trees and disturbance of the soil.
These environmental concerns are by no means exhaustive. The effect of the development on the Briarwood wildlife and the SSSI of the River Flit have not, as far as I am aware, been assessed.
This wanton destruction of such valuable habitat goes against the environmental principles the Council purports to champion and the COP29 agreements recently made by the Government. It is frankly unbelievable that the developer and Council could countenance this environmental vandalism when there are so many alternative access points that can be considered.
It would be better to acquire Green Belt land for a new road either connecting the A5120 to the new development, preferably with a new roundabout that would also help the accident blackspot at the Westoning Road/A5120 junction, or from Westoning Road. Such a road would alleviate many, though not all, of the concerns raised above. I strongly urge the council to defer the proposed development in order to consider such alternatives, because although these may be more expensive options, they will be far safer and better for the village and it’s natural heritage.
Yours sincerely
--REDACTED---