Forest Farm under threat from development
The planning extension by Whitchurch Hospital has gone before the Councils Planning Committee and a site visit was granted as requested by Whitchurch Councillor Linda Morgan.
The site visit will take place on Monday January 30th at 1.15pm, taking place at the entrance to Whitchurch Hospital. Members of the public are strongly urged to attend and show support againt this development.
The development would see between 300 and 500 new houses and flats being built on the hospital meadows which are within yards of the forest farm nature reserve.
You can download the planning report here (PDF format)
and Julie Morgans comments can be read here
The plans include:
- 330 new homes to be built but that could increase as the plans for a new hospital on the site have now been scrapped.
- Access via a new roundabout at the current Hospital entrance on Park Road.
- The traffic assessment states 330 new homes will create only 28 vehicle movements at peak times!
- The Operational Manager of Parks Services issued no comment on the plans
- The Operational Manager of Environmnetal (pollution control) issued no comment on the plans
- The Chief Officer of Education issued no comment on the plans
- Only 230 addresses were written to for consultation. Friends of Forest Farm was not informed by the council.
Obviously we are deeply concerned about how this development would effect the nature reserve and find it impossible to understand how the Council have empowered us to protect the nature reserve yet exclude us from discussion as best as they can and dismiss our concerns so quickly.
Email from Iolo Williams, click for fullsize:
