Dear Sir,
Residents are concerned over the proposed housing Development on Travellers Green of 80 dwellings by Gleeson Homes and possible development by Livin of a further 19+ dwellings on Travellers Green which combined would be in excess of 100 new dwellings.
I was first alerted to this issue by articles in Newton News. A small number of residents have been formally contacted, with the remainder finding out by word of mouth.
A considerable number of residents would be directly affected by any proposed development as would the larger population of Newton Aycliffe. I have logged onto the Durham County Council’s planning website and looked at the proposals with particular scrutiny of the Transport Statement prepared for Gleeson Homes.
Gilpin Road is already congested with parked cars and Travellers Green/Clarence Chare has similar parking problems as well as them all being on bus routes.
An added difficulty is a lot of cars avoid the speed bumps on Shafto Way by using these roads to access the Business Park. By far the greater concern for the town as a whole is the fact that Travellers Green/Clarence Chare feeds onto St. Cuthbert’s Way, the main road through the Town to the industrial area and Darlington. Also feeding onto this road is traffic from Finchale Road, Greville Way, Sheraton Road and Emmerson Way and Bewick Crescent which backs up to the mini roundabout by St. Clare’s Church.
One can only imagine what a bottleneck the Blue Bridge area could possibly become without creating an alternative access route to the proposed development. We are constantly being told how good things are going to be, employment wise, with the arrival of Hitachi and any possible spin-offs from that which is of course good news for the town, but without the right infrastructure we could be facing massive traffic and environmental problems.
I highlight two points in particular from the Transport Statement – 4.5.3 – ”the proposed development is in a sustainable location where need to travel by private car would be far from necessary”! – is everyone able to walk to their destination? and 5.3 – “the proposed development would have an insignificant effect on the highway network in the vicinity” Do these planners actually live here or try to get around our roads which are becoming increasingly congested with inadequate off-road parking provided?
This proposal should be looked at again in more detail with respect to alternative access to and from the development and also the off-road parking issue for existing residents whose properties border these new houses.
I would urge people to consider carefully the long-term repercussions of this ill thought out proposal and make your views known before once again we are ridden over rough-shod. Where do our local and county councillors stand on this? Let’s hope it’s not the usual place ‘on the fence’. I have contacted my Councillors and await their response. I hope more of you do the same.
Kath Allen
PS: I would hope that the Newton News would take this matter up and look into it more closely. Residents look to your paper to promote the needs of the town so that the lunatics don’t take over the asylum!