Regarding the Hayside Avenue proposed development via Lowfield Lane, Balderton, I offer the following views.
The affected area is a flood plain. That is from the mouth of the son of someone who used to farm there, and is the reason his parents quit.
It is too many houses for a limited access site. There is no direct exit/entrance to an already overcrowded London Road.
The existing estate, down to those at the bottom of Lowfield Lane, is of around 200 dwellings, with a current vehicle guestimate at around 300. This does not take into account the volume of traffic, visiting the Salvation Army, the health centre, the HGVs visiting the sewerage works, and other constant traffic. A development of 150-plus properties would probably double traffic problems.
This brings me to the main point. Lowfield Lane and its existing area development does not directly join London Road but directly joins Manners Road with an even bigger flow of traffic, all vying to get on to and of the main road.
The alternative is to try Belvoir Road.
Between the ends of Belvoir Road and Manners Road is the very busy entrance /exit to the supermarket carpark. And on one side f Lowfield lane, everybody parks on the road.
Existing parking is not helped by the closeness of properties to each other, the number of vehicle journeys in and out.
Some weeks ago cables were laid across Lowfield Lane, just before the curve, obviously to measure traffic flow, but if so, this would give a significantly lower figure than the true volume of movements on to and from London Road.
As mentioned above, Lowfield Lane joins Manners Road therefore probably doubling the recorded volume passing over that counting device. It also does not take into account the volume of vehicles based on travelling via Belvoir Road, etc.
The problem being faced is that the council, in its perceived wisdom bought the site for a lot of money. It needs to get that money back. But not at the expense of misery in the future for residents.
Within the existing housing in the Mead Way area there are two-bedroom properties that are so close together and small to boot, and with some, no garage. In fact, all the properties are so compact that even those with a garage, it is either too small for a vehicle or has to be used for domestic storage.
The major problem is land prices are rocketing into the stratosphere.
I could find further reasons for either denying or limiting this proposed development but it is obvious that the council will use its legal powers to do whatever it wants without thought to the future.
In past centuries housing was built to high density levels, and where have many of those areas gone in the social ladder? — B. CLARK, Balderton.
