Concerns raised about West Winch homes during public meeting

Over 300 people attended a meeting at West Winch Village Hall on Saturday to raise objections to a planning application for 500 new homes.

Chairman of the parish council Paul Foster said the unanimous feeling was concern of no infrastructure plans being provided.

He said the borough council needed to honour the words of mayor Nick Daubney from November 2014 in providing infrastructure plans to the public once the application was approved.

The meeting was held by West Winch and North Runcton parish councils to discuss a planning application for 500 homes to be built in the vicinity of Rectory Lane.

Plans and documents were on show for the public.

“There is nothing in it for the people who live in the village, like an extra playing field, for example. Nothing improves the existing facilities for those extra 500 homes,” said Mr Foster.

“The biggest problem is traffic and failure to provide the necessary infrastructure.”

Among concerns raised by residents at the meeting were the impact on traffic and impeded views from properties.

One parent said it already takes 35 minutes to get to school in the morning, and queried how long it will take with the new homes.

Mr Foster added: “We cannot stop planning from going ahead but we want it to be done sensibly and this is not that.”

County councillor Alex Kemp said: "The application does not understand or accept the severe, cumulative impact on the A10 of the extra 3,500 two-way trips per day that the development of 500 houses, retail outlets and offices would generate.

“It is not fit for purpose when is says the water from 500 homes would flow under the A10, then through drains along Watering Lane to the Puny Drain. This lack of proper research and understanding is dangerous.”