Deadline for comments to SLDC on amendments to Land Allocations approaching

The new and alternative Land Allocations are summarised below.  To see full documents follow link to Natland Land Allocations. Comments are required by 9th Sept.

·        ON51# New 0.31 Small parcel of land north of the Vicarage, Natland Car Park - Guy Weller

·        RN256# New / Alternative 2.43 Land north of the Vicarage, Natland Housing, Car Park Leonard Home - David Peters

·        RN298# New / Alternative 1.14 Strip of land to East of Longmeadow Lane, Natland Housing Leonard Home

·        RN303# New 4.58 Land between Natland and Burton Road, Natland Housing JMP Architects Ltd

·        M2# Alternative 8.69 Land east of Burton Road, Kendal Housing for over 55 year olds with community and open space facilities - Diane Meakin

·        M5# Alternative 2.53 Land east of Burton Road, Kendal Housing for over 55 year olds with community and open space facilities - Diane Meakin

·        R653K# Alternative 0.30 Land at High Park, Oxenholme Housing - Brian Pullen

·        RN110# Alternative 1.26 Land off Oxenholme Road, Oxenholme Housing - Michael Turner

·        RN231# New 0.58 Castlesteads, SE Oxenholme Housing - Alastair Mackenzie

·        RN235# New 2.58 Parkwood Caravan Park, Oxenholme, Kendal, Housing - Paul Evans of Hyde Harrington Chartered Surveyors

·        RN253# New 7.06 Land East of Oxenholme Housing - Richard Turner and Son on behalf of Mr I Stewart

Comments have been made about the suggested car park north of the Vicarage as follows:

Guy Weller said... 

Since I posted the first suggestion on the list, I thought maybe some explanation would help: There has long been a short-term parking problem around the village green area - related to events at the church, village hall and the regular dropping off and collection of children from school and the nursery club. The problem is often quite short, maybe an hour or so at a time, before things are back to normal. What is needed is a small short stay car park close to the school / village hall. My suggested site is a small part at the edge of the large field immediately to the north of the vicarage, with an entrance by village hall and possibly a footpath exit could be arranged back onto Oxenholme Lane opposite the school. A car park situated here would be central enough to be used, and yet hidden from general view so it would not destroy the essential character of the village centre. A good hedge or small belt of trees could be planted to screen it from farmland to the north. This is just a suggestion for consideration, and would clearly need landowner /Trustee support but I propose it as I think it would be of considerable benefit, in a way that would not detract from the village character.

Jeremy Rowan Robinson of Little Lound writes:

There are a number of arguments which can be advanced against the proposed allocation of land to the north of Natland for housing and a car park and I intend to make these to the District Council in response to the current consultation and I hope others who are concerned will do so as well.   At this stage I propose simply to make a couple of points in response to Guy Weller.

First of all, as regards the proposed car park, the most serious problem with parking in the village (in terms of disrupting traffic flow) occurs, not around the church or the village hall, but for about 20 minutes in the morning and afternoon during term time outside the primary school.   It is caused by parents bringing their children to, or collecting them from, school.      The proposed car park would do little to resolve the parking problems at the school.   The parking is very short term and it is unlikely that many parents would sacrifice the convenience of parking in Oxenholme Lane for the opportunity to drive along the Lane and up past the village hall to the proposed site.   Furthermore, the access onto Oxenholme Lane would have to be shared with farm vehicles and would result in children (if they used the car park) having to cross the very busy Oxenholme Lane to get to and from school.   

The 3 households which are worst affected by the parking problem at the school are those immediately opposite.   We own one of them and we have no complaint because we knew about the problem when we bought the house.   We are prepared to put up with the inconvenience because we support the school and regard it as important to the village.   However, we object strongly to the proposal to allocate the land immediately behind us for what would be quite a large car park and the other 2 households feel just the same.   This would result in car parking both in front and behind us.   A car park would be an unsociable neighbour with noise from vehicles starting up and from banging of car doors, with disturbance on occasion from people leaving functions at the village hall and with nuisance from headlights on winter evenings.   One of the households has the childrens’ bedroom just feet from what would be the wall of the car park.   We already have to put up with quite a lot.   How about a bit of equity here?   Perhaps those promoting the car park would give some thought for those who would be affected.     

Secondly, It is a pity that those promoting the allocation of land to the north of Natland for housing and a car park did not first consult the wishes of the landowners.   It would have been a courtesy.   The draft allocations options document released earlier this year expressly states that a site will be excluded from the Allocations Document if the owner is not willing to release it and it cannot be made available.   That is for obvious reasons.  If the land cannot be made available, its allocation could blight neighbouring property.

In this case, the land in question forms part of Natland Park Farm and the owners have stated in response to this latest proposed allocation that they are not prepared to release the land.   It is not, therefore, available and arguments for and against the proposals are academic.   All that the promoters have achieved is to create dissension in the village and anxiety amongst the property owners most closely affected.

John Gale of Fieldgate says:

"I fully support the remarks made by Jeremy Rowan Robinson regarding the proposed developments north of Natland and would like to add the following of my own.

The land concerned is agricultural land and is, I am told, covenanted as such.   Furthermore, it is questionable whether a green field site such as this should be sacrificed to perceived local housing requirements, bearing in mind the large number of suitable properties already on the market (vide the local property paper).

Regarding the proposed car park, I would observe that access to it from the Village Hall car park would be over common land, which, by law, cannot be surfaced or ortherwise 'improved'.   This common land borders my property and forms a quiet cul-de-sac free from traffic (other than the very occasional farm vehicles) and is one of the reasons why I bought the property in the first place.  Opening it up to through traffic would destroy our tranquillity and that of our neighbours even more so."