Me M cr*eLwooOd 12 BoAanos Planning Services ‘Crawley Borough Council aweN Town Hall LANR Ue ‘The Boulevard Crawley CARNE] West Sussex, RHI0 1UZ. west -sOssEK Ait TLS For the attention of Mr. P. Fairham — Case Officer at] 08/08 Dear Sirs, Re: Planning Application: CR/2008/0488/FUL_ Lam writing to formally object to the planning application CR/2008/0488/FUL made by the Gurjar Hindu Union (GHU). ‘The reasons | object are listed below: Car Parking | acknowledge that the car park meets the standards set out by Crawley Borough Councils Parking Standards and Transport Contributions of 1 space per 15m2 although based on basic 3 people per car and the GHU estimation of people using the centre from there previous application CR/2007/0043FUL there would clearly be 167 car over spill at peak times. | cannot see any supporting documentation with this recent application such as an amended Green Travel Plan or Methodology Statement assessing the transport implications if this development on the local Highway Network. For an application of is scale | would expect to see a detailed Traffic Impact Assessment with full Picecady and VISSIM modelling carried out. Being a local resident | know there no public transport within a 15 minute walk and | cannot see any allowance for cyclist to suitably store there bike in a bike store. Access to the site is gained from Ifield Avenue, which is a busy road with large haulage lorries and a vast number of cars using it continually. ‘The introduction of the inevitable number of vehicles parking on the local highway network during busy festivals will impact drastically on what is already a very unsafe and pedestrian unfriendly environment. Opposite the site is the home of Crawley Rugby Club and Popes Mead Bowling Club who struggle with sufficient parking at the peak of their events. The rugby union season is from August through to May which puts strain on the local infrastructure at present and they do not encounter half the numbers the GHU anticipate. During the summer monthsthe rugby club has active teams playing throughout the weekend and weekday evenings. This results in conflict with the Popes Meads Bowling Club, Crawley Rugby Club and the local community because they overspill into the surrounding roads. Plus a large proportion of there usage is at weekends at evening when local infrastructure is atits peak with local residents. janning Policy. National Policy PPSi and PPG3 stress the importance of securing development on Previously Developed Land (PDL) and delivering strong, vibrant and inclusive communities based upon sustainable development principles, such as reducing the need for travel and urban regeneration. This proposals clearly contravene the above policies because itis being built on a Greenfield and as detailed above does not reduce the need for travel. This development somewhat increases the need for attendees to travel in their own vehicles given the noticeable lack of public transport facilities in the area or any concrete, measurable tives offered by the applicant to mitigate this impact. Regional Policy RPG9 “Regional Planning Guidance for the South East” covers the period to 2016 and ‘was published in 2004. Amongst the key development principles set out in PRPG9 is a requirement that urban areas should become the main focus for development with a less dispersed pattern of development. These objectives again reflect the desire to achieve sustainable forms of development and are stated in Policies of the Plan: Policy QI: “Urban areas should be the prime focus for new development and for redevelopment”. Policy Q3: “development should be carefully located and designed to make better use of land and create viable catchments for services and infrastructure...” The development and application does not meet these policy statements and dramatically breaches them. Considering the site is a Greenfield with no previous development on and was used by the local community regularly to walk their pets or enjoy the wildlife and countryside environment. Policy CC8a emphasises the prime focus of development should be the urban areas and PDL. Again this development does not comply nor meet the policy standards. J also quote RPG9 “For the Region to function successfully in the future and to create safer and more sustainable places, greater reliance will need to be placed on walking,cycling and public transport, together with a recognition of the role that new technology can play in reducing the need to travel.” This development does not make for sustainable growth within Crawley and does not accommodate those wishing to cycle, walk or use public transport to the new development. Therefore you are urged to refuse this application. Flood Risk Assessment I bring you attention to “3.1 Site Description” of the risk assessment submitted with this application, The site description is out of date therefore this report is of no relevance to the recent application. Since this report was undertaken by RSK Group Ltd, a large residential development has been undertaken and completed by Higgins Homes on the eastern boundary of the site. RSK Group’s original report would did not allow for the substantial increase in hard standing that the Higgins development represents and as such does not comprehensively illustrate, or mitigate against the increased risk and likelihood of flooding not only to this development but to the adjoining properties. This will also increase the tisk of flooding to properties which where once never at risk. I would also like to make the following observations. This development is out of place within the local surroundings because it is surrounded by residential and wooded areas. Therefore their intention to use wooded area on the boundary to screen the development should be improved by constructing a large double storey acoustic fence which will help reduce noise pollution, allowing the centre to be used late in the evening without affecting the local residents. Plus it would help many residents come to terms with loosing a Greenfield site which originally attracted them to the area, I look forward to receiving your comments and acknowledgement of my objections. Yours Sincerely,