UPDATE Parham Parish Council's response to this planning application can be found below:- 

RE: DC/18/2212/FUL

Erection of 15 no. new dwellings including 10 no. affordable homes and construction of new vehicular access

We refer to the above-mentioned planning application and would like to thank you for extending the deadline for the Parish Council’s response to 14^th July 2018. We would ask if parishioners’ responses could also be accepted up until this date, please. We have had over 30 parishioners attend our two open evenings, but in order for notification of these evenings to be included in our Parish Magazine, the deadline for comments had expired by the date of the second open evening. We are aware of parishioners who would like to write in but are concerned that they have missed the deadline date for comments.

Parham Parish Council is aware of the need for affordable housing within the village and so supports this application with some reservations. There are some concerns which the Parish Council feel need addressing before the application is approved.

Many parishioners are concerned over the risk of flooding on and around the proposed development site due to the proximity of the flood plain; the removal of the willow trees on the site is adding to these concerns. The Parish Council would like the developers and the District Council to confirm that the existing properties around the development and other properties further downstream would not be compromised in this regard.

The Parish Council is also concerned about the siting of the southern vehicular access way, due to its location being opposite an existing access way and close to the bend in the road. With the speed of oncoming vehicles, the road bend and the volume of traffic, there are concerns about adding to the number of vehicles trying to cross the road at this location. The Parish Council would urge the developers to look at an alternative second site entrance in a safer location or to consider proceeding with just the northern entrance to the site.

Whilst the application includes the provision of wide pavements alongside the development, Parham Parish Council is currently in liaison with the Highways Department regarding very dangerous and insufficient pavements to the immediate north of the development, in particular outside Willoughby House. The pavements are very narrow- far too narrow for a pushchair or wheelchair - which results in pedestrians having to walk on a curve of a busy B road which is notorious for speeding vehicles.  In order for residents from the new development to walk to the Village Hall and village centre safely the Parish Council would urge the planning department to make improving these pavements a condition of the planning application, or to pledge to use CIL money to fund these improvements. The 15% of the CIL money that the Parish Council would receive would not be sufficient alone to cover the costs of the improvements.

Several individuals have raised concerns that the application does not include sufficient car parking provision. There are concerns that with the proposed number of spaces, cars may try parking along Main Road or at Blyth Row which already has parking issues.

Many parishioners have raised concern over the segregation of the site, with there being a clear physical division, and indeed separate vehicular access, for the open-market and affordable properties. However, the Parish Council understands the reasoning behind this and acknowledges that this is unlikely to be altered.

The Parish Council is concerned about disruption to the village as a whole during construction.  If the development is successful, the Parish Council would like to work with the developers to help alleviate the disruption.

The Parish Council is hopeful that, if approved, this development would help address local needs for affordable housing and could help bring about much needed repairs and improvements to existing footpaths to the north of the development whilst also providing CIL money for the benefit of the whole community.

PARHAM PARISH COUNCIL 

Parham Parish Council has just received notice of a planning application for 15 houses on Main Road, Parham.