It looks like the developers want to build the next phase of Kingsway at greater housing density than before… The time to influence this decision is now!
The Planning Application will go through unless more residents complain about it to the City Council. Any complaint must be in writing to count.
It looks like they have increased the number of dwellings without increasing the public open space or parking. But it is really hard to tell, as all the plans can only be seen on a computer; like trying to see the stars through a letter box.
I thought they had said they were not going to build yet more shared parking courts because of the trouble that happens in them. Most of the parking is in parking courts and there are not enough spaces.
They have also included more housing as Social Housing for rent. The original outline design of the urban village was for 30% of the houses to be social housing (both rented and shared ownership), in small blocks of up to 10 units distributed through the estates. When house prices crashed, the builders sold on a couple of cul de sacs “lock stock and barrel” to various Housing Associations. So now instead of just Gloucestershire Housing Association we also have Bromford and Oxstalls - with the Guinness Trust in there somewhere (I understand, but am not sure of the details). So instead of 30% Social Housing, we currently have about 50%. That includes housing for rent and housing for shared purchase. Most tenants are good people, but - like Private Housing - some are not; however, with more than 30% Social Housing the “character” of the development will change away from a “private residential area”.
They should not plan for more “Affordable Housing” until the imbalance is corrected.
The plans were submitted to the Parish Council Planning Committee for comment on Wednesday 11 March. It looks like a decision is to be made by Gloucester City Council on 7 April 2009. If you are concerned you need to get your objections in to the City Council now, after the cut off date it will be too late.
The best way to influence the decision will be to see the plans, write to the Council, and the local Councillors and Councillors on the Planning Committee, and go and see them. And turn up at the City Council Planning meeting and speak against the proposals.
There is also an application in for the commercial centre, which shows a very poor quality arrangement of shops around small car parks for small shops, of very low quality design - not what they promised at outline design at all - a high quality space with a decent square or central area, and a decent sized shop. They have conveniently forgotten about the Community Centre and Health Centre and Religious Worship Building to be in the central area.
And there is an application for the surface water balancing pond, which has sides that are too steep to be safe for children to escape from, and probably does not store enough water to prevent flooding. It has to be planned as though kids will get in there, just fencing it off will not do.
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