Joined up goverment or left hand and right hand not knowing what they are doing?
At the moment there is insufficient integrated planning on infrastructure and environmental issues throughout the county. The real challenge facing us is how to achieve sustainable development without placing undue pressure on the environment in a county that is one of the best in which to live in Britain. The belief of Suffolk Together is that local people should have a real say in determining that balance and to achieve this we need to extend our influence from the District to the County Council.
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Great Blakernham is a great example of the paucity of local planning
Do the planners at County Council and District Council level have a grand development master plan for Great Blakenham - or is it pure chance or incompetence that so many disparate schemes seem to have been found their way to the village.
Currently either awaiting permissions or in the pipeline are the following:
- The giant incinerator plant destined for the Highways Department site on the corner of Lodge Lane and the B1113. The building itself based on similar structures elsewhere is roughly the same height as 7 double deck London buses.
A new warehouse development and hotel opposite site 1 on Blackacre Hill. Developer Braceforce Lrd has already discussed the scheme in outline but has held back pending the outcome of the Snoasis Public Inquiry.
A new recycling centre for Bolton’s alongside their truckstop cafe off Addison Way. There is no indication of what would happen to the existing Bolton’s site in Station Road.
The 400 plus housing estate planned for the old cement works site and just yards from the proposed incinerator - not forgetting of course the plan to build a new primary school in the middle of the estate.
The SnOasis complex
The new railway station to serve SnOasis.
All of the above will bring increased traffic without the benefit of any major road improvements in the immediate area even though we already know how congested the local network is.
As one local resident told the Press this week “It seems that Gt. Blakenham is fast becoming the waste dump for the entire County. At this rate the whole area will soon become a vast building site with construction traffic fighting to get access to the various sites."
If you feel enough is enough then get in touch with us on info@suffolktogether.com and let us have your views.