1. Spindlewood Drive is a totally inappropriate site for 160 new homes. Access via Meads Road, Maple Walk and Spindlewood Drive would be entirely inadequate and unsuitable for an increased volume of traffic (approx. 300 additional cars from an estate of 160 homes being driven on narrow residential roads with a considerable amount of vehicles regularly parked on them. Access to Meads Road from Cooden Sea Road is also dangerous not only due to the narrow width of Meads Road at the junction with Cooden Sea Road but also poor visibility for drivers exiting from Meads Road. Peak traffic congestion would result in vehicles from a development off Spindlewood Drive backing up Meads Road and probably diverting down Maple Walk which is an unadopted road and maintained by its residents.
2. The A259 and Little Common roundabout are near to full capacity and confirmed by Highways England as being close to the maximum capacity levels forecast for 2028. Traffic flow at peak times is 900 vehicles per hour in each direction. Further development at Little Common would have an immensely adverse impact on the problem regardless of the developer's incredible assurances that there would be a "minimal increase" in traffic.
3. To the south of the proposed site there is an area of Special Scientific Interest and a RAMSAR site. Conservation sites would be compromised as a result of further development.
4. Environmentally there would be an increased risk of flooding which is already an issue in this area. Extensive building and concreting over a Greenfield site would increase the risk of flooding and endanger wildlife and the environment.
5. Local infrastructure in Little Common is near to capacity in terms of the GP surgery and the primary school is fully subscribed. Car parking is a big problem as is illegal on pavement parking in Little Common. Further vehicles from a new major development would only exacerbate these problems.
6. Air pollution on the A259 is already high and would be increased as a result of the BX116 development. I understand that monitoring devices are to be installed on Barnhorn Road which will provide up to date information.
7. Given that there is already a considerable amount of development in place or planned for Little Common as well as the Barnhorn Green project, which is proceeding, there is no need for a further 160 homes to be built off Spindlewood Drive. Projected figures for new homes taken from RDC published material (including windfalls) indicate that the RDC target of 3100 homes to be built by 2028 will be accomplished without the need to develop off Spindlewood Drive at all.
8. If, in spite of this, RDC still considers more homes should be built, I strongly suggest further development of BX124 by way of option 3 makes far more sense. This is a new site so obviously development there would not adversely affect any existing residents. Access via NBAR will be good and this should also ease congestion on the A259.