Core Strategy Consultation on Strategy Directions 2008

Object

Representation ID: 20260

Received: 22/01/2009

Respondent: Battle Town Council

Box 12: Aims & Objectives - In the most general of terms the Council welcomes the aims and objectives of the strategy insofar as they apply to Battle, but does not believe that an option which would see "continued development to support the town's role" is consistent with those aims and objectives, even with the caveat that such an option would need "careful implementation". Throughout the discussions about what is now the adopted Local Plan and in response to the Preferred Policy Directions consultation on the LDF, the Council has emphasised that there are underlying problems to which solutions must be found before further new development can be contemplated.

Object

Representation ID: 20261

Received: 22/01/2009

Respondent: Battle Town Council

Box 12 cont: The pending approval of the Blackfriars project makes it all the more important to address these issues and the Council does not believe that, as written, the Core Strategy consultation document presents a coherent response, particularly in terms of the sequence of events.

Support

Representation ID: 20262

Received: 22/01/2009

Respondent: Battle Town Council

The Bexhill Hastings Link Road will hopefully encourage some traffic away from the town centre.

Support

Representation ID: 20263

Received: 22/01/2009

Respondent: Battle Town Council

The A21 Baldslow improvement will hopefully encourage some traffic away from the town centre. The Baldslow junction improvement is particularly important and urgent since heavy lorries currently find it difficult to negotiate the right turn off the A21 to gain access to Queensway. This junction improvement should therefore be given priority irrespective of the timetable for the link road.

Support

Representation ID: 20264

Received: 22/01/2009

Respondent: Battle Town Council

There would be a reduction in pressure on Battle Station, and therefore the related traffic and parking problems, if the additional stations referred to in the Strategy document materialise. That proposed for Wilting would be particularly advantageous since it would attract users from Hastings and Crowhurst who currently find the service from Battle more convenient than local stations.

Support

Representation ID: 20265

Received: 22/01/2009

Respondent: Battle Town Council

The Council strongly supports these strategic infrastructure projects and would wish to see them in place before any further development in Battle is even considered.

Support

Representation ID: 20266

Received: 22/01/2009

Respondent: Battle Town Council

The Council strongly supports these strategic infrastructure projects and would wish to see them in place before any further development in Battle is even considered.

Object

Representation ID: 20267

Received: 22/01/2009

Respondent: Battle Town Council

Housing Development: Agree that if it is to continue to thrive some change is necessary. It does not accept however that one of the necessary ingredients to achieve this is growth in terms of new housing allocations. It may be a requirement of Government that additional allocations are identified across the District but accommodating this requirement is very different from arguing that additional housing is needed.
Question the appropriateness of basing new allocations on the town's service role. Argue that there is an equally strong case to be made for adopting either the population or trend based option.

Object

Representation ID: 20268

Received: 22/01/2009

Respondent: Battle Town Council

Housing development cont: Fundamentally however we believe that the circumstances of the town should be looked at on their merits rather than development allocations being based on a formula. We totally fail to see how continuing development will enhance the commercial and tourism attractiveness of the town. Indeed it is more likely to be true that the exacerbation of the current problems could slowly strangle the town. The fact that it will include 40% affordable housing suggests to us that the additional pressure on social services, schools and similar facilities may not have been fully recognised in the consultation document.

Object

Representation ID: 20269

Received: 22/01/2009

Respondent: Battle Town Council

Housing Development cont: However and reluctant as the Council are to even concede the option of additional development, if this is imposed we would make the following points. Firstly no new development should take place until the Blackfriars scheme has been completed and assessed. Secondly the Council would be strongly opposed to any infringement of the Battle/Hastings strategic gap. This comment applies as much to the proposal for the Breadsell Farm area as it does to the land "south of Hastings Road and east of the historic battlefield" referred to in para 7.19 of your consultation document.