Redrow is currently building new housing on the plot to the West (Thame side) of Churchway, North of the Post Office and Rosemary Lane. The active building work is for Phase One of the development.
Recently Redrow has submitted plans to Buckinghamshire Council for Phase Two.
Many redients of Haddenham have, very understandably, become rather disillusioned by the planning process and question the extent to which our comments appear to have any influence over the approval of new estates. Sadly, Haddenham is seen as a 'strategic settlement' (mostly due to the presence of the railway station as well as good road links to Oxford and the M40 motorway). Coupled with a shortage of land allocated to house building over the next five years, Bucks Council would appear to see Haddenham as "easy pickings" as far as new developments are concerned.
However, planning comments from local residents DO appear to be factored into Bucks Planners' decision making when it comes to house design aspects and the ways that road layouts (for example) integrate with the existing traffic flows in the village.
The Village Society has submitted comments to Bucks Planners in respect of Redrow's Phase Two plans and urges local residents to add their individual weight to the the issues raised by submitting their own comments.
The concerns of the Village Society can be summaried as follows:
1. Haddenham Village Society considers it essential that a cycleway link be provided from the Redrow site to Haddenham & Thame Parkway station and to the sports facilities near the station. Without such a link, there would be an unacceptable increase in traffic through the adjacent Conservation Area and through Woodways and Thame Road.
2. The Society objects to the affordable housing being all grouped together at the end of the site adjacent to the industrial estate on the West side of the development. The affordable housing should be fully integrated into the overall scheme layout, as stated in paragraph 53 of the VALP Technical Note on Affordable Housing dated May 2024, and as requested by the Buckinghamshire Council Housing Strategy and Development Officer.
3. There have been complaints from local residents in Platers Road and the Conservation Area about noise from the industrial estate. The Phase 2 development should not be approved until noise monitoring has been carried out to establish that screening is satisfactory.
The parish council and the Village Society are in full agreement on the need for a cycleway provision as highlighted in item 1. above and residents are urged to add their own comments on this aspect of the plans at the very least.
Residents can comment on the plans here
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