Petition against non-eco homes being built on the Old Allotments In Basingstoke, Hampshire, UK

Please review the Nature Park sketch with our Press Release and newspaper articles and support us by adding your name and address to this following petition:

"We the undersigned object to the proposal to build on the Old Allotments land North of Churchill Way West and propose that it continues to be made available as a public open space.

Should the site be developed we want a Nature Park, including low rise and low energy eco housing with an Environment Discovery Centre provided on this site of the Old Allotments land North of Churchill Way West Basingstoke, Hants., UK.

In which case, we also want joined up communities with accesses from Victory Hill, Victory Roundabout, BCA Hall Bridge, Town Centre West Roundabout Signalisation with Cycling Bypass.

We do NOT want more cheap mediocre car dependent trip generating housing that prevents onfoot, cycling and disabled access in encouraging ghetto communities.

We do NOT want more development without local energy generation that overstretches the existing infrastructure; reducing water collection, causing surface water floods, sewerage escapes, increasing electric outages, encouraging car journeys and unregulated parking."

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Gazette Press Short report:
http://www.basingstokegazette.co.uk/display.var.1582104.0.0.php?utag=23910

Gazette Press Full report:
http://archive.basingstokegazette.co.uk/2007/7/30/117639.html

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ECO Homes:

http://www.zedfactory.com/bedzed/bedzed.html

Flooding:

http://comment.independent.co.uk/commentators/article2795649.ece

BCA Website:

http://www,brookvale.org.uk

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BCA Press Release:
A LOST OPPORTUNITY FOR A NEW ECO FRIENDLY COMMUNITY


It seems that town centre residents are soon to lose an open space which has been used for recreation since the fifties. In its place, sandwiched between the railway line and Churchill Way West will be yet another high density, urban development. It will provide cramped, overlooked, accommodation for those unable to afford to live in more prestigious areas.

On the 25th July 2007 the Basingstoke and Deane Council Planning Committee gave the go ahead despite a petition against it and strong opposition from local residents and their Councillors. The Brookvale Community Association presented almost one hundred separate points of objection.

Local Councillor John Shaw (who also spoke on behalf of Doris Jones), who have both heard first hand accounts of the misery suffered by residents at Crown Heights and Victory Hill, also presented their well argued opposition to the development. All objections were ignored. This planning decision clearly demonstrates that the local community's view is not being taken on board; in spite of Central Government's talk of community involvement and Basingstoke and Deane's own 'Statement of Community Involvement (and Inclusion)'.

Heather Rainbow cycle campaigner from the CTC clearly argued against the planned Churchill Road West crossing measures, which she explained will be inadequate. Cycling and walking and wheelchair use will be "encouraged" by a two stage toucan crossing of Churchill Way West but of course priority will be to cars turning right or going ahead. Cyclists will need good mountain bike skills and small bikes as there will be 9 right angle bends to slalom round. Heather said "such crossings are inherently dangerous. At a similar crossing 95\% of recorded users crossed on the red because of the long delays, whilst cars only have a short 6 or seven second delay. It will certainly not make the journey to the station, the town centre or Morrisons easier or more attractive by cycle."


During their short lifetime the Victory Hill and Crown Height's developments have been fraught with problems; at Victory Hill clamping and the lack of visitor and resident parking have been a nightmare for the new community and at Crown Heights late night disturbances have made residents' lives a misery. Stories of prostitution and drug dealing abound.

The new development will have vast expanses of white masonry offering a blank canvas to local graffiti 'artists' and yellow brickwork will continue the much deplored colour theme of Crown Heights. Noise levels from the railway and motor traffic are anticipated to be so high that using the inadequately sized outdoor spaces or even having windows open will pose problems it's already impossible to converse whilst on the South facing balconies on the fringe of the Victory Hill development; this new development will be a great deal closer to the road! The narrow roads within the development will carry two way traffic and there is the likelihood of parked cars impeding emergency vehicles. With very little visitor parking it seems that people will have to park either in the town centre car parks or at The Leisure Park. All rainfall will have to be absorbed by the site and any surplus will likely make its way onto Churchill Way West. Brookvale residents fear that the Victorian sewage system will be unable to cope with the increased capacity and will overflow on their streets.

The Planners anticipate that some households will not have cars or will choose not to use them for local journeys; if this is the case there will be many journeys made on foot to Morrisons and Wickes. Unlike many other busy Basingstoke roads Pedestrians will not have a bridge, instead they will be expected to cross at road level. There will be no link between Victory Hill and the new development, other than the existing steep wooden stairway. Anyone wanting to travel between the two developments with a pushchair, bicycle, wheelchair or mobility vehicle will have a long, steep walk along Winterthur Way and Churchill Way.

Brookvale Community Association members agree that new homes must be built in Basingstoke but feel that the developers seem to have forgotten that this is the 21st century and we need to start building eco friendly homes. For a small price premium zero energy, low rise, terraced, flatted development could be built. It could have attractive, natural wood cladding with passive solar heating, solar collectors, turbines and photovoltaics. Such a development could be surrounded by green space, grass roofs, water features, organic vegetable plots and have waste recycling facilities.

A low rise eco housing development could provide an attractive, safer and more stimulating environment in which to grow up, without reducing our Water Catchment Area!