PLANS: Parking is inadequate

I read with interest the letter from the representative of Karbon Homes regarding its application for 14 new builds in Hadston, (Northumberland Gazette, September 27).

I also note the fact that the highways department has failed to provide comments, despite its status as a statutory consultee, unless its comments are the unreadable ones on the county council website.

I am a courier. I drive a van every day in St John’s Estate. I often have difficulty navigating around the estate because the amount of parking allocated to each house is inadequate.

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Developers, planners and highways ‘professionals’ need to come into the real world, where an average working family living in a three-bedroom house will often have a car each for mum and dad, and a car each for their two children. That is four cars.

It is often the case that one or more may also have a work vehicle, such as a van. There you have a potential of eight vehicles for one house. If, for argument’s sake, we reduce that by 50 per cent to four vehicles; two of those need to be parked on the road.

The road in St John’s is very narrow and parking cars legally on the road, instead of the pavement, leaves little or no room for other vehicles to pass.

This seems to be the norm now as it means developers can squeeze more homes onto an area of land than I believe is reasonable.

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I am waiting with anticipation to see how the developers, highways and especially the council planners are going to deal with getting 40-tonne delivery wagons, spoil wagons and heavy plant on and off the development using St John’s Estate.

Surely they can’t suggest residents break the law by parking on pavements? It was highways that approved the width of the road.

I drive every day in these new estates, and I drive more miles backwards than forward because of the ridiculous layouts of the roads, the unrealistic consideration of parking needs, the width of roadways and the blind spots, which makes driving in these estates very dangerous. Just ask anyone who lives in them.

I seriously believe the planning and highways officers who recommend these applications for approval should be held responsible for any accidents that arise. Insurance companies, take note.

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With regard to the St John’s application, I note every comment from residents is an objection, yet the local council member still sits on the fence.

The residents need support. People must come before politics.

James Grant,

Widdrington