Dear Mrs Nicholson,

The Marlow Society has considered the above application and would draw your attention to its comments made in January and February of this year on the Draft Development Brief covering this site. The Society has objections to this outline application as follows.

1.      The Open Space Strategy Study in 2005 covering the Wycombe District and the emerging Wycombe Development Framework clearly defines the area of East Marlow (including this site) as an area of ‘Green Space Deprivation’. It is therefore considered that this school playing field, designated as ‘Green Space’ in the current Adopted Local Plan to 2011, should not be developed to the extent proposed in contravention of these guidelines.

2.      The green recreational and open space within the proposed housing development is  considered quite inadequate for the proposed density  of dwellings This dearth of open green amenity space is, in the Society’s view, a result of the over development of the housing area, sixty dwellings now proposed whereas only fifty being prescribed at Public Inquiry leading to the adoption of the current Local Plan. We consider that the real purpose of this area is to provide a limited vista through the site rather than to provide adequate open space amenity for the residents.

3.      The proposed access junctions onto the Wycombe Road , one of which takes school traffic through the residential area and one giving access to the new coach park adjacent to the youth centre are considered unsuitable for the housing area and the youth centre respectively.

4.      The floodlit all weather hockey pitch is located too near to the busy main Ai455 Little Marlow Road, where it will cause distraction to motorists along the road and particularly at the nearby circle junction. Other areas of the site nearer to the proposed sports hall and its changing facilities would be more appropriate particularly for public use.

5.      The dual purpose use of the tennis courts for tennis and car parking will not, we suggest, lead to a properly maintained sporting facility. Additionally, the provision of such a high level of parking is not in line with the Council’s current policy of discouraging car usage and restricting CO2 emission.

6.      As the Society has suggested previously, the southern border of this site could well provide an important section of a cycleway route along the Little Marlow Road to the centre of the town and no provision is made for this in this application. Cycleway provision has been a priority of the Council and could easily be made here as a planning gain.

      7.   The design of the new sports hall building, particularly the curved and arching roofs does not 

            appear to provide the  optimum use of space for public use nor enhance  the  area already

            suffering from the piecemeal development and temporary structures used  to

            extend  this important  school .

8       In general, it is the Society’s view, that the proposed residential provision is an over

      development of  this site and the town and the 1100 pupils that attend this school need

      the  green space and outdoor sports areas to be maintained.

The Marlow Society therefore considers that this outline application should be refused and further consideration given to the green space designations of this area set out above. Additionally the location of the alternative areas of green space, required to be provided by the current Local Plan, to replace that being lost by this proposed development, should be clearly indicated.

Yours sincerely,

Ron Waters,

Chairman.