(registered with the Civic Trust)

Sarah Nicholson,                                                       No. 1, Harwood Road,

Planning & Sustainability,                                         Marlow, Bucks.,

Wycombe District Council,                                        SL7 2AR.

Queen Victoria Road,

High Wycombe.  HP11  1BB.

Dear Mrs. Nicholson,

It is difficult for the Marlow Society to object to the establishment of a new care home. In this case we have serious concerns about the loss of five good, well spaced houses and the complexity, mass and bulk of this building at this’ gate way’ location on the edge of Marlow. It has long been the Society’s preoccupation to preserve the tapering aspect of the urban development of the town so that the built form is of  low  density and height at the edge of town which gradually increase towards the centre. This we believe to be a guiding principal of all good planning of urban development, particularly in respect of small country towns. In this respect Society would ask that serious and considered attention is given to this development having regard not only to the worthy benefits which this proposal might bring but also to Marlow’s character and built form.

The Society also has serious concerns about the considerable traffic  generation of an 81 bed care home by staff, service and visitor vehicles, the extent of which is clearly  anticipated by the extensive parking provision within the development.

 Our concern is also with the infrastructure provision to deal with this traffic which proposes priority ‘one way’ entrance and exits routed around the small limited capacity roundabouts at this complex and overloaded stretch of the Little Marlow Road already dealing with trading estate traffic. These access points are also located directly opposite the access provision for the 20 dwelling development now under construction along this road.     

The Society is sure that the Council will have regard to these concerns when considering this application and have regard to good planning practice as well as social amenity.

Yours sincerely,

Ron Waters,

Chairman.