Homes plan "stupid" without relief road, says critic (From Salisbury Journal)

Homes plan "stupid" without relief road, says critic

10:20am Friday 3rd February 2012 in News By Karen Bate

A COUNCIL has sparked criticism after outlining plans for new homes in Ringwood, despite having no funds for a relief road.

The core strategy planning document for areas outside the national park was released last year by New Forest District Council.

It details plans to build 150 new homes in Ringwood and find extra commercial land south of the A31 over the next 15 years.

But there is no mention in the document of a road to relieve pressure on already busy nearby routes.

A spokesman for the district council said: “While we recognise the benefits that a relief road might bring to Ringwood, unfortunately there just isn’t the funding available so there would be little point in putting aspirations into our Core Strategy that we wouldn’t be able to deliver.”

But resident Dennis Whitfield says no development should take place unless a relief road is built.

He told the Journal that in order to build the number of homes outlined in the strategy it would be necessary to build a relief road through Nouale Lane, which would relieve the High Street, Eastfield Lane and Mansfield Road of the congestion caused by lorries, buses and cars.

Mr Whitfield, who has lived in Ringwood all his life, said: “I feel that the district council is disregarding what is obvious. The town is clogged up by traffic, with virtually every road leading to the A31.

“If they can't put in a relief road they should not develop. The town cannot cope with the traffic and it is at breaking point already. The obvious solution is to have a relief road through Nouale Lane to the A31, which would allow traffic to avoid the High Street, Eastfield Lane and Mansfield Road.

“The crass stupidity of the planners, who are ignoring the blatantly obvious, will wreck Ringwood. The town is a |crossroad, which sits between the A31 and the A338. It would be a tough call to build the relief road and perhaps upset a minority of people but in the long term it would be to the good of all.

“The district council wants to build more homes and create more employment sites in the town but is not putting in place an infrastructure to support it.”

New Forest District Council is inviting people to comment as it sets its planning policies for areas outside the national park until 2026.

The council has already logged comments from more than 1,000 people who responded to public consultation in 2011 and have used this feedback to shape its sites and development management development plan. The planning proposals include new greenfield developments in Ringwood and Fordingbridge as well as on the edge of Totton and in Marchwood, Lymington and New Milton, with 850 new affordable homes to be built across the six sites.

The plan has also identified a number of new areas for employment development in Ringwood and on the edge of Totton and New Milton.