Response from Mr Andrew Rayner (Individual)
1. Mr Andrew Rayner (Individual) : 29 Apr 2008 10:52:00
To which part of the Report does your representation relate?
Paragraph or Section
The Preferred Option - PO11 - Kendal Functional Area
Please state as clearly as you can the exact part of the Report you are commenting on by quoting the page number (if known), paragraph number, option name or number, or the number of the map, figure or table.
Figure 21 page 128
and first row of Table 3 on page 133.
Do you support, oppose or have an observation about this part of the Report?
Oppose
Please write your comment or explain your reasons for supporting or opposing this part of the Report. You may also wish to refer to the tests of soundess in the glossary of the Preferred Options document before making your comments.
I am a resident of Briery Meadows and was horrified to receive correspondence earlier this week with regards to a proposal to build 225 new homes on Sparrowmire (The field next to Briery Meadows and Hallgarth at the top end of Burneside Road). This field the council decided many years ago should be kept as a green gap, it makes sense as there are already 2 very large housing estates attached to it, yet now they are wanting to build 225 homes on this “Green Gap”. This part of Kendal is already very busy and highly populated with homes, is a third large estate in such a small area with the 300 plus cars this would generate, the loss of a field used by the children of Hallgarth, Briery Meadows, Dog walkers and an area for people to generally enjoy the environment they live in going to be replaced, does this enjoyment get replaced with a game of “Try and cross Burneside Road if you can inbetween hundreds of cars going up and down it?”
The “affordable” aspect I appreciate, however this “affordable” is not the word that should be used, “discounted” is more appropriate as the average person/couple/family still cannot afford to buy these “affordable homes” due to the average income being less than £20000 in this area. I used to live in an “affordable home” 4 apartments started off as 3 single people and a young couple (on Hawthorn Gardens, Briery Meadows), all on average to low incomes, excellent just as intended. This has since turned into 3 rented out, 2 of which have been acquired in not the way they were intended, business people seeing opportunities of making money out of those people who cannot afford their own homes. When I sold my apartment it was snapped up the day it was marketed, this is no longer the case and recently a number of “affordable” apartments have taken an awful long time to sell as they are no longer “affordable”.
What change(s) would you suggest for this part of the Report?
Should this “Green Gap” be turned into a “Monster Housing Estate” at least make these homes affordable, £50,000 to £100,000 must be the bracket being aimed at or else what is already happening will continue to do so, only a select few people will be able to afford and the rest will be bought by wealthier people, rented out at ridiculous amounts of money to the people who they were originally intended.