Response from Mr & Mrs Peter & Mary Charlton (Individual)
1. Mr & Mrs Peter & Mary Charlton (Individual) : 3 Jul 2008 16:42:00
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.
Manufacturing Industry has been reduced in this Country, over successive governments to an alarming degree and we should nurture those still remaining. The papermill in Burneside is one such unit of manufacturing industry which, over many years has provided employment for a great number of people, extended its product range and developed into entirely new markets.
Over future years this process will need to continue, whoever owns the mill.
Markets change and manufacturing industry needs to respond to changing requirements. This means new product development which in tern may require new manufacturing facilities, buildings, machines and all of these require land on which to locate them. Its not really a question of what is known 'today' or even in the next 5 or 10 years; its into the long term future that no one can possibly forsee today.
The papermill is bounded by the River Kent on 2-sides and by houses and a road on the third side.
The only room/space for expansion and real development is on the field, listed in the South Lakeland Local Development Framework, as item 8, North East Burneside in the Kendal Functional Area (PO11).
I suggest to you, that should this proposal of yours actually succeed and proceed, it would result in COMPLETE CLOSURE to any further real development of the existing site.
Such a decision on your part would be reminiscent of filling in the Kendal Canal because it had no further use; a decision now regretted.
And one further issue. I believe you minimise the sewer problem in Burneside.
The existing sewer is totally inadequate and fails to satisfy current requirements. It regularly overflows at the bottom of Steeles Row whenever there is heavy rain.
The sewer should be replaced now and no further development involving sewage discharge permitted until it has been completely rebuilt.
The SLDC, United Utilities, The Enviroment Agency and perhaps even the Health and Safety Executive must get their heads together and sort out this existing problem once and for all.
Please listen and act.