Local plan scoping consultation

Comment

Representation ID: 2187

Received: 22/08/2026

Respondent: Mrs Lesley Shaw

I strongly object to the 291 hectares of land submitted around Ashley being considered for development. Ashley has virtually no services, no buses and a station served by only one train per hour, so it cannot reasonably be described as well connected. Access is via narrow rural roads and restricted railway bridges, making development on this scale unsustainable and heavily car-dependent. Valuable farmland performs an essential Green Belt function, preventing urban sprawl and settlements merging. Development would cause irreversible harm to sensitive landscapes, wildlife habitats and heritage settings. These sites must be excluded from allocation in the new Local Plan.