Bramley Meadows – Resident’s comments

INFRASTRUCTURE AND AMENITIES

Sample of comments from 185 comments received

  • The village has outgrown the current facilities, the bus service has been reduced to every 2 hrs where it was every hour. The Doctors surgery is at full capacity so another 2600 potential patients could put some people in danger if they cannot get medical help quickly. The one stop shop is not sufficient for the village at the moment & the parking is dangerous. With the potential closure of the bakery as well the village is in desperate need for a small mini market, I.e. A Co-Op. etc. Car parking at the station would need to be addressed if you are trying to sell on the promise of local train connection to London.
  • Lack of infrastructure, flooding if fields are converted over with yet more housing, and as almost impossible to get an appointment at local doctor’s surgery due to all the building that has taken place in the 9 years we have lived in the area. More housing means more people and more traffic on the Bramley road which is already a major cut through between A33 and A340, coupled with major hold-ups at the railway crossing. More cars meaning even greater traffic jams there.
  • Having lived in the village for over 20 years, there have been increasing difficulties, due to the growth of the village’s population, with accessing surgery appointments, driving along the main road when the railway is down, especially at school times and due to the main road being a cut through for traffic from the A340 to the A33. The existing one shop is too small and the parking outside causes a backlog in traffic after the barrier is raised. These are just some of the issues the village already faces from the growing population.
  • Sewage, water and drainage are major problems in Bramley and so the authorities that run them need to upgrade before any new houses are approved. The highways/roads are not able to cope with the current traffic through and around the village. The proposed “Link” road will only divert traffic on to completely unsuitable roads with single lane, a listed/narrow bridge on a bend and a dangerous crossroads (with listed buildings very nearby). A footbridge is needed but so far Network Rail has not been agreeable. Bramley Primary School does not need another extension and I doubt a new school here would be passed by the relevant authority. Our Doctors Surgery is now larger than it was when I moved here over 30 years ago but still is overwhelmed by the number of patients already here.
  • This village is already bursting at the seams (in terms of infrastructure, school and doctors) but it isn’t the housing developers who would pay for most of the above. The traffic during potential construction would not be supported by the current lanes surrounding the village. After potential completion the level crossing, for example, would have even longer tailbacks than it currently has at certain times (particularly school run times). On occasion they already go back as far as The Smithy in one direction and Minchins Lane in the other. An increase in cars in the village will make this problem much worse.

CHARACTER AND DESIGN

Sample of comments from 348 comments received

  • The village already has a great variety of housing designs but brick & white window frames would blend better.
  • There has already been too many new builds in the area which is changing Bramley from a village to a town. Any more new housing is not wanted.
  • My concerns are not about any design issues, although I would not wish to see 3 storey or all red brick properties, but are about the actual need for more homes in Bramley.
  • I think it most important, if any houses are built, that they are as eco-friendly as possible. This might mean perhaps a Scandinavian design but definitely to include solar panels and heat pumps for obvious reasons.
  • The majority of houses in the village are quite uniform in their structure and design, whereas detached houses consume a lot of space. Terraced town houses, smaller apartments or at least semi-detached houses that are cheaper to acquire make a lot more sense to encourage young people to stay or return to the village. More importantly, I would like to see new buildings – if they have to be built – to be more self-sufficient in energy via solar panels and heat pumps. This in turn means lining up the roofs to the South to maximise the energy harvesting.

HOMES

Sample of comments from 176 comments received

  • We already have estates with 4 & 5 bedroom houses, but there is nothing that the next generation can afford.
  • All of the above are needed but not where inadequately controlled, over development has already resulted in the problems outlined above.
  • What are probably needed are a combination of all of the above. This area is quite expensive and it’s so important for young people to get onto the housing ladder.
  • The majority of people moving to Bramley are young family with kids, so they are a natural choice. Eco-friendly is a must in these times of climate change. If we had more downsizing homes some elderly people sitting in large family homes alone could be persuaded to move, freeing up space for young families.

OVERALL SENTIMENT / REASONS

Sample of comments from 405 comments received

  • Not enough infrastructure in place, especially drainage – many more homes will be flooded if this is not addressed first.
  • I am not supportive of these plans because of the extremely large number of proposed new residents and all that they would entail. We have already had and are currently having, many new homes built here which have overwhelmed the village. Bramley simply cannot support the amount of proposed properties you intend and as stated above there are many problems with the infrastructure.
  • If it is done well there may be some benefit to the village although currently I’m very sceptical.
  • There have already been too many new homes which have overwhelmed the village.
  • Overdevelopment will destroy the rural character of Bramley.