Here are your views about the proposed development of 117 houses and Industrial Park on the Sawmills site, east of the Steelworks
We will be publishing a letter on our web site ( www.wolsinghamcheeseclub.co.uk)for objectors to copy and send to WVDC once the planning application is submitted.
That it is a bad idea. 1. We do not need anymore houses in Wolsingham - there are already many for sale which are NOT selling. 2. The cost of houses for first time buyers/locals is ridiculous in Wolsingham - Yes there are supposed to be lower cost houses available - but not many. There needs to be a reduction in the cost of houses in Wolsingham NOT more houses that LOCAL people can't afford. 3. Local people are being driven from their homes and the town they were brought up in. Retired/Second home owners are buying up property in Wolsingham and eventually it will become a ghost town - or a town where the majority are over 50. This will have a major knock on effect for Businesses, Schools and the area as a whole. 4. They are proposing to build the houses ontop of other peoples - or just about! There are acres of fields around why do they need to be so close to existing residence's? 5. Parking in Wolsingham is a nightmare now - with at least another 150 cars accessing the market place for parking this will cause more conjestion. 6. How will the local schools be able to accommodate these extra children? Already some local kids are being sent to schools outside Wolsingham. So the development should not be allowed.
The proposed development on the old sawmills site should be kicked into touch without a second thought, we do not need any further developments in Wolsingham, ask all of the people who have property up for sale what they think, and what happens if this site is given the go ahead, this will set a precedent for further development, do we want to end up like Crook or Howden-le-Wear?, stop this stupid idea right now.
It can olny tidy up the East End of the town. What's the problem?
As a second generation Wolsingham resident and ratepayer, I also feel that we have already had more than enough in new housing forced upon us. A peaceful, rural area has been urbanised in the pursuit of developmental profit. There are several empty houses in Uppertown alone, which have been on the market for over a year. One hundred and seventeen dwellings – how on earth can the area support such an influx of people, often with their three cars and two dogs! Plus a Business Park!! Our Planning Department team should not be seduced by the promise of jobs. Business Parks attract businesses accompanied by their existing staff – that is when the units can be let! Has any member of our council paused in Uppertown recently (to say nothing of the rest of the village) and been appalled by the increased volume of traffic and the hugeness of many of the vehicles? The added pressure of the Convent development has exacerbated an already difficult situation. This development itself, (happily in abeyance at this moment) has affected the local residents with much dirt and constant heavy vehicles using pavements on which to park and pass each other, and this before the new residents have arrived with their vehicles and animals To add more drivers and vehicles in any part of the area would be criminal - increasing the pressures on the area’s infrastructure, and the environment which we profess to care so much about. If a brown site is available to “develop” and one supposes we are considering a brown site only here – why can’t it be greened over – turned into a small riverside park for the pleasure of the residents and visitors? Not enough profit one supposes.
this development will have a negative impact on the village,enriching a few,but putting a strain on local amenites,not a good idea
This is yet another development which will increase the pressure on the already car-crowded streets of Wolsingham. Is it not time to stop the over development of rural areas?__It makes you wonder how long will it be before Wolsingham is given "City" status!!!?. One further note, I wonder who the person is who states below and I quote "What's the problem?". This person seems to want to remain anonymous, which is his or her prerogative. I can't imagine why! Oh and this person may also wish to learn how to use a spelling checker too!
Another Housing development in Wolsingham, yes, more accommodation that is too expensive. What a perfectly ridiculous idea!! DO NOT DO IT – reject this proposal now, and do not spend any more money on it! I could list all the problems both present and future with this proposal, most already covered by Ann Walker and Helen Fletcher, but is there any point? My questions are – will this proposal be going ahead anyway despite all of the ‘don’t do it’ comments shown previously? Can the authorities involved not see it is a bad idea for all the reasons mentioned in this page? Has money already changed hands I wonder?
I found this from 2 years ago. It must have been nice to be asked for views but so much nicer for views to be taken into account in a measured way. my fundamental objection is to the premise of 'regeneration'. I do not object to 'regeneration' only how that goal may be achieved. to my mind, one regenerates by nurturing commercial success that can sensibly be established in a rural area. This would give the local residents the chance to be involved and thus make an area more attractive both to housing devlopers and other investors. to build executive houses without a local commercial investment plan can have no sense. It also strikes me that the reason people want to live in a rural village such as wolsingham is because of its rural character, to build large developments is automatically self defeating. blah blah blah. From the Northern Echo, first published Thursday 23rd Oct 2003. RURAL residents are being asked to make the case for more homes to be built at prices people can afford to pay. Durham Rural Community Council is sending out letters to households in Wolsingham and St John's Chapel in Weardale, for a survey on housing needs. Recent job losses have hit the dale at the same time as house prices have spiralled, driving young buyers out of the area. The problem was highlighted when a former council house in Stanhope was sold for £90,000, a price out of reach of many first time buyers. The survey follows one covering the whole Wear Valley District and is aimed at assessing the particular demand. The search is on for suitable housing sites and land at St John's Chapel and the Weardale Steel site in Wolsingham, could be earmarked for development. At the same time Wear Valley District Council is in discussions with housing associations about projects similar to one just completed at Wesley View, in Wolsingham, which has just won a national award. Built by the Three Rivers Housing Association, it has provided social and shared ownership properties including bungalows for the elderly. Claire Foster, rural housing enabler at Durham Rural Community Council, said: "The lack of affordable housing is becoming a concern. So many people are moving away because they can't afford to buy and there isn't much stock left. This is the first step on the ladder to addressing the problem." District council housing director Michael Laing said: "There is undoubtedly a great need for affordable housing in Wolsingham and the rest of the dale. "Prices are very high and need is even more acute following recent job losses. We don't want people to leave the dale because they can't afford to buy a home. "Building new houses would also bring jobs because local firms would be employed. "New homes would strengthen schools in the dale and would provide homes for people of all ages." Archive Home From the Northern Echo http://www.thisisthenortheast.co.uk © Newsquest Media Group 2003