101 New Homes for Crane Mead

What do you think about the quality and pace of housing development in Ware?
Ian
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Re: 101 New Homes for Crane Mead

Post by Ian »

RCR1 wrote:For DJ's and similar businesses its not an availability issue, its £/sq.m rent & location. The current area being old is relatively cheap. The planning submission showing availability gave me a good laugh showing how much light industrial area was available as far as north as Stevenage and beyond. Handy when I walk down to pick up my car.
I know DJs are looking to stay, but as yet I don't think any decision has been made as to rents and length of lease, but the point has been made to the developer. Whether they will provide suitable rents I don't know, but I'm not sure what else can be done apart from talking to them.

Surely using "brownfield" land to develop a mix of industrial and residential is better than building on greenbelt?
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Mel
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Location: Ware

Re: 101 New Homes for Crane Mead

Post by Mel »

I have to agree Kate, you need a garage you can trust. I'm lucky my car goes to my nephew's garage although we have to travel to Hitchin for that!
RCR1
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Re: 101 New Homes for Crane Mead

Post by RCR1 »

I will see if I can put in an objection citing loss of employment, and would encourage others to do so. Loss of employment stopped the Roeback for a while..perhaps I should say delayed it!
The current leases are very short at Swains Mill so its quite likely the current leaseholder bought it with future profit in mind if housing was allowed.
Ian
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Re: 101 New Homes for Crane Mead

Post by Ian »

RCR1 wrote:I will see if I can put in an objection citing loss of employment, and would encourage others to do so. Loss of employment stopped the Roeback for a while..perhaps I should say delayed it!
The current leases are very short at Swains Mill so its quite likely the current leaseholder bought it with future profit in mind if housing was allowed.
By all means do, but I think as they are going to provide enough industrial units for the current employment that is unlikely to have much of an effect. Moving the businesses in the first phase is more of a problem as they are intending to build it in two parts which will force the garage to move and that will take a lot of effort and expense.

The traffic at the junction is likely to be a factor and the loss of parking spaces for local businesses and for the station is a major problem, so I'd suggest including those points in any objection.
The Masked Woler
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Re: 101 New Homes for Crane Mead

Post by The Masked Woler »

Ian wrote:
RCR1 wrote:I will see if I can put in an objection citing loss of employment, and would encourage others to do so. Loss of employment stopped the Roeback for a while..perhaps I should say delayed it!
The current leases are very short at Swains Mill so its quite likely the current leaseholder bought it with future profit in mind if housing was allowed.
By all means do, but I think as they are going to provide enough industrial units for the current employment that is unlikely to have much of an effect. Moving the businesses in the first phase is more of a problem as they are intending to build it in two parts which will force the garage to move and that will take a lot of effort and expense.

The traffic at the junction is likely to be a factor and the loss of parking spaces for local businesses and for the station is a major problem, so I'd suggest including those points in any objection.
Is parking an issue, I have never seen more than one or two cars in the car park and Mill Studios is almost empty.
Traffic is an issue, although the anti ASDA group saw no problem with Waitrose lorries going down there so it will probably be ok.
Ian
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Re: 101 New Homes for Crane Mead

Post by Ian »

The Masked Woler wrote: Is parking an issue, I have never seen more than one or two cars in the car park and Mill Studios is almost empty.
I believe it will be an issue and that's not my experience. When I've had a look through the day the railway car park is approx 30% occupied and the businesses around DJs always seem to be pretty near full.

Bearing in mind they have allowed 110 parking spaces for 101 properties and no extra parking for businesses or rail users, I think this is vastly under requirements.

As an example, I spoke to DJs about this last week and they reckon they have 20-30 cars a day that they are working on or waiting to be picked up/worked on so that's a third of the spaces gone by one business, let alone the workers for the other businesses and the residents. During term time Broadmeads gets pretty full too so that isn't really an alternative.

As far as traffic is concerned, I do think it's a problem as the traffic already backs up on Viaduct Road. It may be eased by traffic lights, but I suspect that would actually back the traffic up even more.
Scottman
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Re: 101 New Homes for Crane Mead

Post by Scottman »

There is a policy from EH Planning that development proposals should significantly under-estimate car ownership and use, on the basis that reduced parking will reduce car use on a daily basis, and increase car sharing and use of public transport.

Did I just see a pig overhead ?
The Masked Woler
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Re: 101 New Homes for Crane Mead

Post by The Masked Woler »

Scottman wrote:There is a policy from EH Planning that development proposals should significantly under-estimate car ownership and use, on the basis that reduced parking will reduce car use on a daily basis, and increase car sharing and use of public transport.

Did I just see a pig overhead ?
EHDC will allow less that one space per dwelling because the site is within walking distance of the station and, as we know, people who live near stations don't need cars and so don't have them.
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Steve
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Re: 101 New Homes for Crane Mead

Post by Steve »

The Masked Woler wrote: EHDC will allow less that one space per dwelling because the site is within walking distance of the station and, as we know, people who live near stations don't need cars and so don't have them.
I'm not sure where you got that information from. The proposed new development next to Hertford East station was turned down precisely because there was less than 1 parking space per flat. It wasn't until revised plans with a ratio of 1:1.12 were submitted that the plans were approved (by reducing the number of flats and increasing the number of spaces).
Scottman
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Re: 101 New Homes for Crane Mead

Post by Scottman »

A revision to a ratio of 1:1.12 eh? How fantastic. Great if you assume that everyone in the flats uses public transport to get to work. Ridiculous if you work it out that to afford either the mortgage (or the rent to a buy to let landlord who needs to cover their mortgage) there will be at least two people working to make the money each month.
And possibly two more renting the second bedroom. One car per flat ? Not realpolitik.
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