LEVENS PARISH COUNCIL
Clerk: Mrs Anne Kerr
8 Highcroft Drive, Allithwaite, Cumbria LA11 7QL
Tel: 07587 096285 Email: parishclerk4@hotmail.com
13 April 2011
SLDC
Local Development Framework
Land Allocations – Emerging Options Consultation
South Lakeland House
Lowther Street
Kendal
Dear Sirs
RESPONSE FROM LEVENS PARISH COUNCIL TO:
THE SOUTH LAKELAND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK:
LAND ALLOCATION DEVELOPMENT PLAN DOCUMENT
EMERGING OPTIONS CONSULTATION
Levens Parish Council have over the last 2 years been pro-active in working with the village to gain opinions and information to provide SLDC with a suitable way forward. Our responses and previous correspondence have adhered to findings from the Parish Plan. Yet we were extremely disappointed to read the documentation within the Fact File on Levens and see that it made no mention of the views of Levens residents.
PARISH PLAN
In 2008 Levens Parish Council and Levens residents put time and effort into producing a Parish Plan (encouraged to be completed by SLDC) In the Parish Plan the overwhelming feeling was that small- scale developments in Levens were preferred to any large ones.
RESIDENTS GROUP SURVEY
In March 2011 a Residents Group from Levens handed out questionnaires to every household in Levens. The Parish Council acknowledges and supports the results of the Residents Group Survey with particular attention to the support and opposition numbers for each of the various sites put forward. Also agreeing that site RN121M should be considered for housing rather than employment land.
BROWNFIELD SITES
The Parish Council again urges that Brownfield sites within the village could provide important sources of housing and every effort must be made to ensure that these sites are not overlooked and left to become derelict.
LOCAL SERVICE CENTRE
Levens is classed as a "Local Service Centre" by SLDCwithin their documentation, a set of criteria were used and each village was measured against the criteria to "qualify." As a village, we have lost our Post Office and we are about to lose our bus service, therefore there will be no public transport links available.
Therefore does Levens still qualify as a Local Service Centre?
ENVIROMENTAL IMPACT
Levens has limited employment available; surely the environmental impactof building more houses where the inhabitants then have to travel by car (as there is no public transport) is quite considerable.
OTHER SITE OPTIONS WITHIN THE PARISH – SMALL SCALE
When deciding upon development in Levens it should be noted that the Parish Council owns one or two small pieces of land which would accommodate social rent housing for the young or elderly if funds were available
DESIGN STATEMENT
It is of high importance that any sites considered for development are put forward with a design statement in place which has been agreed by the Parish Council.
The Parish Council want to support the amenities of the village without excessive development.
Yours Sincerely
Mrs Anne Kerr
Clerk to Levens Parish Council