Hundreds flock to homes meeting
HUNDREDS of residents in Chalfont St Peter flocked to a public meeting to learn of the threat their village faces if plans to build hundreds of new homes there go ahead.
On Saturday, a meeting hosted by the parish council was held in the Chalfont St Peter C of E school to inform villagers that more than 700 new dwellings could be built in the village if Chiltern District Council's (CDC's) plans to meet government targets are given the all clear.
The parish council had spent previous weeks visiting every house in the village to post a leaflet informing residents of the plans and telling them that a meeting was due to take place.
On Saturday, nearly 200 people attended the meeting, which had to be moved to the school after it was deemed the parish council offices were too small to cope with the number of residents who had arrived.
Richard Allen, parish council chairman, told the crowd about the plans, which would see the historic Holy Cross site in the centre of the village bulldozed to make way for 400 homes, as well as the vacant Newlands Park area and other sites across the area.
Residents were then given the chance to ask questions and express their views, as well as being asked to lend their services to a Village Design Statement (VDS), which the parish council is putting together to present to CDC as an alternative to their plans.
It is hoped the VDS will provide CDC with another option, and while it will accommodate some housing, will enable the village to retain its character.
After the meeting, Mr Allen said: "It was excellent, I was really pleased by how many people attended and put their views across.
"It is really important that as many people as possible are made aware of these threats, so it was great that so many turned up.
"It was also really encouraging to see such a large group of people offering their services to help put the VDS together. There is a lot of expertise in this village which we can use to put together a really good VDS, so I was really pleased s known to them, even if people are in favour of the plans.
If you would like to get your views across, email smoffat@chalfontstpeter-pc.gov.uk.
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By building so many homes in this small village it will completely change it's character and we are vehemently against the proposals.
There is no infrastructure to support such a large influx of people - so what are the plans to improve the already crowded roads, increase the number of available school places (these are already under serious pressure and are asking for financial assistance from parents),improvements in public transport, improve the amenities for the youth in the area , increase the number of doctor's surgeries and how will they all find work in such a small village and the immediate surrounding area?
Well hopefully, when we get a government change, the Labour enforced quota for housing will be dropped and Chiltern District Council can pull back from the decision to build 800+ houses here.
Even if that happened, the Holy Cross site will get developed eventually, so maybe you should get involved in the VDS. That way at least you will have your say as to how the village inevitably changes.