RESIDENTS and members of a parish council have raised objections to plans for a large development in a village.

The Comet: Cllr Barry Livesey and Cllr Terry Cobb stand by the entrance of the field where the development is proposedCllr Barry Livesey and Cllr Terry Cobb stand by the entrance of the field where the development is proposed (Image: Archant)

Developer Taylor Wimpey has submitted an application for 70 homes on land at New Road in Clifton.

The application was considered in June but has been carried over and will now be discussed at a meeting on Wednesday, August 14.

Barry Livesey, chairman of Clifton Parish Council, said: “The problem is access. The bottom of New Road is lined with Victorian cottages with no parking. Residents have no alternative but to park on the road and the adjoining road in the centre of the village, so there is growing congestion, especially at weekends and evenings.

“There can be as many as 16 cars parked along the road, so people going up New Road can sometimes find themselves reversing to let cars pass. It is getting worse month by month. It seems madness to contemplate having this road as an access road.”

There have already been 81 objections from villagers to Central Bedfordshire Council but these objections have been reduced to bullet points and Cllr Livesey feels there is no evidence that these letters have been considered.

He said: “If you look at the years of residents on the parish council it comes to 350 years of accumulated experience, so we know what we are talking about.

“I understand that everywhere is under pressure to find building land but we have already increased by 80 houses over the past couple of years, so the target has already been exceeded.

“There could also be a problem with school places. Clifton All Saints VA CofE Lower School is nearly full and this could be contentious as some villagers may be forced to attend a school in another village. The road is a rat run for people travelling from Biggleswade and Sandy going to Letchworth GC so it is already a busy country lane.

“We get by at the moment, people are tolerant, but get 70 more houses in this area and people will not be so.”

A spokesman for Taylor Wimpey said: “We conducted a thorough public consultation exercise prior to finalising and submitting this planning application, and we understand the concerns which have been raised by a number of local residents.

“As well as providing much-needed new homes for the Central Bedfordshire area, our proposals include appropriate measures to ensure that the development can fully and successfully integrate with the local community.”