Dear Sir/Madam,
I wish to object to the proposed walkway connecting Monastery Heath cul-de-sac to Woodford.
This estate was planned and approved as a cul-de-sac, designed to give families a safe and quiet environment. The proposal to open a pedestrian link now goes against that intent and raises serious issues for residents.
1. Safety and Supervision
Children regularly play on the road in this cul-de-sac. Bringing through traffic by foot, bike, or scrambler poses an obvious danger. Section 8.7.5 of the County Development Plan highlights the need for boundary treatment, public lighting, and planting to be designed carefully to create a sense of security and avoid opportunities for anti-social behaviour. This walkway would achieve the opposite.
2. Security and Anti-Social Behaviour
There are already documented instances of anti-social behaviour in the area. Opening this link will only amplify those problems, while offering little real gain. The Draft Plan’s SM2 Objective 4 talks about filtered permeability but also says existing patterns of anti-social behaviour must be considered, and that residents should be consulted where a need is expressed. That consultation has not happened here.
3. Limited Benefit
Alternative routes already exist within 300 metres. Pedestrians can walk through the Round Towers Grounds where there is natural passive supervision, making it far safer than an isolated new link at the back of homes. The walkway adds no real value but creates clear risks.
4. Loss of Residential Character
The cul-de-sac design was chosen for privacy, security and low traffic. Removing that boundary changes the established character of the estate, to the detriment of the families who live here.
For these reasons, I ask the Council not to proceed with the proposed walkway. It conflicts with the County Development Plan, disregards local safety concerns, and undermines the planning principles on which the estate was built.
regards,
Huzzel Mcneive
resident