Letter: Access issues were ignored for this planning madness

From Featherbed Lane going north to the junction of the A49 and A53, within a distance of about 600 yards on a very busy main route into and out of town, we already have two major crossroads governed by traffic-lights, access to supermarket, DIY store, park and ride, retail park, five restaurants, four car dealerships and an abattoir.

The planning decision will make the Shillingston Drive junction as the only road access into a development of about 500 houses and perhaps, therefore 800 to 1,000 cars. This is madness. The developer acknowledged there were access issues but unsurprisingly did not want to reopen that debate!

Councillor Barker is still troubled by access issues but strangely didn't want to talk about them either. Councillor Nutting, however, said such limited access was "not unusual."

Perhaps he might furnish examples of similarly busy roads with large housing developments having only a single access route?

The developer said the proposed children's play area to be sited underneath the high-voltage cables "will not directly affect the power-lines". I'm sure that will be a great relief to us all, but it is not what usually concerns people who have to live underneath them. In any case, "the use of the play area by individual children will be intermittent" – in other words, it's not really necessary but the window-dressing looks good on the plans.

The developer also proposes to include tree-planting and "ponds to encourage wildlife" – presumably the sort of wildlife that would be driven away by a large housing development. More window-dressing.

There have been "access issues" and protests on behalf of the woodland ever since plans were first submitted, and thrown out, several years ago.

The objections have been made again and ignored. Why?

P James, Berwick Grange estate, Shrewsbury