Fairford lakeside eco build a flood worry for residents (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)
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Fairford lakeside eco build a flood worry for residents
9:00am Friday 25th January 2013 in News By Laura Shack
LAKESIDE developers of a new eco-friendly second home village and leisure complex in Fairford were grilled at a public presentation evening.
It has been two and a half years since Cygnet was given the go-ahead to build 77 pavilions, 63 apartments and a leisure complex at Lakes 103, 103a, 104 and land at Milestone House.
Now, developer Mark Savage is hopeful that final planning details will be submitted to Cotswold District Council in the next two months, so the build can get underway.
At last week’s public drop-in session at Fairford Community Centre, main concerns raised by residents were over the development’s impact on flooding and sewage. The area is a flood plain and was reportedly submerged in water over the Christmas period.
A Fairford resident, who did not want to be named, said: “They’re spending a huge amount of public money to stop flooding, but at the other end of Fairford they’re allowing a major housing development on the site where water normally runs.”
Retired doctor Stewart Benzie added: “The sewage system hasn’t been updated since before 2007. If they put these houses into the same pumping system which wasn’t adequate then, there’s going to be a higher risk of sewage flooding.”
But Cygnet’s planning consultant, David Neame, said sewage arrangements had been approved by Thames Water and flooding would not be a problem unless water levels exceeded that of the 2007 floods in the town.
“We have to work to that 2007 event for floor levels. It’s never reached that level either before or since,” he said.
Some residents welcomed the plans.
Local businessman Neil Dowler said: “I’ve lived in Fairford all my life and in the last 30 years I’ve seen it die a death. This, along with the other new developments, will give Fairford and local business a much-needed boost.”
Critics have said plans for a public leisure complex, with an increased 25metre swimming pool, will never see the light of day. A planning loophole means it does not need to be built until 130 out of 140 properties have been built.
But Mr Savage said the pool would go ahead.
“We’re making it available to local users, not just from Fairford but also the other surrounding villages. We have agreed to that,” he said.
The development’s “family” of Cotswold stone and red cedar two to six-bed properties have been created by architect Richard Hawkes, who specialises in designing “exceptional buildings” and has featured on Channel 4’s Grand Designs.
Mr Hawkes said that unlike nearby lakeside developments, the buildings and terraces had been designed to make the most of the available sunlight – for pleasure and for storing natural energy.
To view the outline plans for the site, click here and here.
To view details on reserved matters, click here and here.
Robert Jeanes says...
10:16pm Tue 29 Jan 13
A .... VILLAGE
So it's official then! A .....village ..... a 'second-home' village ..... is to be built – within the precincts of the town of Fairford. It's a news story so very complete – but, I suspect to some it is now a little embarrassing. Millions of tons of concrete and hard-standing / access roads etc., will not help - the flooding that is. No surprise then that days later not a single comment has been made on this very worthy local news story.
'A Village'. These are just the words which careful development salesmen never dared use – starting those few years ago when they embarked on a mission to court relentlessly, those in Fairford who represented their electorate. It followed then that Councillors (obviously) never used such words; nor did the CDC; and publicity from any corporate body was devoid of such reference. Semantics then, from the very start of this massive £100 million pound New-Build - literally within yards of the river Coln - were clearly deemed vitally important, and as we now know, such 'political' policy worked perfectly.
As for the actual subject of the above Wilts. & Glos. article – the 'presentation' or somesuch of new building proposals:
Is there any one Councillor who will step forward and say they can take Cygnet's word seriously? Cygnet, who have secretly planted expensive screening which will hide currently public views of the lake which Fairfordians and visitors have enjoyed for 40 years? Cygnet, who engineered the get- out clause which Miss Shack refers to above. (as did Private Eye). Cygnet, who placed barbed-wire adjacent to a public walk of almost 1½ miles? Cygnet, whose actions have, by default, created such an appallingly muddy 'walk' it is for many permanently impassable.
I doubt Fairford's architectural benefit.......? The Postman probably will be the only one who will see the place - along with delivery drivers. It's strictly private so nobody else really will see it - before or after some dignatory, or, I have a definite feeling here, a Celeb (!) cuts the ceremonial ribbon.
Gloriously innovative? Little boxes? Made of ticky-tacky?
To most of Fairford's 3200 residents it's rather irrelevant really.