Key Reasons against the development
Full details of the Barratt Homes plans can be found here
TRAFFIC
There are serious concerns over the increase in traffic and the ‘bottle neck’ effect on the only road in and out of the Hooe/Turnchapel/Mount Batten Peninsular. The road which already struggles to cope with the existing traffic levels is often blocked at peak times. A traffic survey commissioned by Barratt Homes as yet undisclosed, suggests 1 car every 25 seconds, however it would appear that the survey was not carried out at peak times and radically differs from data complied by RHALPA a few years ago.
SEWERAGE
Concerns are that there is no capacity at SWW Radford Treatment Works to cope with the new proposal. Barratt’s say they would have to pay to upgrade the system and pumping stations if necessary. This if possible, could exacerbate the existing problems of the odour and noise levels that have been an ongoing problem for SWW for the last 7 years so much so that The Environmental Health Dept. have got to a point where they are threatening legal action if they cannot resolve these issues.
CONTAMINATION
The land is heavily contaminated with arsenic, mercury and other toxic substances. There are major concerns that any disturbance of the site will release these contaminants into the environment. Barratt’s are not initially planning to remove any contaminated material from the site, intending to cap the site and build homes on the contaminated areas.
NATURAL HABITAT & WILDLIFE
The closure of the quarries created a natural oasis for wildlife which has emerged and remained virtually undisturbed over the last 200 years. Hooe Quarry has become an important and irreplaceable habitat. It should be considered as an integral part of the unique area of parkland and designated ‘County Wildlife Sites’ (CWS) of Hooe Lake, Radford Lake, Radford Quarry & Radford Woods . These sites contain some of the best areas of wildlife in the County as designated by the DBRC. Any development will destroy the nesting grounds and habitats of Badgers, Bats, Birds of Prey, Butterflies and the Flora such as the rare orchids. These wildlife areas should be protected and incorporated in to the CWS. In January 1986, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds designated the unique area of Radford & Hooe Lake as one of only four sites in Devon as part of its Nation Wide Birdwatch ’86. 83 species of birds recorded as living there or visiting. Any further developments within this area will have an irreversible impact on its neighbouring County Wildlife Sites.
The Environment wherever possible should be protected from any excessive and thoughtless development.
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