4.5.9

Environment Agency position.
Due to resource pressures we are no longer able to provide you with comprehensive bespoke advice on pre application submissions.

I attach for your information a copy of the Environment Agency's Planning Application Guidance. This represents the Environment Agency's preliminary non-technical summary for developers.

Whilst the Agency would be unlikely to have any fundamental objection to the proposal, any subsequent planning application must address the following issues.

Surface Water Drainage:
A sustainable scheme for the disposal of uncontaminated surface water will be required.

Foul Water Drainage:
All foul sewage shall be discharged to the public foul sewer with the prior approval of Anglian Water.

Contaminated Land:
In the case of brownfield re-development the possibility of ground contamination must be investigated. An intrusive ground contamination investigation and remediation scheme will be required. SuDS drainage will not be permitted in contaminated land.

I live on St Matthews Street.
I am sorry that I missed the workshops held earlier about the Grafton proposals. North Petersfield is integral to the Grafton area so it is a pity that residents missed the opportunity to take part.

I have read through the suggestions and in relation to East Road they seem most positive.
However currently the three crossings of East Road from Petersfield at Anglia Ruskin, Norfolk St and St Matthews Street are operated as if they a a nuisance to traffic flow. At all the pedestrian phases have significantly worsened over the last two years. Work must be done to unify Petersfield and Grafton across East Road at these crossings and elsewhere.

Proposals that seek to make East a Road more a city boulevard are to be welcomed. The south end is already a much more positive area. However much of East Road is a hostile chasm, threatening chasm and not appropriate for what is now inner city.
The dualled part of the street is terrible. There is even a fence along the Central Reservation that separates the two worlds of Grafton and Petersfield!

The dualled part of the road should be singled, the fence taken out. Currently in the peak it is a four lane "car park" pumping out noxious fumes into the adjacent housing. There is no need for East Road to be 4 lanes. It long ago ceased to be a part of planned 'motor way' ring for the city. Narrow it. Use part for the reduced width for cycle lanes and make the rest up to Newmarket Road a linear park. Off peak the road is used a speed way. Make the road less of a through-way and plant it with trees etc..

I think the idea of change of use of the Grafton Bus Station is good. Currently buses using it are the two Park and Ride services. The detour in the bus station delays them although they currently form no useful service to local residents are they no longer go through the city to the railway station and Bio Medical Campus. It would be quicker for the P&R bus services to access the city via the quieter Maids Causeway route using a quality bus stop near Sun Street / Napier Street along with the Citi3 and 10/11 routes. Interchange between routes can made if they all went that way. Currently many P&R services divert to the via Maids Causeway route from the Grafton Bus station on an ad hoc basis anyway thus avoiding the difficult right turn at the Junction with Mill Road and Parkside.

The Grafton Bus station could be opened out onto East Road and developed as an inner city square linked to the the linear park mentioned earlier....with a much calmer and narrower East Road along side it.

The volume of traffic using East Road is too much. Particulates from engines, dust from tyres wear, dust from brake linings and road asphalt wear is a major problem from this road and it should be an imperative to discourage as traffic as possible from this road. Many people have chest problems caused by this pollution. Hopefully "benign" design such as narrowing and the creation of a linear park will discourage through traffic.

There are three major Anglia Ruskin sites along East Road and apart from the residents alongside East Road, the many hundred movements of young people along this road most be taken into account into designs.

Many thanks for your attention,

Peter Wakefield,

Fitzroy St and Burleigh St are the 'backbone' of this plan. The Council should be aware of the very serious problem of air pollution we have and should be doing everything they can to reduce the sources that are causing it. Children and old people are at real risk in particular. To be even considering allowing motor vehicle access to a pedestrianized road shows a lack of concern for our need to reduce pollution which I find very worrying. If we allow taxis even (let alone the others that will follow inevitably - cars - lorries delivering) it's the thin end of the wedge. By all means build a cycle lane. Pedestrians have no protection at present as the police do nothing to stop illegal cycling (here and anywhere in town) so 'no cycling' notices are pure fantasy. Shops should have flats above. Developers should be obliged to have some proportion of 'affordable' i.e. council level rents.

While in principal I agree with improving the area I am concerned we will lose the pedestrian precinct which we currently have. Cyclists already do not conform to the time restrictions but any car/lorry/taxi access to the area is worrying. This would add to environmental concerns - quality of air. I feel strongly that taxi access is not necessary and wish to have my concerns on the record.