Public meeting – 12th Jan 2010

Last night, on the 12^th January 2010 at Lowsonford Village Hall, the Deaner family finally exposed their proposal for a new marina in the centre of Lowsonford. The village hall was full to bursting and this huge turnout without exception, constructively and on occasions passionately, demonstrated their opposition to this proposal of unwanted development.

We are also pleased to announce that over the course of the evening we have now picked up quite a number of additional LAMAG supporters.

The points that were made at the meeting were:

• The only benefit to the village would be an increase in pub trade and employment of casual labour at weekends to valet boats.
• The only people to benefit would be the developers (the Deaners), the architects and British Waterways.
• The character, appearance and lifestyle of Lowsonford would change dramatically for the worst with a marina of such a huge scale for the rural location. The proposed site will have a footprint close to 50% of the existing size of the village.
• There will be an impact on property prices in the area, so while residents see their equity reduced, the developers will benefit financially.
• A Marina will damage the environment and the tranquility of a small conservation village with the addition of what are in effect 100 floating caravans to the existing 75 dwellings.
• There is no proven need for marina berths in the area and there are significant congestion issues for our heavily locked canal.
• At a £1.2 million investment the project can only provide an adequate return if other activities are added , such as repairs and works of an engineering nature, supplies, chandlery, boat hire, dining facilities, residential occupancy, all being developed on the site.
• There are no guarantees that anyone can give to say that other activities will not be added at a subsequent date.
• It will cause major damage to, and increase the usage of Rookery Lane, the proposed access to this development. This is a narrow little used single track road with edges being either heavily wooded or hedged, prone to flooding and being impassable at some times each year. The nearest roads capable of taking normal traffic flows are over two miles away.
• It will cause major upheaval during construction with congestion by trucks and equipment throughout the whole village and all lanes leading to the village. This will continue with trucks regularly servicing the site with rubbish and effluent disposal and supply of diesel fuel.
• It will create a potential danger to residents, cyclists, walkers and horse riding, through the dramatic increase in the amount of traffic traveling through the village to access the site, with no alternative public transport.
• There will be the need to increase security and policing activity for the village in the light of the 100 floating caravan berths available.
• Due to health and safety requirements for such a significant deep water facility, there will be new levels of light pollution, akin to an airport runway.

We will let you know when and if a planning application is made but it appears that this is a commercial decision, to make profit from a business opportunity, with little regard to the appropriateness of what is being proposed and its impact on the lives of the residents of Lowsonford and its immediate environment.

What is being planned, if ever progressed will have a huge adverse impact on the lives, properties, and welfare of all of us, and must be opposed every step of the way.