Plastic Glasses – could we follow?

Just saying because…

Another wonderful visit to Gent was enjoyed this week where liveability is at the core of the city with innovative solutions on traffic management and home areas, as well as strong recycling policies and the claim to be the vegetarian capital of Europe.

Climate Change issues run through most things so it was great to be accosted by campaigners from Gent Milieu Front (Ghent Environmental Front) on misuse of plastic beer ‘glasses’ at in use at the Ghent Six Day Cycle Race (our main reason for the visit). 

We enjoyed a good chat.
Hundreds of thousands of plastic glasses are used at this event so we were especially pleased to see these young people taking a stand against them – passing out publicity, supporters' stickers and explaining the cause for reuseables.

Something for Whitchurch and Basingstoke & Deane to actively promote to all events locally?

New Housing encourages traffic?

SHOULD ALL BUILDING HALT?

There are regular complaints about 'traffic levels' by residents of Whitchurch, especially when housing developments or the effects of the School Run are being discussed. It is a very understandable concern especially from the local residents who already have to bear the brunt of that School Run with its regular pavement parking, speeding vehicles and dangers to pedestrians and cyclists.

A Nursery pushed traffic up the agenda
One such example arose with a recent planning application for a Nursery to be placed on the Knowlings Field, an area of agricultural land used unofficially as open space, but with difficult access.  A regular theme amongst the objectors is that the surrounding access roads, notably Micheldever Road which already provides access to the Primary and Secondary schools could not cope with any more 'traffic'.
The Nursery was to have 8 car park spaces all of which would be served via Micheldever Road.
The application was refused.

So...

Is any more 'traffic' in Micheldever Road and on the roads that lead off it acceptable?

The question I seriously pose is that if that is the case, all increases in traffic should to be objected to,. So where do we stand when assessing smaller developments; ones where the increase would be requiring only one or two new vehicle spaces; those for single new houses or extensions in size of existing ones.
Each will generate more traffic while planning regulations require the provision of additional parking spaces.

It could take just four or five such applications to reach the level that was proposed for the Nursery and so strongly opposed.

Should we now be rejecting ALL such applications?