Is the proposed development plan for Sladnot Park compatible with Torbay’s new Climate Action Plan. It appears not.
The ‘ambitious’ new action plan named A Greener Way For Our Bay proposes ten key things to help reduce Torbay’s carbon emissions. The following are highly relevant to the Sladnor Park project.
Number 2: Make sustainable transport and public transport more accessible and affordable – the aim will be to give people more choice on how they travel, focusing towards sustainable, low-carbon travel options.
Number 3: Ensure that roads and paths are safer and more accessible for cyclists and walkers – making it easier for people to cycle or walk will improve both air quality and public health, and provide accessible, affordable, and efficient travel options for all residents.
Number 5: Enjoy and protect our marine and natural environment – projects include a new comprehensive plan to restore and protect natural habitats within Torbay and projects to help our local sea grass thrive.
A proposal to build 120 houses on Sladnor Park will certainly not contribute to protecting the natural environment on and around the site. If anything and as stated in a previous post, the period of time for construction and the upheaval of the development itself would forever wreck the last area of truly diverse ecology this side of the Torquay conurbation.
We should not forget that the Council prides itself on Maidencombe being one of only two vital rural villages in Torquay, the other being Cockington.
Given the undeveloped, rural location of the site most properties would inevitably become two car households, leading to potentially 240 vehicles entering and exiting the site – a great contribution to developing low carbon options.
Anybody keen on walking and cycling in order to have ‘more choice on how they travel’ will quickly lose any enthusiasm once they leave the actual site. Teignmouth Road is a dangerous road. Walking along Teignmouth Road down Watcombe Heights is not only life-threatening but illegal. How many have seen the road sign at the top of Watcombe Heights prohibiting walking along the road.
The developers claim they will open up the site with new routes for walking and cycling. They clearly haven’t tried any of these alternatives themselves.
In all likelihood the only method of transport in and out of Sladnor will be by car.
But there will be charging points for EVs !!
The full document can be read here.