THIS is an open letter to ensure both district councillors and the public can see in full the issues thrown up by the outline planning application of the Fitzwilliam Estate (FWE), and begin to form comments and objections that need to be submitted to Ryedale District Council by the end of next week – Sunday, July 20 (or Friday, July 18 to be safe).

Are you happy to give permission to such a broad application, when the FWE will not be tied to any of the detail consulted on with the public beyond basic road access? Are you happy with the traffic survey? Are you happy that the FWE will not be bound to put bollards in, as has been previously communicated to residents, to restrict access to Middlecave Road.

Are you happy that there is no restriction on HGVs, or amount of business units/industrial or retail development? That the application erroneously records the parking as currently restricted on both sides of the whole of Middlecave Road, ignoring that free parking on much of one side, and residents parking near the West Wing school entrance, means the top end is effectively one narrow lane wide and wholly unsuitable for further significant extra traffic pressure of combined residential, and HGV/business traffic?

Are you happy with the very significant traffic volumes in Castle Howard Road and the knock-on effect on queues in Yorkersgate down to Butcher Corner, a dedicated Air Quality Action Zone, and the cumulative effect of several applications, not considered in the FWE traffic survey submission? What about the queuing already seen regularly in Yorkersgate and Middlecave Road that the FWE in its application states does not exist? How can the FWE justify the use of cities and large urban areas with good public transport to model the traffic impact of a retirement home in an area with such relatively poor public transport?

How will the surgery cope? Where will the new residents have jobs?

Where will the disproportionately large number of young families that have been shown to be attracted to this kind of development send their children to school? How likely is it they will drive to school given the nearest primary school is currently at least 1.2 miles away (Middlecave Road end)? How many further vehicle journeys will this be, and has this been included in modelling journeys?

Ten years of building is envisaged by FWE. Do you consider this to be too long to subject neighbours to dust, noise impacts and HGV movements?

Is the land strong enough, are there sink holes has this been covered in the survey?

What will be the visual impact on Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty? Have people seen the lack of detail in visual survey and what consideration is there of drainage and sewerage issues?

Ian Conlan, on behalf of West Malton Residents Group, Malton