Thursday, 26th May, the Report from Mr. R. Watson to Babergh District Council recommends "that Planning Permission be Refused". 

Write to the Councillors

However, even after the recent successes,  the process is not finished yet.

We need to keep pressure on BDC and Haylink and be as vigilant as hawks. Please still phone the Haylink number and register your view with their Community Information line 020 7491 0991.

Also write to Richard Watson and let him know how much you appreciate his conclusion in the latest report published Thursday, 26th May.  Explain how you feel about the decision by SCC and that you hope BDC will reflect carefully on the message given through the decision and, of course, the comments made by individual councillors.

Advice about this has recently been received from Graham of the My Shotley website:

So as Graham says, please let your elected representatives know how you feel. This could be your last chance to influence how this hugely important historical site is to be developed. Let them know of any imaginative ideas you might have for the better use of this precious irreplaceable site.

Letters expressing our deep concerns over the Ganges Development plans should be addressed to the individual councillors in care of the Babergh Development Committee at

To help you with this their names and address details are shown below:

If you prefer, you can use the email address format for members of the BDC:

rex.thake@bergh.gov.uk

Central Issue

The central issue remains the lack of capacity of the B1456 to cope with peak flow estimates of up to 450 vehicles an hour (for the combined Ganges/Marina development) - 60% more traffic than we get at present.   We should stress that geographically the location is extremely isolated and that no conceivable travel plan would get motorists out of their cars and into buses.  This means that national and local policies on reducing car use could not be met. 
 
Woolverstone's status as a conservation village is at the core of our concerns.  The local authority has a duty "to preserve and enhance" our community - the current proposal if allowed could only destroy it.

The conclusions of the Buchanan Report commissioned by the Pensinsula Parishes Alliance at a cost of £3,000 and which you may wish to cite, run as follows:

5.1 The Transport Assessment and Environmental Statement have been produced in support of the planning application for 325 residential units on the HMS Ganges Site.  The focus of the Transport Assessment is largely on traffic generation and the distribution on the network. It seeks to demonstrate that the proposed development will not exceed the available capacity of the surrounding network.
 
5.2 The introduction of the development will lead to significant increases in traffic on the B1456 (over 150% growth on certain stretches). Given the location of the development, it is questionable whether sufficient measures to mitigate the level of traffic generated, by promoting a shift towards more sustainable modes of travel, could ever be achieved. As such this development does not accord with the underlying principles of the prevailing national and local transport policy.
 
5.3 It is apparent that a number of key assumptions for traffic generation and network capacity are incorrect. When applying correct assumptions, it is clear that during the busiest periods of the day, the critical section of the main link to/from the site, will be over capacity. It is considered this would lead to congestion as well as possible further road safety issues.
 
5.4  Given the above analysis it is considered that the scale and location of the proposed development would make it inappropriate in highways and transport terms.

Laurie Mayer, Chairman
Woolverstone Residents Association

See also details of the WRA Protest at the 5th April
Suffolk County Council Meeting