I don't know how they get planning permission for such idiot developments, ATF.
There is a huge development going up near where I now live (11 000 homes, eventually, just outside a village of 2 500). Sounds like a similar disaster, right? Except that they are adding schools, moving the train station, planning roads so the existing village doesn't turn into a rat run. Shows what can be done with some thought.
I'm ignoring whether it is wise at all to develop on land that is 0.5m above sea level, when the sea is predicted to rise by more than that in this century.
Living in a London commuter town, there's a consistent theme to development (which is limited, fortunately, by being part of the green belt) which involves turning business premises into flats (or retirement homes). This, of course, pushes more people onto the train or into their cars. I saw it commented that there was capacity on the train, but we're at the very end of the line, so yes, there are seats. Three stations in there aren't. Sucks for them.
Endless arguments about parking – everyone it seems needs a car, but space won't magically appear to park them (and the planning usually fudges the issue by disingenuously assuming people will have fewer cars than they actually have). The high street is as moribund as most other similar high streets in the county. The shopkeepers, of course, blame the parking situation, because obviously people get in their cars and drive to the local high street (they don't, they drive to Croydon or Redhill or somewhere that has a giant fucking car park). There's parking anyway in the car parks for the two supermarkets, but it's literally an entire minute's walk, which is apparently an inconvenience too far for the modern shopper.
They're looking to redevelop a small shopping precinct, add new shops, flats, a cinema. There seems to be a concerted effort against this because – oh woe! – the parking. To be honest, it's a good idea, would be a much-needed revitalization. Why people who live opposite a train station and bus stop with regular services need cars, I don't know. Lots more people actually living in the town centre might actually be a good thing for local business, rather than hoping magic parking spaces appear and people drive in.
The local plan was reasonable and to a degree realistic, but didn't really offer a solution to the problem of the town centre being dogged by traffic and parking issues. I think we know the solution, just that most people don't want it and would rather blame something else rather than infringe their own convenience. Look at a successful high street – it's not a traffic-congested (with cars going elsewhere) with parking clogged up by people stopping at KFC or to buy a lottery ticket. (We actually put some serious thought into opening a local business, but the rent for premises and business rates were untenable, which given the state of the high street seems to be madness.)
