We need more housing - let’s maximise what we can get on the site.

Many people may not be aware of this car park, however since the significant road changes, it is definitely useful when shopping. However, any housing proposal should ensure that a meaningful proportion is genuinely social housing. Affordable housing is an umbrella term and does not automatically mean social housing. Given that only 14 units have been set aside, this risks appearing more like a box-ticking exercise than a genuine commitment to meeting local housing needs. If the needs of the existing community are not being properly taken into consideration, that would be deeply unfair and a real shame.they’ve set aside 14, this is just a tick exercise. So if people of the community are not being taken into consideration, it would be very unfair and a shame.

I support the need for more housing and understand the importance of using under-utilised sites. However, parking provision still needs to be considered carefully. Parking in the area is already difficult, and while this car park may not be heavily used, many drivers still need somewhere to park when visiting local businesses. A possible compromise would be to increase short-stay pay-and-display parking closer to the shops and services, with one hour free parking followed by paid parking for longer stays. This would support local businesses by allowing customers to park nearby while still generating revenue for the council through paid parking and enforcement where necessary. This particular car park is not especially close to most shops or supermarkets where people may need to park for longer periods, so improving short-stay parking nearer to businesses may be a more practical solution.