Some General Points of Objection

Some general points of objection

Existing Greenbelt: The fields form part of Greenbelt land, formally adopted as part of the review in 2015 and confirmed in 2016. They fulfill all 5 of the requirements for Greenbelt.
Slyne Conservation Plan: Any proposed development would impact and be detrimental to the current Slyne conservation plan which is adopted and in place.
Local Area housing requirement: There is no proven local need for so many houses in this location.
Infrastructure: So many new households would put an unbearable strain on already oversubscribed local services such as GPs, dentists, schools, social services, ambulances. police and fire brigade.
Site Access: The access to the site would cause delays and problems via the A6 and unparalleled congestion via existing surrounding roads such as Greenwood Drive, in urban areas which are already too narrow and have parking issues of their own.

A possible 200 to 500 more vehicles in this area is not sustainable or environmentally in keeping with the local plan and would be utterly horrible in commuting times or when there are diversions in place due to M6 closures. Many of our highways in the area are already in a poor state of repair including Hasty Brow, Hatlex lane, Peacock lane etc. With so many more vehicles on the road and so much congestion at peak times, all the key local roads through both villages would become rat-runs worse than they are now.

If this application is accepted, the neighbouring field on the Slyne side would become the next prime development site, adding another potential 200+ homes. This would be entirely unsustainable and increase the local population by close to 10%, forever altering the character, nature and look of both villages.
Environmental Impact Assessment: There has been no EIA requested yet the building of over 150 dwellings places this application in line for one to be undertaken. 200 new homes on a greenfield site is definitely going to have and environmental impact for all living around the area!
Incomplete or biased studies: The environment and wildlife surveys that have been conducted are incomplete, stilted and do not reflect the true state of the land. For example, I don't know where their bat detectors were placed but if they chose the middle of a field, they would not detect much. However, the ones we used detected at least two different kinds of bats, active at twilight in the areas around the gardens surrounding the fields and along the hedges.

The single nesting pair of Lapwings found by the developers does not reflect the sightings of those living neighbouring the fields. From March we have seen several nesting pairs but the farming land is sometimes disturbed due to legitimate farming activities.

Archaeological report: The archaeological findings are incomplete as nobody has been allowed to survey the site due to it being private land (despite detectorists asking) yet there is possible archaeology on the ridge behind Greenwood Crescent and Pinewood Ave.

The fields form part of the situation in which the Grade 2 listed building of Slyne Hall is sited. (see specific Archaeological Objection document)

Separation of two ancient villages: The land between Slyne and Bolton le Sands acts as a buffer between these two ancient villages, both of which are mentioned in the Doomsday book. Though the two parishes are visually joined from the coastal side, these fields remain the last green and visual separation from the A6 and hence the strongly supported Greenbelt status.
Nature and the overwintering bird report: The land between Slyne and Bolton le Sands is a natural and vital corridor for wildlife of all kinds. We cannot assume that small channels of selected development area would continue to serve this purpose due to sensitive creatures such as deer needing more space to live in. Likewise vulnerable species such as lapwings and other ground nesting birds are easily predated by domestic house cats and therefore would be lost if development went ahead. We need this wider swathe of land to accommodate all kinds of nature.

The land acts as a vital corridor for wintering birds who overwinter between the shore and inland each winter.
Planning framework not yet law: The new planning framework brought in by the current Labour government late last year is, to my knowledge, not yet part of law. This existing greenbelt should not be considered as grey belt merely because the goal posts have changed from protecting villages to towns. The proposal is only in outline stage and assumes a grey belt status or the requirement for 50% of the dwellings to be affordable would be in place.
Tourism: The very nature of our villages is a prime tourism attraction which would be largely lost if both were merged together.
Drainage: Drainage on and off the site is problematic with the recreation fields on the Slyne side regularly flooding each year. The houses at the bottom of the hill behind the fields along Bryn Grove and Hatlex Hill are very prone to flooding to the extent that some owners have had to establish their own flood provisions. Attenuation ponds proposed on the application may not be sufficient for the purpose or in keeping with the kind of land represented as the fields currently are. They would change the landscape completely and alter what kind of wildlife can continue to utilise the area.

Down Pinewood and Greenwood Crescent we have had some years of severe flooding with water running like a river down pinewood, round onto Greenwood Crescent and directly down the drive of 42 Greenwood and affecting those along the canal-side of Greenwood Crescent. Again, flood measures have had to be put into place by those properties. If there were more surface water from heavy downpours coming off the new development, along the road onto Pinewood - this would create a situation that could not be contained.

Factors for consideration
There are many newbuild homes still for sale at Riverside Place, Carnforth.
Over 1700 homes for sale in the area
Over 800 permanently empty domestic properties in the local area.
Over 8000 permanently empty domestic properties in Lancashire.
There are other sites in the close, local area which should be developed first and which are more suitable for affordable homes such as Skerton High School site which has been demolished and lies waste in the area. The old site of Megazone on Morecambe promenade remains demolished and empty.
There are already 1000 homes due to be built on the old Lansil golf club site which is a far better site, closer to work in Lancaster, closer to public transport or within walking distance of facilities
The areas close to the Bay Gateway which have been given the green light for development but nobody is doing anything with those.
This all suggests that the proposed development on these fields is purely for profit which should not be the driving factor for changing the status away from greenbelt.
Local petitions to save the greenbelt have garnered nearly 1800 signatures to date showing the strength of concern and affection local people have for these fields. Their concerns should not be weighed so lightly - we do still live in a democracy!