PETITION – PLEASE SIGN
SAVE THE OLD ORCHARD
Steeple Morden’s Natural Nature Reserve is between number 12 and 14 on Station Road, SG8 0NW. Grid Reference:2854542219.
The Old Orchard is a safe haven for wildlife. There are over a hundred trees on over 4 acres of land. It brings wildlife into Steeple Morden and it gives the village a rural leafy feel as you drive down Station Road, this makes Steeple Morden special it gives it identity.
A Planning Application has been proposed to build 12 new homes and 5 garages in a block on the on the site of the Old Orchard. The decision on the application has been announced as rejected, so far so good then.
I'm still asking people to SIGN this petition because history tells us that the developer will appeal against the rejection.
Please sign this petition to save all the trees in the orchard because as the years of neglect have gone by the orchard has turned into a natural nature reserve. There are some beautiful trees still growing amongst the ivy that has been allowed to smother the trees.
We have several man made woods in this area and the Woodland Trust's policy is to leave the trees where they fall so that this creates a place where nature thrives. The Old Orchard is already a safe haven for wildlife; nature thrives there already. We have seen deer, muntjack, badgers and many birds including Kites and Robins here. What is the point of creating new man made woodland for nature while ripping out the original real natural ones?
Other reasons for not wanting 12 houses (and a block of 5 garages) built on the Old Orchard site are:
The village will lose its countryside designation and identity, it will be more urban.
This could lead to further development and more houses built on the old orchard site.
Because of the nature of the site ie woodland, this could set precedence for further housing developments elsewhere.
Current sewage system is old and is already unable to cope at the moment.
Access to and from the middle part of the village will be even more difficult than it is now because there will be cars parking on both sides of the road. This will make it more dangerous to access the middle part of the village. The access to the development will mean added traffic coming and going along this same small stretch of road already oversubscribed where we all have to give way to each other and weave in and out of parked cars.
School is already oversubscribed.
GP surgery is over capacity with current wait times of approx 4 weeks for standard appointments.
Parking at the Train Station is already a hazard to passing motorists.
How can anyone seriously consider cutting down over 4 acres of woodland trees?
Please leave a comment with other reasons you don't want the development that i haven't mentioned THANK YOU.
ONCE ITS GONE ITS GONE..
Updates
March 25, 2018
I really never thought this many people would care about these trees but the momentum is just incredible and it honestly makes me feel a bit teary thinking about the deer and the badgers in there. The developer is definitely going to watch us now and I am just so glad we have this momentum because it proves the village actually wants to keep that green space instead of turning everything into concrete.
14 Comments
This natural woodland makes the village feel rural and part of the countryside. Infill doesn’t make it right especially as houses are never truly affordable for local people on local salaries. And the local infrastructure needs to be addressed before further houses are built in the area. The area is full of wildlife which will be permanently lost if the old orchard is developed.
12 new homes...where exactly will potential families place their children for school???
It’s critical to preserve the few wildlife habitats that remain.
Village cannot hold any more residents. traffic/roads are bad enough. This will also be getting rid of the last of the green areas in the village.
The village infrastructure is not strong enough to support yet more housing , and there are few enough trees left to support our natural habitat as there is
We need to stop development swallowing out natural spaces! This woodland is home to a diverse range of wildlife that needs protecting!
One of the last few naturally beautiful places in the area, it needs to be preserved.
Sign Petition
We never post to your account. Social sign-in is used only to verify your signature.
Add a comment?
Your signature will be added via . Tell others why you're signing — it's optional.
By signing, you accept iPetitions Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Share Petition
Don't stop at signing, share the petition link with friends to multiply our impact
Copy link or share directly
PETITION – PLEASE SIGN
SAVE THE OLD ORCHARD
Steeple Morden’s Natural Nature Reserve is between number 12 and 14 on Station Road, SG8 0NW. Grid Reference:2854542219.
The Old Orchard is a safe haven for wildlife. There are over a hundred trees on over 4 acres of land. It brings wildlife into Steeple Morden and it gives the village a rural leafy feel as you drive down Station Road, this makes Steeple Morden special it gives it identity.
A Planning Application has been proposed to build 12 new homes and 5 garages in a block on the on the site of the Old Orchard. The decision on the application has been announced as rejected, so far so good then.
I'm still asking people to SIGN this petition because history tells us that the developer will appeal against the rejection.
Please sign this petition to save all the trees in the orchard because as the years of neglect have gone by the orchard has turned into a natural nature reserve. There are some beautiful trees still growing amongst the ivy that has been allowed to smother the trees.
We have several man made woods in this area and the Woodland Trust's policy is to leave the trees where they fall so that this creates a place where nature thrives. The Old Orchard is already a safe haven for wildlife; nature thrives there already. We have seen deer, muntjack, badgers and many birds including Kites and Robins here. What is the point of creating new man made woodland for nature while ripping out the original real natural ones?
Other reasons for not wanting 12 houses (and a block of 5 garages) built on the Old Orchard site are:
The village will lose its countryside designation and identity, it will be more urban.
This could lead to further development and more houses built on the old orchard site.
Because of the nature of the site ie woodland, this could set precedence for further housing developments elsewhere.
Current sewage system is old and is already unable to cope at the moment.
Access to and from the middle part of the village will be even more difficult than it is now because there will be cars parking on both sides of the road. This will make it more dangerous to access the middle part of the village. The access to the development will mean added traffic coming and going along this same small stretch of road already oversubscribed where we all have to give way to each other and weave in and out of parked cars.
School is already oversubscribed.
GP surgery is over capacity with current wait times of approx 4 weeks for standard appointments.
Parking at the Train Station is already a hazard to passing motorists.
How can anyone seriously consider cutting down over 4 acres of woodland trees?
Please leave a comment with other reasons you don't want the development that i haven't mentioned THANK YOU.
ONCE ITS GONE ITS GONE..
Updates
March 25, 2018
I really never thought this many people would care about these trees but the momentum is just incredible and it honestly makes me feel a bit teary thinking about the deer and the badgers in there. The developer is definitely going to watch us now and I am just so glad we have this momentum because it proves the village actually wants to keep that green space instead of turning everything into concrete.
14 Comments
I would like the orchard to be saved to preserve this natural wildlife area within our village. Also before we commit to more homes the local infrastructure needs to be addressed.
This natural woodland makes the village feel rural and part of the countryside. Infill doesn’t make it right especially as houses are never truly affordable for local people on local salaries. And the local infrastructure needs to be addressed before further houses are built in the area. The area is full of wildlife which will be permanently lost if the old orchard is developed.
12 new homes...where exactly will potential families place their children for school???
It’s critical to preserve the few wildlife habitats that remain.
Village cannot hold any more residents. traffic/roads are bad enough. This will also be getting rid of the last of the green areas in the village.
The village infrastructure is not strong enough to support yet more housing , and there are few enough trees left to support our natural habitat as there is
We need to stop development swallowing out natural spaces! This woodland is home to a diverse range of wildlife that needs protecting!
One of the last few naturally beautiful places in the area, it needs to be preserved.
Help this petition grow
Share it with friends to help reach 50 signatures.
Sign Petition
We never post to your account. Social sign-in is used only to verify your signature.
Add a comment?
Your signature will be added via .
Tell others why you're signing — it's optional.
Signing with Google or Facebook verifies your signature instantly — no email needed.
By signing, you accept iPetitions Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Share Petition
Don't stop at signing, share the petition link with friends to multiply our impact
Petitions like this
Other petitions you might want to support
Scan to share
Anyone who scans this can sign the petition.
I would like the orchard to be saved to preserve this natural wildlife area within our village. Also before we commit to more homes the local infrastructure needs to be addressed.