A FATHER-OF-THREE in Cam has stressed concerns for his children’s safety after plans for hundreds of houses in an ‘extremely vulnerable’ site around his home.

Box Road Avenue resident Mark Rivers feels that the increased traffic through the neighbourhood caused by the combined 647-home development in the area will put his children’s safety at risk.

Reports state that at peak hours an additional 240 car movements will occur on Cam’s main roads.

Mark has lived in the area for four-and-a-half years with wife Sarah and their three children, Evie, eight and Luke and Joe, both aged three.

“It is already dangerous to pull out of both Box Road Avenue onto Box Road and Box Road onto the A4135,” he said.

“Box Road recently saw a serious accident with two cars ending up in the hedgerow. My children and the children of other families regularly walk along Box Road and it’s becoming dangerous.”

After Bathurst Ltd’s plans for 1,200 homes in fields near Cam and Dursley train station were whittled down to a Stroud District Council approved 450, councillors and residents hoped that this was the end of their woes.

However, since then further 36 and 71-home developments have been added to the original 450, now joined by the recently-submitted 90-house Gladman proposal.

This takes the area’s proposed home total to 647, more than half of Bathurst’s original plan and almost double what Cam Parish Council felt comfortable accepting, 350.

In a statement released to the Gazette it stated: “Despite our every effort, development has been allowed in the North-East margins of Cam.

“Cam, and much of its surrounding areas are extremely vulnerable to developers.

“Please be assured the parish council will discuss these concerns at our planning meetings and furthermore having listened to those in Box Road since the original application came to us.

“We fully realise and fully accept your concerns and we will continue to make representation on points raised and concerns expressed.”

While Cam Parish Council accepted a need for housing with the initial Bathurst proposal it objected to the additional submissions, and several councillors expressed strong opposition to the 90-home bid at last Wednesday’s (July 12) meeting.

It urges for members of the public to raise their concerns so that a more complete community view is represented and taken into account.

Stroud district councillor Paul Denney (Lab, Cam West), urged the council and members of the public to “kick this out” due it being outside both the settlement boundary and the approved Local Plan.

Mark and other residents also have concerns that promises from Gladman to extend car parking at Cam and Dursley train station by 40 spaces may fall through.

This follows fallen Taylor Wimpey plans for a footpath over the railway on the A4135 and the £1 million bridge over the River Cam from Bathurst.

Developers of the most recent string of homes, Gladman, stated: “Gladman recognises its responsibility to respect the character of the town and needs of the existing community, as well as providing housing for new and existing residents.”

To view its plans in full visit the SDC planning website and search for application S.17/1366/OUT.