1/5
GoogleCog Housing, is formally known as 'Gwel yr Ynys', meaning 'Island View'. It seems to me, rather peculiar that the development should obtain such a name, considering that Sully Island is unable to be seen from this site. Alas, that is the least of my concerns in honesty. After years of planning, consultation, and opposition, turf was broken at the beginning of 2020; just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. I vividly remember my first time traversing Cog Road, to discover the peace and tranquility of the quintessential country lane to have been completely shattered by the careless corporation, that is Taylor Wimpey. Devastation. At this point, Taylor Wimpy was a force not to be reckoned with. Each time I passed the site, I was engulfed in a wave of fury, as I could only think of the Welsh quotation, "gwerth cynnydd yw gwarth cenedl", representing the detrimental environmental impacts that this development would have, as I watched the bulldozers rampage through the lush, green field. This particular development is no different from other new developments - it is a new housing estate, that offers around 500 new-build homes, that look tastelessly identical, completely lacking character and inspiration. What especially irritates me, is the utterly short-sighted, and lacking provisions to accommodate said 500 new households (exactly where they are moving here from, I have yet to fathom). To clarify, there are potentially an additional thousand cars on the surrounding roads - not to mention the thousand more from the proposed development a few miles away by Cosmeston - however no infrastructure has been, or will be provided to accommodate for this. Furthermore, quite how the schools are going to cope with this inundation, is completely beyond my grasp. This is not to mention, the pressure put on the existing GP practices. Referring back to the surrounding roads, Cog Housing is situated in the "idyllic countryside" as billed by Wimpey. This site could indeed be considered as such, but as soon as the bulldozers arrived, I think it's fair to say that the adjective "idyllic" ought to have been as buried as the earthworms! The "countryside" in question, has been flattened and built upon to provide these homes; the two do not live in harmony. I digress, Sully Road - a narrow and sinuous country road - was considered lethal even prior to this development. Taking into account all of the additional traffic, it truly is a disaster in the making - there will be fatalities consequent to this. As yet, I have not scratched the surface of the quality of the properties built at new developments such as this, however - despite not being a specialist in this field (no pun intended!) - I am assured that these new-build homes are not built to last. One is not purchasing a home, but a product straight from a production line. I fail to see how any care or pride can be applied in the building process when this is the situation. I, for one, would not feel safe inhabiting such a building. That said, I shall not proceed to comment any further on this because as mentioned, I do not have sufficient knowledge to do so. Finally, despite promoting themselves as "considerate constructors", I am unable to fathom how such an audacious claim could be made. Every time I travel near the site, be it on foot or by bicycle, I find myself caked in the slurry that suffocates the road surface surrounding. Moreover - on the occasions that I have curiously attempted to navigate the development - I was utterly appalled by the woeful surface of the roads and some pavements; judging by the number of craters in the road, I could have been on the moon! Further to all of this, the term "considerate constructors" simply cannot be applied to those that ravage through the green, tranquil countryside. Under no stretch of my imagination does the decimation of land, and extermination of wildlife, shattering the local biodiversity, satisfy the ideal of considerate behaviour. Cog Housing - heavily opposed, yet carelessly approved...
