Raans Field concerns grow

Feb 4 2009 By Martyn Pritchard

The Amersham and District Residents Association is stepping up its opposition to plans to build a new church and to create 83 homes on open land at Raans Field.

The Association is concentrating its campaign around a number of points but its main contention is that the loss of a playing field would be detrimental to the community.

The Association has completed a detailed analysis of the Kings Church scheme and there are, they believe, a number of deficiencies which they hope to highlight before the concept is discussed at a planning meeting on Thursday, February 19.

"The continued claim that Raans Field is overgrown and unmaintained is fatuous and Amersham Town Council has enabled the field to be used by cutting grass and providing a minimum amount of equipment, goal posts etcetera, there, " said vice chairman Alan Smith, in a document which sets out the association's points of objection.

The association is also concerned about the number of parking spaces available and a potential increase in traffic flows along Raans Road.

The Kings Church is also criticised by the association for a failure to provide coach parking facilities or places where cars may be turned around.

In summary, the association argues: "The further this application proceeds and the more Amersham and its residents become aware of the consequences . . . the stronger the opposition will be to the proposals."

Since the Amersham-based Kings Church submitted its second planning application to the district in October a number of revisions have been made to the applicant's proposals.

Chief amongst these is a removal of a multi-use games area (MUGA) from the scheme and the proposed reduction in the church auditorium size from 500 seats to 375.

Andrew Burton, chairman of the Kings Church New Building Steering Committee, said: "We hope to receive a favourable hearing from the planners this time.

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