Thirty submissions oppose plans for historic home

STREET parking, noise and the glare of lights at night dominate a raft of complaints lodged over plans to turn a historic Masterton home into a guest house and function centre.
All 30 submissions to Masterton District Council ? including a communal one signed by 14 people ? are against an application by the owners of Cricklewood, on the corner of Essex and Pownall streets, for its new future.
Some have no objection to the bed and breakfast component of the new business but are adamantly against it also being used as a function centre with the capacity to cater for up to 150 guests.
The Hingston Family Trust wants to establish the business with Gina McKay as manager and has sought Resource Consent to do so from the council.
It is expected the council will hand on the submissions, that closed on Tuesday, to its Hearings Committee and that a date will be set for a hearing.
A joint submission from Janet Palmer-Langley and Timothy Langley said that three bright lights are installed in the trees at Cricklewood, which may exceed maximum brightness. As far as noise was concerned the submission contends that there two occasions earlier this year when noise from band music would have exceeded legal limits. The thought of it happening "every weekend causes concern."
Amanda Burns-Graham said she is not worried at the prospect of the bed and breakfast but is worried by likely noise, traffic and parking problems from a function centre.
She said she could see the noise problem getting out of hand " especially with the volume of people they can cater for."
"We purchased a home in this area for the private, quiet nature of the street and don't wish this to change?it is a residential area, not commercial."
William Rowland submitted that traffic on Pownall Street was always quite heavy and that the intersection where Cricklewood was situated had been the site of several crashes. The danger of crashes would only increase if the proposal was allowed and more parked cars would create "further dangerous situations and inconvenience."
Mrs McKay, he said, could not guarantee that cars arriving at Cricklewood would not by parked over gateways.
Mr Rowland said noise coming from functions that have been held at Cricklewood recently had been well above comfort levels.
"I was unable to get to sleep despite having double glazing and insulation."
Paul Britton submitted that two schools were situated within 250 metres either side of Cricklewood. He said it was likely at least 75 cars could be parked outside Cricklewood when functions were held, restricting the visibility for children and others crossing the road and creating safety hazards.
Others who put in submissions made mention of "light spill" from Cricklewood's tennis courts that blinds and curtains failed to completely block out and that it was likely permission for the new venture to go ahead would be followed by an application for liquor licences.
A meeting was held earlier this month for people living in the area to air their grievances.
Cricklewood's owner Guy Hingston, who now lives in Australia, wrote a letter to his neighbours to be read to the meeting. In this he said he wanted to keep the house and would be returning to it for a holiday during New Year.
He said he wanted to open it as a bed and breakfast for use by the "wider community" " in a sensitive and appropriate way, respecting parking requirements and keeping noise levels appropriate to this quiet, community setting."