We would like to make the following points about the draft Masterplan:

Generally, enhancing the area and in part making up for previous erroneous decisions is to be welcomed, and it is preferable to house more people within cities than to take over more green spaces, be they agricultural or other amenity spaces.

Of particular concern, however, are aspects of the transport arrangements.

1 A current problem with Fitzroy Street is that there is insufficient signage to use the intended cycle routes through the area and so too many irresponsible cyclists cycle along Fitzroy and Burleigh Streets, often with risk to pedestrians. There is little evidence of attempts to police this.
The solution is NOT to turn both pedestrian areas into streets for cycles. Even in the simulated artwork, one can see a child in proximity to a cyclist.
Where would all the existing things in the streets go? (Café seating, public seating, cycle parking, street trading etc) There isn't much space as it is.
There is no reason why this pedestrian area should be given over to cyclists.

2 Reducing parking spaces in conjunction with turning East Road into a sort of bus station will cause a significant increase in congestion (and pollution).
As it is, several streets in the Kite area are treated as free car parks by non-residents and this problem would worsen.
The obstructed traffic caused will of course include taxis used by non-car-owners, tradespeople such as emergency plumbers and those maintaining homes and businesses, doctors and carers on visits, and delivery vehicles of all sorts. For these categories of user, switching to bicycle, bus or foot is generally not a viable solution.

3 We would suggest, incidentally, that the Dover Street car-park is made into residents-only, including cycle parking, freeing up some of the street parking to return to no-parking and making the zone no-other-parking except residents and their permitted visitors. With effective signage, the zone could be protected from those seeking free alternatives to the paying car-parks and prevent the current problem of cars circulating apparently endlessly looking for spaces.

While we support the provision of more homes and amenities etc, they will of course only add to these challenges as they will all order things online, need to get to the hospital occasionally, have things that need mending in their homes from time to time, and so on.

It seems to us that the disadvantages caused in these respects outweigh the potential advantages, and we hope further consideration and consultation is undertaken.