HAWKWELL PARISH COUNCIL POLICY STATEMENT: ADDITIONAL HOMES IN THE PARISH

1. Hawkwell Parish Council has, over many years, demonstrated its' commitment to protect its' Green Belt by the leasing and management of a growing number of open spaces and parks and has an ongoing commitment to continue doing so. The Parish also acknowledges the strong opposition to any major Green Belt development within Hawkwell by many Parishioners and would draw the attention the attention of the Planning Authority to such opposition.

2. The Parish acknowledges the strong external pressure from central Government on Rochford District Council to provide additional homes within the District and it recognises that discussions and consultations today will influence the structure of Rochford District for decades to come.

3. The preferred option of Hawkwell Parish Council to satisfy these new housing requirements is to create a single new community within the District thus allowing services and infrastructure to be properly provided. A new community would be ideally situated in the West/North West of the District to allow best access to public transport and the major road network.

4. If the construction of a new community is rejected, Hawkwell Parish Council policy is as follows:

(i) The Parish acknowledges the inevitability of utilising Green Belt for new homes in the District but expects that development will be shared equally throughout the Parishes/District using a calculation based on Parish hectares or heads of population. Alternatively the distribution of future housing developments should be based on Essex Fire Service accessibility data.

(ii) The Parish expects any new development within parish boundaries to have minimum impact on the Green Belt and must not increase the village footprint.

(iii) The Parish requires that the Planning Authority actively use its' compulsory purchase powers to provide the necessary land in accordance with above policy statement.

(iv) The Parish further expects that, prior to any development commencing, the necessary infrastructure (including means of managing traffic capacity, healthcare etc.) will be in place.

(v) The Parish further expects any new development to include a mix of properties encompassing 'affordable', 'social' and others that encourages a broad demographic spread and sustains a housing chain that may include, where absolutely necessary, flat/apartment developments of no more that three stories and in the 'Garden Flat' style.

(vi) The Parish would draw the attention of the Planning Authority to the loss of bungalows by conversion to executive homes thus removing, from the housing chain, many affordable homes.

(vii) The Parish additionally expects the Planning Authority to create a positive and direct link between accommodation and employment.

5. Hawkwell Parish Council would ask that the term 'affordable' be more clearly and realistically defined given that even the Roach Close, Rochford development is beyond the means of many of those living locally who wish to get onto the housing ladder without social need.