I write in response to the Hockley Area Action Plan Consultation Draft dated January 2009.

I am writing to place on record my objections and concerns as regards the draft proposals and the general lack of notification/consultation with affected residents that has taken place.

It appears that the proposals are nothing more than a smokescreen to facilitate the building of new homes on a massive scale. The proposals to re-develop 'Hockley village' are misconceived and ill judged and do not carry my support or, I suspect, the vast majority of people living within Hockley.

The current facilities provide adequate resource for the needs of most people. Any shops vacant at present is due purely to the impact of the 'credit crunch', and not to any other reason.

I do not support the building of a new and larger supermarket, or accept that there is any demand for such from the residents of Hockley.

The wholesale destruction of Hockley Town Centre and the compulsory purchasing of premises and homes to facilitate this ill conceived plan is completely unwarranted and unwanted.

I object to the proposal to turn Woodlands Road, Kilnwood Avenue and Hockley Rise into a one way system, to ease traffic flow at the Spa junction. This is a long established residential area which would be turned into nothing more than a rat run and impact massively on people and homes in the affected areas.

This latter proposal is borne out of the desire of RDC to significantly over develop Hockley by building on a mass scale, with significant increases and pressure on already over loaded infrastructure.

The vast majority of residents oppose the proposals.

There has been no pro-active consultation with affected residents, which supports the widely held view that RDC is trying to slip the proposals through the back door.

Please explain why, as an affected resident, letters have not been written to the residents of Hockley, setting out the proposals and implications at the time the 'consultation process' commenced.

A new consultation period should be set in order that the views of affected residents can be properly heard and considered.