Thank you for your letter dated 17th March 2010 concerning the developments that you are proposing in our area.

We think they are totally unsuitable.

Hockley is a small area with a village feel. This will be totally destroyed. We think that the amount of housing that is being planned will swamp the area and take away its character. The traffic will be unbearable, it is bad enough now! The roads will not be able to cope. The drains area forever collapsing already.

The pollution in the form of Sulpha dioxide and Carbon monoxide will rise and our health will suffer. Our quality of life be greatly affected.

What about health care, doctors, dentist, etc, we are limited at the moment. Hospitals will be overloaded as they are stretched now.

Education would be another area that springs to mind. Where are the children going to go to school the places are inadequate now. In some places parents are being asked to send children out of the area. This would cause a great deal of stress.

It was nice of you to inform us about your intentions but what about all the other people in the area, as you are not widely advertising the facts at tyhis point and our information is received via the HRA. Is a tiny notice tucked away on page 17 in the Echo 22nd March 2010 inviting us to view the plans at various places enough? Surely these kinds of plans which will cause a major impact on the community should have more prominence.

The people who live in the Folly Lane area have suffered years of being plagued by the smell from the mushroom farm (we have lived here for forty years) followed by huge 'Artics' day and night and now industrial units have moved in and more heavy vehicles. Why are there industrial units there now when it was classed as agricultural land? (A farm that grew tomatoes and then mushrooms).

Now we have been told of the plan for fifty or more houses on the site, and as usual our views will probably ignored.

Another point to be considered is the more densely populated an area becomes the more crime it invites.

Children need space to grow and all the green spaces and all the green spaces are being eroded and there will be nothing left for the next generation. Just a concrete jungle and the only people to benefit as always are the builders and those engaged in numerous consultations.

With regard to the Watery Lane area, you can't be seriously thinking of building there? The clue is in the name it floods. Surely lessons should be learned from other areas in the country that have been built on at there cost. Or is this just a smoke screen.

As for the development of Eldon Way (We were told that the area was originally a pond so that would be liable to floods). It would be far better to concentrate on the shops that we already have. Reducing their rates would be a start so that they can compete with the supermarket giants.

Also we are most alarmed at the suggestion of a gypsy camp in Lower Road. Have the council seen the pictures in the Echo of the last camp in Wickford? Is that what you want for Hockley? We are enclosing the cutting for you to see.

We hope our comments will be taken very seriously as all these developments will have a huge and lasting impact on our lives.

We note at the bottom of your letter is the logo 'investors in people' who are these people? Certainly not us we fear.