Re:

the proposed building of 770 new houses in south-west Rayleigh between Rawreth Lane and London Road
the possibility of sites for travellers in south-west Rayleigh
rumours that Tesco may take over the Eon building


Dear Sir/Madam



It is with some concern that I learnt only yesterday of the public consultation on the proposed building of 770 houses between Rawreth Lane and London Road - a consultation that ends on April 30th. This has not been widely publicised, in spite of the huge impact it would have on those of us in the area, and on Rayleigh itself. I wish to make my objection to these developments clear.



Rayleigh simply does not have the infrastructure to cope with this size of development - the schools, doctors' surgeries etc could not cope with the increased population this would bring - 1400 adults and over 1000 children is a conservative estimate. The roads are already very busy, and even the smallest problem on the A127 causes log jam on the London Road and up Crown Hill. There is every possibility that 770 more households would add 1400 cars to these roads, thus compounding the existing problem.



The Crest development off Cheapside West, and the David Wilson estate at the top of Victoria Avenue have already added to the congestion. Also, the fact that these developments are on the flood plain of Rawreth brook has increased the risk of flooding and added to the cost of insurance for all houses in the area. It is also true to say that several houses in these developments are suffering structural problems because they are built on a flood plain. Any more development in the area would only make things worse.



There is already a permanent site for travellers in the area - there is no need for another.



Rayleigh is well served by Sainsbury's, Asda and Somerfield's, Tesco's nearby in Leigh and Morrison's in Eastwood - more than enough choice for those who wish to shop in supermarkets. There are several small convenience stores along the London Road which would struggle to survive if Tesco's were allowed to develop the Eon site. I believe it would be totally wrong to allow this.



Any development between London Road and Rawreth Lane will mean the loss of valuable agricultural land, and seriously affect the green belt boundary. A dangerous precedent would be set that could lead to the loss off all the open space between Rayleigh and Rawreth in the future.



I trust the Planning Committee will seriously consider these points and oppose the development.