OBJECTION TO DEVELOPMENT IN ROCHFORD
As a long time Rochford resident (45 years) I have seen the continuing removal of green areas within our community to build housing for greedy developers and land owners who do not live in the immediate delvelopment areas that they are turning from a small communites to sprawling housing estates with ZERO infrastructure to support them:
MAJOR Developments already approved:
Playing field Doggetts
Playing field Ashingdon Hill
Cricket Field Stambridge
Brickfields - Ashingdon Heights
Post Office Field Ashingdon Golden Cross
2 mini Estates off Golden Cross Road
Rochford Hospital site
Library Field - Ashingdon Road
Ironwell Lane - 1 detatched House turned into mini housing estate!
How many of the people who have bought these properties actually work locally??
It seems any piece of green land (however small) within our community (where children could play) has been eaten up ....they now want to start devouring our green belt land - and where does all the traffic converge from all of these proposed sites - ASHINGDON ROAD I attended the exhibition on the 24th April and none of the Andrew Martin Assocoates were able to answer key questions:
Roads: I was assured that Traffic analysis was being carried out on the Ashingdon Road - I travel from Spencer Gardens to Ashingdon Road EVERY day and can state the following facts:
I leave home at 7.40 My journey from Spencer Gardens to Purdeys Industrial Estate takes between 5 to 7 minutes when the children are on school holidays - the same journey takes between 20 to 25 minutes when the children are at school - this is due to the diabolical planning of 3 junior schools (which were built when children could actually walk to school because the school was in walking distance of their homes) This is what catchment areas used to mean - within walking distance Holt Farm - which was built to school children living on the Holt Farm Estate St Teresas - Catholic School built for Catholic children living in the catchment area (but is used by Parents outside of the catchment arrea who want their children to attend this school as it is deemed to be a better school than most in the area .... So they drive them to and from school from out side the catchment area) Rochford Primary: The original primary school for children who lived in Rochford The proposed location of development sites will increase the school traffic considerably as parents will not walk their children to school, they will drive them there Added to this is the decision to allow KES to change its starting hours from 8.50 to 8.10 - why was this allowed to happen - all this does is give children in the area (who are already bored as they have no where to 'hang out' additional hours in the afternoon to try to fill!!) It also adds to the misery of commuters who are lucky enough to find employment within driving distance of their homes a nightmare journey to work along the Ashingdon Road Spencer Gardens RAT RUN: What will be done to stop Spencer Gardens becoming a 'rat run' for the new housing estate in Brays Lane - which will be used by new Brays Lane Residents cutting through to Oxford Road who hope to avoid the traffic congestion on Ashingdon Road? I wonder how long it will take to even get out of the Oxford Road Junction with the additonal traffic queueing??
I have already complained (to the police and the Council) as before too long there will be a head on collision at the junction of Spencer Gardens and Oxford Road due to the parked cars that seriously limit visibility turning into Spencer Gardens - resulting in erratic breaking around areas where children are walking (usually caused by parents having to turn blindly into Spencer Gardens without being able to see if there is any oncoming vehicle) When we moved to Spencer Gardens, we knew and accepted that once a day there would be double decker busses dropping children off at school in spencer Gardens and it does not bother the residents - perhaps it is time that a Senior School was built in Wakering as this one time small population that did not warrant a Senior School is now growing as much as Rochford is. If KES is too small, why not do something with the Roachway School that would allow children from Wakering to be schooled - without having to drive them through Rochford - why has the land behind Purdey's industrial Estate (which would also keep traffic off Ashingdon Road not been considered for housing?
Overcrowding in Schools: I have heard that a new junior school is planned for the land behind Sapwood - what is wrong with improving Doggetts Primary which is just the other side of this site and has masses of land around it than can be used?? AND is sited away from the Ashingdon Road and could be accessed via Sutton Road I am sure that the landowners who are so happy to sell green belt land to housing developers will not object to having a road to a better equipped Doggetts Primary put in across their land??
Quality of life for existing Residents: Will the Developers be made to offer residents who want to move away from the immediate area and relocate in an area (akin to the one they lived in) before the NEW development was built and offer residents who wish to move compulsory property purchase at market price ...... without having to move to the new Development to achieve this, which appears to be the only deal on offer .... Buy one of our new ones and we will buy your old one??
Hopefully the Labour Government that has implemented hairbrained LDF schemes will be voted out in a couple of weeks and common sense will once again prevail A. Goldberg RESIDENT 10 Years Spencer Gardens and lifelong Rochford Resident PLEASE ENSURE THAT ANY PUBLIC MEETINGS HELD ARE WELL PUBLICISED AND COMUNICATED TO LOCAL RESIDENTS SO WE GET THE CHANCE TO BE HEARD