The allocation of land, under Policy SER9, to the west of Little Wakering Road (SER9a) is unsound because, compared to land to the west of Alexandra Road, it is relatively remote from village services and facilities, and does not provide a defensible Green Belt boundary along its extensive western edge. Development in this location would be harmfully intrusive into open countryside. Furthermore, the allocation of two separate sites under this proposed policy (i.e. land to the south of High Street (SER9b) and land to the west of Little Wakering Road (SER9a)) would create a segregated form of development and would therefore have a negative impact on community cohesion.

Rather than releasing Green Belt land at SER9a, the land to the west of Alexandra Road should be allocated as an extended part of site SER9b. The land to the west of Alexandra Road, which was considered by the Council at Discussion & Consultation stage as part of Option WGW3, would form a logical and contiguous extension to SER9b. This land would also be sited closer to the village centre than either SER9a or SER9b, and would provide a highly defensible Green Belt boundary on all sides by virtue of the existing development and other features.

Option WGW3 included three separate and unrelated plots in the general location of West Great Wakering. These plots were (i) land to the west of Alexandra Road, (ii) land to the south of Star Lane brickworks, and (iii) a small plot to the north of the Star Lane Industrial Estate. The latter now forms part of plot SER9b. The overt disadvantages of releasing land to the south of Star Lane brickworks had a distorting impact on the overall case (or score) for this option. The sustainability appraisal in respect of WGW3 is therefore misleading and flawed.

By virtue of its contiguous relationship with SER9b, development of the land to the west of Alexandra Road would not be segregated or dispersed in terms of community cohesion. It would form part of SER9b, and would offer easy accessibility to the village centre and other facilities. Development here would assist in community integration, and would support local businesses. No other available Green Belt site in the west Great Wakering 'search zone' scores as well in sustainability and integration terms. Self-evidently, site SER9a is unsustainable by comparison.

The Sustainability Report issued at 'Discussion & Consultation' correctly states that 'the site to the west of Alexandra Road would relate well with Option WGW1 and provide an alternative access route from the site'.