Object
Issues and Options Document
Representation ID: 34835
Received: 14/02/2018
Respondent: Mr John Surgett
RDC have not assessed, previously, any alternatives in terms of major impacts/sustainability especially in connection with Malyons Site in Hullbridge & all other major developments recently completed/under construction, we therefore have no confidence that this will change in any future new Local Plan. ECC report concludes that housing targets cannot be matched by infrastructure provisions due to a massive shortfall of £billions in funding (ECC/AECOM GIF Report 2016) none of which has been referenced in the RDC plan. RDC need to take into account further carbon emissions, overcrowding, traffic congestion, flooding & further drains on the existing infrastructure.
We feel that the majority of the indicated sites in Hullbridge/Rawreth area are Green Belt & are not sustainable for the following reasons:-
Climate Change Nationally
It is well known that the Government was initially due to set targets for moving to zero carbon housing in this country by the end of 2016. It is reasonable to expect that all new houses should have an obligation to be zero carbon from 2016 onwards. The main source of climate change is the emission of greenhouse gases. Almost half of the UK tonnage of carbon dioxide emissions were accounted for in energy use in buildings, and more than a quarter come from the energy we use to heat, light & run our homes and this does not include the massive amounts of emissions produced by manufacturers in the production of most of the current building materials.
A draft Planning Policy Statement was published on climate change which expects planning strategies to be examined in providing for new homes and it expects that all Local Planning Authorities should have an input in delivering the Governments climate change programme in facilitating any provision of new homes and infrastructure. The subject of housing supply needs to be looked at alongside the reduction of carbon emissions, surely the best way of reducing these emissions in 2018 is to limit the number of new houses being built and not by increasing the numbers every year.