Object
Issues and Options Document
Representation ID: 34844
Received: 16/02/2018
Respondent: Mr John Surgett
RDC have not assessed previously, any of the alternatives in terms of major impacts & sustainability, especially in connection with Malyons site in Hullbridge and all other major developments recently completed or under construction, we therefore have no confidence that this will change in any future emerging Local Plan for this district. ECC report concludes that housing targets cannot be matched by infrastructure provisions due to a massive shortfall of £billions in funding (ECC/AECOMGIF Report 2016) not mentioned in RDC plans. RDC should take into account further carbon emissions, traffic congestion, flooding & further drains on existing infrastructure.
We feel that the majority of the sites in Hullbridge/Rawreth are Green Belt and are not sustainable for the following reasons.
In connection with local environmental quality, RDC are supposedly prioritising the reuse of previously developed land and should include policies to reduce impacts on air quality, protect water quality & water resources and reduce flood risk.
RDC were informed of 11 Brownfield sites that were available locally in Hullbridge prior to the release of Malyons site for development, but these were totally ignored. Although it has been put forward that Rochford District has lower per capita transport emissions when compared to Essex as a whole, BBC Look East recently reported that dangerous levels of nitrous oxide caused by diesel fumes are being found in the Rayleigh and surrounding areas.
In a recent national news report it stated that record amounts of carbon dioxide have been recorded in 2017 and is on the rise, this has been the highest in the last 4 years. So why are RDC contemplating building more and more houses on Green Belt land creating more emissions and more traffic, adding to this major problem. Transport Assessments, including an assessment of air quality, should accompany any proposal to develop any future sites for development. This must examine the additional transport impacts that any developments will generate. The development of any future sites should contribute towards improvements to the highway network to facilitate movement along any part of the network. Again, as stated on a BBC local TV programme 'Inside Out' on 22 January 2018 Southend drivers spend 30 hours per year in rush hour traffic jams, the highest in our region. The second highest being Chelmsford at 23 hours per year. RDC now want to make our area even more congested when it is extremely doubtful that ECC will make any road improvements just like with the previous housing increase.