I wish to object and/or comment on the following Strategic Priorities in the IAO document:

SP1:1. Homes and jobs needed in the area: the IAO document talks about 'prioritising the use of previously developed land i.e brownfield first'. However, there are already 500 new houses to be built in Hullbridge on previously undeveloped land so this priority has not been adhered to in this instance.

SP2:8 IAO refers to 'support continued use and sustainability of our village and neighbourhood centres'. How can we sustain the centre of Hullbridge when it will be put under immense pressure with the advent of 500 additional properties and therefore approximately 1,000 extra vehicles? The proposed dwellings in addition to the 500 would make the village situation untenable. Indeed, it would no longer be a village but a town. We want Hullbridge to remain a village.

SP3:9 IAO talks of ensuring 'that all new homes...are supported by appropriate, timely and necessary infrastructure including transport, utilities, .....flood risk, education, health etc. Where is the infrastructure that is talked about here? Hullbridge has no planned or prior infrastructure to support new homes.

SP3:10. IAO says there will be 'meaningful improvements to the local highway network'. Where are these improvements to be found to support the village of Hullbridge?

SP3:11. IAO talks of 'reducing out-commuting' but how is this possible for a village like Hullbridge which has little or no industry meaning that most residents have to travel by car to other larger towns for work? How can we deliver realistic and meaningful travel options for our communities like Hullbridge over the next 20 years?

SP3:13 How do we address water and flood risk management especially in our river and coastal regions? There remains flood risk on Watery Lane and environs despite intervention.

SP4: 14 IAO talks of 'access to good quality social and health and well-being services' but there is only one gp surgery in Hullbridge so how will this cope with the influx of people from 500 new houses, let alone any further proposed houses? Well-being is emphasised throughout the IAO document but there is such a long wait for counselling that I have had to pay privately to attend sessions.

SP5: 19 IAO speaks of the need 'to protect, maintain and enhance our natural environment... support wildlife'. However, hedges and trees have already been cut down along the approach to Hullbridge in readiness for building houses and these fields are home to an abundance of wildlife including foxes, squirrels, birds etc Where will these wild creatures go for their habitat?

SP5 20: IAO speaks of ensuring 'Green Belt retains openness of area, protecting valued landscapes, retaining physical separation between towns and villages'. In Hullbridge, we value our openness of area and have highly valued landscapes, particularly to the SW of the village which are in danger of being destroyed by building. Any further building will result in there being no separation between village and towns, just a merging of dwellings and a destruction of individual characteristics of place. How do we protect our beautiful natural habitats and meet the five Green Belt purposes?

SP5 22: the South Essex SHMA and The Environmental Capacity Study' are 'uncertain that the district has the capacity to accommodate the level of growth ' needed i.e 240 pus homes a year to 2025 and beyond.

Other points I wish to make are:

The Core Strategy has 'recognised congestion and capacity issues' in terms of traffic and that these 'could have a detrimental affect on environment and health' in the local area. It has been found that there is a 'lack of resilience on the local highway network with large volumes of traffic queuing at key junctions and stationery vehicles along main routes'. This has a negative impact on journey times and ability of residents to not only reach their destinations in a timely manner but also to leave their village or town. The residents of Hullbridge have expressed concern about being able to exit the village and on a number of occasions there has been gridlock meaning that I have been unable to get to work at all. The traffic issues are very stressful and would only become worse with additional homes and vehicles in the area. The Essex County Council's Sustainable Modes of Travel Strategy 2016 require residential travel plans for schemes of 250 plus new houses. Where can these be found? How can traffic management be improved?

On page 121 of the IAO document, reference is made to national policy where 'planning should minimise vulnerability and provide resilience to impacts of climate change, flood risk, landscape etc The River Crouch is recognised for its wildlife and natural habitats and must retain its open rural character. The Ramsar Convention is just one directive in place to protect wildlife.
On page 131 the Essex Wildlfe Trust identify the River Crouch as 'living landscape' and it would be criminal to destroy such landscape. Land to the SW of Hullbridge is designated Coastal Protection Belt and therefore not available/ suitable for building upon. We are urged to 'protect and enhance our distinctive landscapes and plan for biodiversity', not cover them with concrete.
We are proud of our green landscape and wish to preserve it.
Pages 140 and 163 mention air quality and light pollution. How can these be managed now and in the future? Air quality is already very poor in some areas and would worsen if more houses and vehicles were introduced into an already densely populated area. This could affect health and well-being of residents, particularly the young and elderly.
Light pollution has a negative effect on ecology and wildlife, obscures vision of the stars, spoils the rural fell of the area and causes stress and anxiety.

All these concerns and more I am registering here. As a resident of Hullbridge, I am proud to live in a village and moved here to dwell in a village. I wish Hullbridge to remain a village and retain its unique character.