Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the consultation meeting in Great Wakering recently and have only just learned of the online access to the Issues and Options Document. I offer my comments below:

The variety of housing stock must be of quality standard and must include affordable housing catering for first time buyers and a range of income and age levels.

Local employment opportunities should be encouraged to save travel time and costs.

Wakering is not served by a nearby rail station, and the bus service to surrounding areas is not adequate, particularly into the evening. Entrance roads to the village are single-carriageway, mostly unlit, and some are prone to flooding due to poor drainage and uncleared ditches. The nearest station is Shoeburyness and no continuous footpath is provided from Wakering to the station. Given additional housing development, car usage is likely to increase further, resulting in additional road congestion, pollution, and parking needs. The roads are potholed and poorly maintained, 'patched up' instead of a thorough rebuild for longer term sustainability.

Capacity at doctors' surgeries (including parking), schools and for telecommunications/broadband is already stretched and sufficient additional capacity must be provided before any new residential development is occupied, funded in part at least by the developers. Depending on pupil numbers, this may mean a (new or extended) larger primary school for Wakering, and possibly a new senior school in Wakering, as King Edmund School in Rochford would no longer meet solely the increased demands of the combined Rochford and Wakering senior school catchment area. Bus transport to/from (whichever) senior school would also be impacted, together with a suitable pick-up / drop-off system.

Sufficient extra provision should also be made in time for occupancy in respect of increased sewerage, drainage, and water and power supplies.

Given the current trend for narrow congested roads on new tightly-packed housing developments to maximise developers' profits, consideration must be given in planning for safe access for emergency and services vehicles and machinery, and delivery vehicles, as well as adequate residents' and visitors' parking facilities.

The Green Belt must be protected, and our green space, footpath access, historic and wildlife environments must be preserved to provide healthy leisure and recreational facilities and benefits, and to help sustain those environments for future generations to still enjoy. Relevant advice must be sought, and acted upon, from local and other wildlife and historical organisations in planning, improving and implementing such facilities, not overriding such concerns to the detriment of the community, our local (including examples of rare) wildlife and historical artefacts. Also, consider reopening and refurbishing former Wakering Sports Centre for recreation and sports facilities? (closed previously when under private ownership). There are few leisure/recreational facilities for teenagers within Wakering, and the limited bus services restrict their involvement further afield.

However well-intentioned the Rochford District New Local Plan, it is difficult to envisage how these competing demands can be sufficiently funded, resourced, and satisfactorily implemented for the benefit of the community, given central and local government pressures, and the commercial needs of the developers.

Overall, I would object to the plan unless the various infrastructure etc needs and improvements are put in place prior to development, and to a level commensurate with the scale of development eventually approved. Also developments south of Poynters Lane would result in Shoebury effectively joining up with Wakering, resulting in Wakering losing its attractive and historic village identity.