My comments are as follows:

Page 38 , item 6.30
OPTIONS we must provide our own District housing quota. RDC has a significant green belt area, our neighbouring authorities are largely built up. If we opted to pool future development Rochford would inevitably lose open land other areas cannot provide.

Page 42, Table 5, also pages 44 and 45.
I strongly object to Rochford District Council's 'Settlement Heirarchy'. In my opinion this system is obsolete and inappropriate going forward. Past waves of development in the same areas have led to reduced living standards for residents in the more urban parts of the District. Negligible infrastructural improvements have been provided to offset this development.
If the level of development envisaged in SHMA addendum 2017 were agreed for the District as a whole (Page 33, Table 3), then I consider the development should be either:
A) Evenly distributed through all the parishes in the District creating about 25 homes per parish per annum.
or
B) The creation of a Locally Led Garden Village or Town as per government's recent policy guidance. Ideally this would be close to a pre-existing major artery A Road, such as the A1159. It should be noted that this area benefits from retail and leisure facilities, it also has easy access into Southend, which is asper page 10 Figure 2, is the destination for the largest number of residents leaving Rochford District every day for work (more than the number that go to inner and outer London combined).
The Rochford District area ( Fossetts Farm), close to the A1159 is I believe green belt. However the District will inevitably be obliged to release green belt land and we should not assume the boundaries of existing urban areas are the only green belt to be re-categorised. We must put the lives and wellbeing of our resident above our noble principles of preserving remote parts of the green belt.

Page 78 Highway Infrastructure 8.3
Although, as stated, Rayleigh is close to a number of 'A' roads, those same highways create significant problems for Rayleigh and the western part of Rochford District.
The major multi lane A roads are all at the edge of the Rochford District or beyond its boundary. However most other A roads and main B roads within Rochford District are over 150 years old in modernised/upgraded form. Indeed most of the main roads in the western part of the District can be found on the 1875 County Series O.S. Map. It is truly astonishing that so much development has been added over the following 140 years with the same, if improved, roads. In essence we have a vastly expanded population funnelled down pre 20th century roads. This explains the traffic problems on roads in Rayleigh. Effectively no wholly new transport infrastructure has been added in 150 years to the western end of the District. This results in delays and difficult traffic movements throughout the week.
However one positive point we should not lose under any circumstances is the current traffic system in the centre of Rayleigh at least preserves the town centre. Were it returned to the former one way system, with it's race track effect, the District's most successful town centre would be greatly harmed and cease being a pleasant place to shop.
Traffic from all the adjoining communities Hockley, Hullbridge and Hawkwell flow through Rayleigh on the afore mentioned 200 hundred plus year old roads.
Another problem adversely effecting the traffic in Rayleigh and the western part of the District, is that congestion and frequent problems on the A127, which funnels many vehicles through the town in a west /east or reverse direction.
I submit that these road factors, which create delay and pollution in the western District, preclude further significant development in Rayleigh or Rawreth (above and beyond that already agreed).

Air Pollution
Tackling air pollution from road traffic should be at the heart of our new local plan. We are fortunate to have a good railway system running through the District. On a small scale cycling is rising in popularity and good for both the environment and also for the health and well being of residents, however cycling is poorly catered for in Rochford District. Adding cycle lanes in the overcrowded and somewhat dangerous main roads in our urban areas may be rather too challenging. However if RDC does opt for the 'Locally Led Garden Village or Town' option we should ensure safe cycle lanes are included in any scheme.

Historic Buildings , Conservation Areas and Local Lists
I am concerned that Local Lists have been somewhat down graded by Rochford District Council over recent decades. Whilst not giving the almost guaranteed protection of national Listing they do confer significant protection especially in Conservation Areas.
Conservation Areas / the Historic Core of Towns and villages are an efficient way of protecting historic and attractive areas of the District. I recommend that as part of the Local Plan process Conservation Area boundaries should be reviewed, with a view to extension, subject to local Public Consultation (not just County Council advice).

Accommodation for independent older age group residents in or close to town centres
In recognition of increasing older age group numbers within our District, we should a guidance note to allow town centre older age group units for independent mobile residents. These may come with shared garden / recreational areas. With the changing nature of our town centres and the erosion of some retail and public facilities such as Police Stations, the Council should encourage the conversion of historic buildings and the redevelopment of the more modern inappropriate and unappealing town centre buildings for elderly person accommodation. This is not to suggest that all modern buildings are bad and all old buildings good, however popular support for historic buildings in Conservation and adjacent areas should be given weight when considering planning applicatons. All development within Conservation Areas should meet the highest standard of architecture as in any historic towns in the country, furthermore elderly person units should be required to provide good sound proofing especially in town centre locations.

Page 39 6.31 Affordable housing
Developers do not want to include affordable housing within their schemes as it adversely affects their profit margins. A significant number of new residents have been coming from the London area where they are able to sell houses for extremely high values compared with the local housing stock, this has caused additional house inflation and has led to a greater demand for large housing units out of the reach of many local young people hoping to get a first foothold on the housing ladder. The new Local Plan should recognise and address this problem. Simple requirement for affordable housing within schemes may not be successful going forward. It would be good for RDC local policies to explore the possibility and practicality of requiring large scale developers to sell small parcels of land at reduced price to Housing Associations either for rental property or part rent part purchase schemes.

Page 41 6.36 Care Homes
Care Home finances are under severe financial pressures, which lead to problems for the NHS. Policy option B would be the best response in current circumstances of rising demand and limited supply.