SPATIAL OPTIONS CONSULTATION - NEW LOCAL PLAN
REF: CFS027, CFS098, CFS086, CFS029, CFS053
AND OTHER PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT SITES AROUND RAYLEIGH

Looking at the proposed development sites for Rayleigh, it is not difficult to conclude that we are quickly becoming engulfed as a borough within Greater London where Rayleigh’s identity will be erased. Rayleigh is a ‘Market Town’ and has an immense amount of history to preserve and protect.

Sunderland is one such place where surrounding villages have lost their identity with village backing onto village without any green space to separate identities. I have experienced the effect of suffocation this creates, which definitely has an effect on one’s mental health. Rayleigh and Hullbridge are within metres of realising this scenario!

The impact that the proposed plan will have on the area is immense – trying to cross Rayleigh by car from the Rayleigh/Hockley boundary to The Weir takes at least half an hour on a good day, where a journey to Duxford only takes an hour! The amount of traffic on our roads has increased twofold bringing with it an increase in pollution, which has already been reported as dangerously high at times in Rayleigh Town. Our health is at risk. Even trying to sit in your garden these days brings with it a ‘hum’ of constant traffic along the Hockley Road and trying to cross the Hockley Road on foot is like taking a risk with your life.

The effect that building to this scale will have on the A13 and A127 is incomprehensible. The A127 from 3pm onwards is already just a car park and the added traffic on the A13, although improvements are being made for Tilbury Docks traffic, will undoubtedly resemble the A127, especially with an unprecedented building plan around Linford and the proposed building of a New Thames Tunnel crossing. We are at crisis point without adding to this crisis.

Where is all the added traffic to go? We have no added infrastructure at all in Rayleigh. The most recent development in progress along Rawreth Lane was promised to include a new school and doctor’s surgery, but, yet again, developers appear to have pulled back on this promise and the Council fails to make sure such facilities are put in place. How are we, the public, to believe that these further proposed developments will cater for an increase in such essential needs? Without them our schools, doctors, and hospital (already at breaking point) will no longer be able to provide a decent level of service, if any. No wonder house sales have increased in the area with residents moving out.

The public’s mental health is seriously under attack. During Covid lockdowns it was literally a breath of fresh air to be able to walk in open spaces, especially where proposed sites between Wellington Road and Bull Lane are concerned, taking in the land behind Nelson Road, Albert Road and off the top of Bull Lane. As a community we need our open spaces for our sanity and to thrive. Nelson Road is already fast becoming a rat run and, as mention before, Hockley Road is becoming chocked with traffic. A new development on these sites will be extremely detrimental with a threat of losing Hockley Woods (another historic area connected to Henry VIII) to further development.

Rayleigh is a dumping ground for large estates of houses with even our children not being able to afford to live in the area. ‘Affordable homes’ are ‘not affordable’. It doesn’t help with people from the London area moving out of London to the suburbs adding to house price increases. My three children have had to leave the district, my youngest only being able to afford property from Manchester northwards! This also affects family dynamics, not only with children having to move to the other side of the country, but having to live at home into their thirties. Instead of all the massive executive homes being built, what is wrong with terraced houses to help our young buy at truly affordable prices and get on the housing ladder? It should also allow more land to be used more economically providing a greater number of homes. I’m not saying halt building entirely, but small pockets of building will be more acceptable than these such vast proposals.

Even if ‘locals’ wanted to buy, it appears London councils are buying up property in the area because it is cheaper than housing their residents in London, i.e. Hall Road development. What a blot on the landscape Hall Road is with houses packed in like slum buildings of old (on top of each other) and the height of properties being so overbearing. It appears this is what Rayleigh is to expect too by looking at the Rawreth Lane development and all that may follow.

There are very little facilities for the adolescent members of our community to engage in enjoyment, even when my children were young there was a huge lack of something for them to do and nothing appears to be available with the Council wanting to demolish the only community hall we have at Bellingham Lane. As a result of losing community spaces no doubt Rayleigh will be looking at an increase in crime (adding to a presently overstretched police force) and the influx of residents from London boroughs may well add to an increase in the already budding gang culture in the South East. These points have to be considered.

I strongly oppose to demolishing Rayleigh Mill Community Hall. To engulf the area in flats is unthinkable what with taking away visible access to The Mount and surrounding it in yet more concrete. Regal House will be so close to the proposed flats and reducing car parking spaces is also unbelievable. It isn’t easy to park in Rayleigh at the best of times and there is no park and ride scheme. I am aghast at a new community hall plan being so small, especially with the amount of increased housing that is being proposed in Rayleigh. It will no way be ‘fit for purpose’. As a resident, my family and I have/ utilise The Mill Hall on many occasions. Our community ‘needs’ this coming together space.

Surely sacrificing an area of green belt away from existing towns to provide a ‘New Town/Garden Village’ would be a better proposition to ease the impact that such a New Local Plan for the Rochford District would create. Fossetts Way requires serious consideration to ease the burden on Rayleigh.

Rayleigh is being suffocated and living within it is becoming suffocating too – it will no longer be the town it was. We have too much development already and to build at this level will kill Rayleigh’s energy and spirit.

For the above reasons, I am opposing such large schemes of development in and immediately surrounding Rayleigh.