I write with reference to the Local Plan being proposed by Rochford District Council.
Having lived in this area now for over 75 years, I have seen the continual destruction of the green belt land being sold off for ill advised development, and sadly this proposed future Local Plan just continues to place the whole area under further extreme development, without FIRST putting in place the very necessary infrastructure that is already overdue and causes more difficulties with inadequate road access, public transport, schools and medical treatment facilities, all of which are either now non existent, or under extreme pressure already.
For many years now there has been a complete decline in the many and varied wildlife and birdlife habitat due to over-development of Green Belt and agricultural land, we have lost many species of birds, grass snakes, newts and other invertebrates and a complete extinction of hedgehogs and slow worms from this area.
Medical facilities have been decimated by the closure and removal of Rochford Hospital together with many of the Health Clinics in this immediate area, placing great pressure on Southend Trust Hospital to the point of near collapse. General Doctor Practice surgeries are so over burdened that appointments are almost impossible to obtain within a two week period already and will only worsen with these extreme development proposals.
The already colossal increase in road traffic within the areas of Ashingdon Road, Rectory Road and the B1013 from Rayleigh through to the A127 at Westcliff, finds gridlock at peak times of morning and evening travel and during school access times. The Rochford Council Planners do not seem to realise that each new home will bring another 3 cars onto the already over stretched road network of the area, with the resultant chaos, jams and loss of working hours, plus the extreme levels of pollution these vehicles engender by stopping and starting within a "tail back", pollution which is very damaging to the local residents health, the adjacent wildlife and vegetation.
The areas adjacent to Clements Hall Centre through to Windsor Gardens and St Marys Church are the lowest in the entire district between Ashingdon Heights, Hall Road (B1013) and Hockley and thus the water fall out from any proposed building will further exacerbate the flooding of the Hawkwell Brook and surrounding fields and all the existing and future housing built near or thereon. Development on this particular area alone will result in chaos with great financial costs as the climate warms and increased flooding occurs. I am old enough to well remember the various flood problems here over many previous winters, which this Local Plan totally ignores when considering opening up land for development under CFS194 / CFS169 / CFS150 / CFS020 respectively.
Overall one readily realises that new housing has to be provided within Rochford District, BUT it has to be sensitively placed in areas of "Brown Field", with good vehicular access, good Public transport, Medical facilities and future flood plain and flooding issues etc very carefully considered and the remedies ALREADY PUT IN PLACE prior to any development being considered or eventually agreed.