I am writing with reference to the above consultation to provide my views on the unsuitability of proposed houses in and around the Blower Close, Rayleigh vicinity.

I visited the Council stall in Rayleigh High Street on 25 August and had a very informative conversation with your council planning colleagues.
We discussed the proposal of building many houses on the farmer's land behind Blower Close and the impact on the surrounding areas nearby.

I am a resident of Blower Close and feel very strongly that the proposals for building over 100 houses nearby should not be considered for the reasons stated below:

1) My house was flooded during the torrential downpour we endured on 24 August 2013. 8 homes (in a row) were flooded in Blower Close because the drainage system underground could not cope with the vast amount of rain water. At the time, we were advised that Rayleigh had been built on a 'one pipe' system which is no longer able to cope with increased housing and development.

2) With the number of houses being proposed nearby, I am extremely concerned that concreting over the land we have around this area will only further increase the risk of flooding that we already have to monitor in Blower Close and the surrounding roads. As residents, we are extremely vigilant whenever we have heavy rainfall because the impact of being flooded is devastating. The waterways/drainage couldn't cope in
2013 and it won't be able to cope with over 100 new houses being built - only adding to the problems.

3) If Napier Road is being considered as an entry route/trunk road to the new houses, this will inevitably mean it will join Albert Road and become a 'rat run' for motorists trying to gain fast and easier access to The Chase in Rayleigh. This will make Albert Road a busier and more dangerous road because cars already park on each side of the road and it currently only allows single file traffic. I am very concerned that any emergency vehicle access would be compromised and the extra volume of vehicles would make for increased noise and pollution. There are also many children using Albert Road to walk to school via Victoria Park (green open space adjacent to Betjeman Close) and this would make the road more dangerous as they walk to Edward Francis and The FitzWimarc Schools.

4) Finally, I wish to say how disappointed I am that Green Belt land is now being considered for development. I can see there are many sites on the proposal that would be better suited for development. Rayleigh is already gridlocked with traffic most of time, regardless of the time of day you travel and I chose to live in this part of Rayleigh because of the green open spaces we still have. Rawreth and Hullbridge have undergone major building projects in recent years with temporary traffic light systems in place everywhere! Surely, we can keep our Green Belt land to enjoy for walking/nature and look to develop on other sites, if required.