Ref Local Spatial Options Paper 2021 Date 06/09/21

Comments on the overall local spatial plan for the RDC area

1)We have very limiting road infrastructure to support really any proposed housing developments
The existing road structure and layout has for years been under strain of pure numbers of cars and cyclists and is more prevalent at peak times and when temporary closures / restrictions are in place. What commercial traffic there is either is trying to get into or out of the area from and to west and no provision has been taken for the expansion of this in the future. Tinkering with junctions does not resolve the overall effect of more cars per household in the area. We have great issues with total lack of joined up public transport or the total lack of it in any case. Assumptions and the use of section 106 monies to encourage the reduction in car traffic have miserable failed. Over charging rural commuters are having now been placed in housing areas outside the main transport hubs, but who to have use cars to get into these hubs, for carparking spaces. This has led to the use of draconian road traffic limits on residential roads for on street parking.
2) Promised proposals from Housing developers
We have seen many housing developments been accepted on proposals put down to entice not only the local residents but the sitting members of the District Council. Promises of cheap affordable housing, can someone please tell me what is now the acceptable “cheap affordable”. Inclusion of Doctors and Health Clinics, New Schools, open spaces, not just landscaped areas. Many have been proposed then dropped as the initial developer splits his permission to build up into smaller companies and thus is not within the requirements to have these much-required facilities.
3) The total lack of medical facilities in the area.
Doctors appointment waiting lists are now at breaking point, Dentist are the same. Hospitals are working in their A & E departments at near breaking point due to the shortages in GPs appointments. Yet we still apply more population into an overloaded system. Till this is fixed with capacity to take surges we can’t continue.
4) Environmental concerns
We been told we have reduce our green emissions, yet we have more people coming into the area, regardless of how we move them around we will, due to the pure numbers never make a substantial drop in those figure from todays.
Yes, we need more essential housing but to ensure all have that, we have to stop the building of oversized properties where the numbers of rooms far exceeds the needs of the families. Costs need to be such that those who want to purchase their own can. Dumping estates outside the main residential areas is not the answer. The cultural mix of those who have never lived in the country needs to be taken into consideration. Comments on the recent completed Canewdon site “I just can’t wait to live in the countryside” followed a few months later, “What’s that awful smell” “do they need to run bird scarers all day as it frightens my dog”
One answer given is to build on “Brown sites” we have very few and every lost brown site means, no local industry and jobs and we have to migrate our working population some 75% out of our area every working day. The proposals originally for the Saxon Business Park (now the Southend Airport site) was to be for a place of Aeronautical Excellence, changed to an area of Medical Excellence. Both with no warehousing, looks like its changing again and the developer have the whip hand, go in with a super proposal then change it to what he wanted in the first case, cheap builds.
Please don’t just listen to your London Political masters but think outside the box for a change as to what you and they are going to cause to the existing local residents in the near future? I moved to the area when I was 9 years old from South London, I worked the farms and grew up as the area slowly changed, in some cases not for the best. I ran a local engineering business and employed many sub-contractors in the area. Sadly, that’s now becoming an impossible task and for what is being called progress. I asked a previous Leader of the Authority what did his party want, a commercial business growth area or a residential dormant area. I think you already know the answer.