Please find detailed below our comments in relation to the published Rochford Council Spatial Options Paper 2021. Our specific comments relate to Q56 (d), with the following specific land references:-

• CFS027: 114 Proposed Houses (Land North of Bull Lane, Rayleigh)
• CFS029: 29 Proposed Houses (Land at Turrett Farm, Napier Road, Rayleigh)
We strongly reject the proposed housing plans for areas CFS027 & CFS029 based on the following rationale:-
1) Inadequate Surface Water Drainage/Flooding Risk
a. You only need to search for ‘Rayleigh Flooding 2013’ to see the images of disruption and despair that were felt by the many house owners in Blower Close and the immediate area on that day (24/08/2013), when the local infrastructure was not able to cope with the amount of rain water that fell, flowing off the surrounding farmers fields into peoples homes. The outcome of this situation was for the local council to pay for and build a significant drainage ditch on the bottom boundary of CFS027, emphasising the fragility of water drainage and flooding in the immediate area. This significant ditch stabilised the drainage and flooding in an area that had also seen houses flooded in 2009 and 2011 due to excessive rain water.
b. Climate scientists all agree that we will see an increase in extreme weather and if these proposals were to be granted, these areas would be concreted over with housing and thus remove any natural slow down and saturation areas for the water to traverse through.
c. Your own initial assessment of CFS029 & CFS027 identifies real concerns over the drainage risk (rated: 2) to the immediate area. Both of these areas experience a natural flow of surface water from the fields that bridge the gap between Rayleigh and Hockley. The fields and ditches act as part of a natural slow down and saturation that helps to minimise any impact to the surrounding areas, this will of course be removed if the housing development proceeds and the 143 houses are built.
d. Clearly your initial ‘flood’ assessments (rated: 5) for CFS029 & CFS027 does not taken into account any of the flooding events from 2013 in the immediate area and those that happened several years earlier in 2009. If you allow these houses to be built, then you will have effectively approved other houses to flood more regularly on the basis of commercial profit and greed!!!

2) Green Belt Destruction
a. The ancient Hockley Woodland and the surrounding Green Belt providing a crucial habitat for wildlife and a demarcation between Rayleigh and Hockley. Both these proposed developments bring the linking of Rayleigh to Hockley (Bullwood Hall development) ever closer, whilst further damaging wildlife at a time when now more than ever, we need to protect spaces that is shared between humans and nature. It also removes a ‘Green’ space that is enjoyed by people who prefer the cleaner quality of air and quality of life for recreational use that is provided.

3) Traffic Management
a. Typically 143 houses will have on average of two cars each, which will mean 286 cars having to navigate in and out of Rayleigh. When added to the ‘rat runs’ that are likely to be created as cars from Hockley try and avoid Rayleigh town centre, it will undoubtedly create speeding cars and further congestions that will both increase pollution in the area and the danger to children walking to school. The speed ramps in Helena Road and Louise Road have now been removed, having been introduced many years ago to slow traffic (to protect school children) due to both roads being used historically as ‘rat run’ for traffic to avoid Rayleigh town centre, so clearly child safety is of little concern to the council either regardless of the problems these new houses would create!!!
Kind regards,

Peter & Linda Vile