This mail is in response to your vision statement for Hullbridge, in particular my objections to the proposed housing development sites around Hullbridge.

All land around Hullbridge is Green Belt, this land should be vigorously protected rather than being given up and lost to housing developers. Some land also forms part of the Coastal protection Belt and should be protected at all costs.

There is also an abundance of wildlife in the fields and hedgerows surrounding Hullbridge it is important to conserve their habitats rather than destroy them.

When we moved to Hullbridge our property survey confirmed that Hullbridge was in a critical flood risk area, we live backing onto Cracknell's farm ( one of your proposed development sites ) where over 800 houses are planned, take away open fields and replacing them with houses and roads will drastically reduce the lands ability to absorb surface water increasing the risk of flooding.

There would be a loss of public footpaths and bridleways, these routes are very well used for horse riders, dog walkers and for exercise, by residents and visitors alike. Would you rather take your exercise walking the footpaths through open countryside or pounding the pavements of a new housing development , I know what option I would choose.

Transport links to Hullbridge are poor, access is along small B roads or even smaller and narrower unclassified roads, congested at the best of times, the extra traffic any new developments would bring would only make our already congested roads worse. Our one school and medical centre would struggle to cope with the amount of people these proposed developments would bring.

Hullbridge is a unique rural coastal village made up of traditional housing, mobile home sites, council maintained roads and private roads and should be preserved as such.

I understand that new housing is needed just not at the expense of a unique village like Hullbridge, I would therefore suggest any new housing be built in your strategy option 3 ( west of Rayleigh, north of Southend or east of Rochford ).