In response to the Spatial Options Consultation, I would like the following points to be taken into consideration. These are with reference to CFS053, CFS098, CFS029, CFS027, CFS086
• This land is Metropolitan Green Belt, it serves as a buffer zone between Rayleigh and Hockley, to develop it would undermine the very principles of Green Belt and put the two towns at significant risk of becoming one urban sprawl in the future.
• Some of the land lies within the Roach Valley – a conservation area and according to Google designated as World Heritage Site on 24/03/1995
• The road infrastructure serving these sites is extremely limited – none of these sites are on a major artery and any development would have to be accessed by quiet residential roads: Wellington Road, Albert Road, Bull Lane and Napier Road. The impact of a considerable increase in traffic would impact on the wellbeing of current residents, saturate the roads to the point of gridlock and place a considerable burden on the utilities’ infrastructure.
The two roads of any significance which any development would feed into are the B1013 and Bull Lane. The B1013 is already at saturation point and frequently at a standstill, the road acting as a bypass for the A127 between Fairglen and Southend. Bull Lane is nothing more than a residential road and indeed an old byway. Neither the B1013 and Bull Lane have the capacity to be widened or improved to take an increase in traffic.
• The Emergency Services would be compromised by an increase in traffic and could impact on their ability to attend life threatening calls thus endangering life.
• All four sites support a myriad of wildlife – there are badger sets crisscrossing the area - badgers are a protected species. Bats (also protected), owls, foxes, rabbits, buzzards, pheasants and deer are regularly seen and rely on the habitat for food, shelter and as a corridor.
• The farmer has established areas of fallow land as wildlife corridors over the past few years, providing effective shelter and food for a myriad of birds and animals.
• The precarious predicament of bees and the impact their extinction would have on human existence is regularly in the news– these wildlife corridors serve as bee highways, helping to protect their survival.
With reference to CFS053 and CFS098
• These fields are part of a water course and natural flood management, the River Roach rises in a spring at the rear of houses in Nelson Road ( behind nos 45 and 47).
• A water course management channels water underground from Fairview Park through to the water course at the rear of Nelson Road, entering it between nos 55 and 57.
• This area of land has a history of flooding and acts as a surplus water catchment stopping houses in Nelson Road, Napier Road and Albert Road from flooding. Local residents have photographic evidence of flooding in recent years.
• The footpath running from Wellington Road to Albert Road is extremely well used for a variety of activities, including walkers, horse riders, joggers. Local running groups use it regularly. To remove such an important asset in this day and age would seriously impact on the physical and mental wellbeing of many Rayleigh residents. To this end the knock-on effect of any development on the NHS could be significant and long lasting.

General observations relating to CFS053, CFS098, CFS029, CFS027, CFS086
• Schools serving this area are oversubscribed and at capacity, the most recent data for admissions clearly evidences this
Edward Francis Primary School – 220 applications for 60 places
Grove Wood Primary School – 202 applications for 90 places
Rayleigh Primary School – 200 applications for 60 places
Fitzwimarc School (secondary) 855 applications for 300 places
Sweyne Park School (secondary) 895 applications for 240 places
• GP provision is already stretched and even before the impact of Covid it was difficult to get appointments to see doctors
• Air quality – the footpaths along the B1013 are very narrow in places, with this road frequently at a standstill the air quality has to be compromised and serve a risk to road users and those living along the road.

That more housing is needed is not in question and it is appropriate that RDC is looking at all development options at this stage, however it is important that future development meets the following criteria
• Immediate access to major roads that will allow an increase in traffic from developments without gridlocking an already congested road system. To this end future building should be located to the west of Rayleigh with easy access onto the A130 or to the east of Rochford with access onto the A127. The layout and infrastructure of the town centres of Rochford and Rayleigh cannot take the increase in traffic that the proposed amount of housing would generate and there is no room for remedial work to improve traffic flow.
• The Green Belt must be protected, particularly buffer zones.
• Education and health services must be included to allow for the increase in population and these services met, rather than taken off the plans at a later date like the Hall Road development.

I trust all these points will be taken into consideration.