Rochford Town Centre

I am concerned the public consultation is flawed with residents being asked to respond without site specific allocations, parish boundary identification and the consultation in "Rochford Matters" not giving proposed numbers of housing units in each area.

It is impossible to give a balanced view on the core strategy without Rochford and Hockley town centre plans being published or a decision on the JAAP report in respect of Southend Airport. Therefore to make a case for most of the houses to be built in Rochford and Hawkwell relying expansion of the airport to provide jobs is flawed.

The allocation of houses in Rochford Hawkwell and Hockley ensures that there will be a triangle of congestion on Ashingdon Road, Hall Road, Rectory Road and Main Road, Hawkwell indeed all roads leading in and out of Hawkwell. We are concerned that the government policy of 60% development on brown field sites and 50% green belt is being ignored in favour of 60% greenbelt and 40% brownfield.

Provision of a new community to the west of Rayleigh would have the benefit of good road infrastructure with easy access to Chelmsford, Basildon and Thurrock. It would enable a well planned viallage to be constructed providing education, healthcare, retail and leisure. Far better that added peicemeal to existing communities.

The council claims that it has a policy against intensification. This is not reflected in current decisions and when the council has resisted the provision of flats on the site of one property it has lost on appeal. Therefore the council would be releasing more greenbelt land than needed.

I therefore believe that the proposal in the core strategy are not sustainable and will lead to overbearing pressure on existing communities.

I am against the pedestrianised proposal for Rochford town centre. This would destroy the trade. The square should be left alone.

I welcome the restoration of the local list as I protested when it was removed in the last local plan.