Vision

The green spaces in our area should be protected and developed. Future generations will need, more than ever, to have access to areas of natural beauty. Research has proved that stress levels and well-being in the population are helped by having access to green areas. This will be more important as our area continues to be developed with the plans for the airport and the subsequent developments in buildings, traffic and pollution. There must be areas of respite left for the population. I oppose any large-scale building on the green areas. The only buildings should be maybe an information or education centre or a shelter for visitors.

Define "small areas". Not many small locations selected as preffered.

The Greenbelt areas being allocated for development are hardly small - they will all deliver large areas of concentrated dwellings in a short space of time - a quick fix to satisfy the core strategy. More time less speed - better consideration of the alternatives not in the greenbelt needs to be given.

Response of Essex County Council

Essex County Council supports the production of a Development Management DPD by Rochford District Council. By setting out detailed planning policies for the management of development the DPD will positively assist realisation of the District's Core Strategy. In this respect the linking of the DPD directly to the Vision and the four main corporate objectives for the District is welcomed.

The scope and coverage of the proposed Development Management policies is broadly supported but could benefit from some detailed textual changes to the Policies and their supporting text (as set out below) to reflect,

* the creation of safe direct walking and cycling routes to schools and other community facilities by inclusion of an additional section of supporting text together with an additional policy. Essex County Council would welcome early discussion with the District Council with the aim of producing jointly agreed text for such a section;
* the acknowledgment of the value and role of the Historic Environment by the Document should be more appropriately integrated within proposed Policy DM1 and Policy DM13 and the objectives for Environmental Issues;
* the proactive role that the District Council and partners are taking to the Green Belt, for example the positive approach that will result from improving access to the Upper Roach Valley and to Wallasea Island. Also, Renaissance Southend and Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, with partners including the County Council and the District Council, are actively promoting Stonebridge Park as a sub-regional greenspace project. The project would create major greenspaces and access improvements, including restoration of some existing and old landfills and utilizing the old haul roads for cycling and bridleways. This represents a major partnership opportunity for Rochford to create a substantial sub-regional park in the District. Further, the supporting text should refer to the recently announced initiative for a Coastal Path, to run the length of the English Coast, being led by Natural England, which presents a considerable opportunity for Rochford to create a major green attraction along the District's extensive coastline. Additional supporting text for Policy DM13 and to the vision and objectives for the Green Belt and Countryside is suggested;
* creation of an attractive and pleasant environment can support an improved retail offer and thereby assist enhancement of use of town centres by addition to the objectives for Retail and Town Centres;.
* the potential access issues raised by some forms of advertising, for instance advertising boards, (insofar as they can be subject to development management policies) by addition to Policy DM32 and Policy DM33 and their supporting text;
* the full scope of Essex County Council's 'Parking Standards: Design and Good Practice (2009)' by additions to the supporting text for Policy DM25;
* additional relevant sub-regional and county strategy documents.

In addition, Figure 1 is useful in setting out the types of documents which will comprise the Development Plan for Rochford. However, for completeness and for the benefit of users of the Development Plan it would be useful if all Development Plan Documents and Supplementary Planning Documents were listed by name. A brief description of their purpose and content would aid understanding of their relevance in consideration of particular planning proposals, topics and issues.

Suggested detailed textual changes to the Policies and their supporting text are,

A. Figure 1 - Additional description of Figure 1 to aid understanding of the relevance documents within the Local Development Framework in consideration of particular planning proposals, topics and issues;

B. Relationship to other strategies - additional relevant strategies to be referenced,
* Sub-regional strategies - 'Thames Gateway Parklands Vision 2008'
* County strategies -
o Developers' Guide to Infrastructure Contributions.
o Parking Standards Design and Good Practice
o Highways and Transport Development Management Policies

C. Policy DM1 Design of New Developments - amend criteria i), ii) and vi) to read,
i) accessibility by all forms of transport;
ii) boundary treatment and landscaping within the development;
vi) impact on the historic environment including designated sites, Conservation Areas, Listed Buildings, archaeological sites and the historic landscape;

The supporting text for Policy DM1 should be augmented to emphasise the role of the wider historic environment, including archaeological sites and historic landscapes.

D. Green Belt and Countryside
* The vision should be expanded by addition of the following,
o In five years - add three additional bullets to read,
- 'New Strategies for the Upper Roach countryside area and Stonebridge Park, around Great Wakering'
- 'New Visitor Facilities at RSPB Wallasea Island'
- 'A plan is developed of the line of the Coastal Path, showing how it runs through Rochford, connecting Burnham-on Crouch to Southend'
o By 2017 - add an additional bullet to read,
- 'Completion of the Coastal Path connecting Burnham-on Crouch to Southend'
o By 2025 - add two additional bullets to read,
- 'If appropriate, new Visitor facilities at Stonebridge Park and the Upper Crouch'
- 'Rochford is recognised as a tourist destination, with good access to the rivers and waterways and many visitors to the nationally recognised wetlands at Wallasea, the sub regional greenspaces located at the Upper Crouch and Stonebridge Park, and the Coastal Path'

* The Objectives should be expanded by addition of two additional objectives,
o 'Ensure the Green Belt includes positive appropriate activities such as countryside recreation, education, nature study etc'
o 'Aid the delivery of greenspaces identified in the Thames Gateway Green Grid Strategy and the Parklands Vision, alongside Essex County Council and neighbouring authorities'

* A further criterion should be added to the first paragraph of Policy DM13 (Green Tourism) to read 'the impact on the historic environment'.

* The supporting text to Policy DM13 (Green Tourism) should be expanded by addition of,
o A paragraph to read, 'Green Tourism should benefit the residents of Rochford and South Essex. Opening up the countryside of the Upper Roach Valley, Wallasea Island and the proposed Stonebridge Park will enable visitors increased access to the countryside, education facilities, improved health, new jobs and opportunities in new facilities and existing businesses. Furthermore it would elevate Rochford's reputation as a tourist destination.'
o text to note that the impact of tourism opportunities on the historic environment is as important as that on the natural environment.

E. Environmental Issues - the vision should be expanded by,
o in 5 years - add the words 'and historic environment' to the third bullet so that it reads 'Local, national and international sites of nature conservation and historic environment importance are protected.'
o By 2017 - add an additional bullet to read 'the local, national and international sites of historic environment importance are being increasingly protected, promoted and enhanced'.

F. Transport - the supporting text should be expanded to note,
* Essex County Council is the local highway authority and has a set of Development Management policies for the highways and transport aspects of development.
* the supporting text to Policy DM25 should note that Essex County Council's 'Parking Standards: Design and Good Practice (2009)' includes guidance related not only to private cars but also to 'Blue Badge' users, cyclists, motorcyclists and commercial vehicles.

G. Retail and Town Centres - include an additional objective to read, 'Improve the public realm of the Town Centres and village and neighbourhood centres by implementing landscape and access schemes which include street trees to provide urban greening'

H. Advertisements in the District
* In Policy DM32 - the first sentence should be amended by insertion of the words 'access and' to read, 'The design and siting of advertisements throughout the District must have regard to access and the visual impact of the building(s)...'
* In Policy DM33 - the second sentence should be amended by insertion of the words 'not cause an access problem,' to read '... and should be sensitive to the character of the area, visually unobtrusive, not cause an access problem, well designed and well located.'
* The first paragraph of the supporting text should be amended by insertion of the word 'access' to read '...is not detrimental to the access, appearance or value of a particular streetscape or buildings(s).'
* Additional supporting text should note that some forms of advertising, for instance, advertising boards can cause uncontrolled clutter which tends to restrict and obstruct access and provide tripping obstacles for people who are blind or partially sighted.

I. Safe Walking and Cycling Routes
The Document would benefit from an additional section of supporting text together with an additional policy that specifically addresses the creation of safe direct walking and cycling routes to schools and other community facilities. Essex County Council would welcome early discussion with the District Council with the aim of producing jointly agreed text for such a section.

Housing

p.12 DM1 Design of New Developments
Add - infrastructure, health facilities, school - if major development

p.13 Density of New Developments is a major concern in a part of the County that is already densely populated

p. 14 Is Hockley considered to be a Town Centre

p.15 Agree the there should be no replacement of individual dwellings with flats.

p.22 Has Council a list of local important buildings?

p.23 Agree with control over demolition of buildings within Conservation Areas.

p.25 Prefer Option DM9 - must restrict development on edge of Conservation Areas.

Green Belt and Countryside

p. 26 2017 - Why use Green Belt land for creation of new jobs.
2025 - How can Rochford be suitable for tourists if there is such a high population density.

p.28/29 Agree with comments on these pages. Must remember the importance of agricultural land in rural areas. Use land for agriculture.

Environmental Issues

p.51/56 Agree with statements regarding Environmental Issues.

Transport

p.57 2017 - What is the South Essex Rapid Transit System

p.59 Where will funding come from for important transport issues.

Economic Development

p. 61 What phases of enhancement have been implemented in Hockley?

(In five years). Southend Airport will not provide significant employment due to current and future financial constraints. People living in Leigh will not have a better quality of life due to being in flight path.

(2017) Where will Eco-Enterprise Centre be located?
Where will new Employment Park be located?

Retail and Town Centres

p.67 Already a strong cluster of restaurants and cafes in Hockley.

District already fully developed. New housing should be severely restricted.
Green belt land must be protected.
Agricultural land must remain as agricultural land.
Residents of the district do not want gypsy and travellers sites in the area.
The high hopes of economic development plans for Southend Airport may have to be toned down due to economic climate.
Every effort must be made to fill vacant shops in places like Hockley before any grandiose plans are contemplated.