Introduction

The proposals for Hockley Town Centre, Eldon way and Foundry Industrial estate are pre-empting the outcome of the Core Strategy; and the concurrent Allocations DPD (which asks residents to choose between a town and village). It also contradicts the council's own evidence base where the Retail and Leisure Study 2008 recommends reclassifying Hockley as a village and states it will not support further shops.

Consultation on Allocations and Development Management Development Plan Documents

1. Thank you for inviting the Highways Agency to comment on the Allocations and Development Management Development Plan Documents for Rochford District Council.

2. As you may have noted from our previous correspondence, the Highways Agency is an executive agency of the Department for Transport (DfT). We are responsible for operating, maintaining and improving England's motorway and all-purpose trunk road network, collectively known as the Strategic Road Network (SRN) on behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport.

3. In spatial planning and development control terms, we have a duty to safeguard the operation of the motorway and trunk road network as set out in the DfT circular 02/2007 (Planning and the Strategic Road Network). The circular encourages the Highways Agency to work co-operatively with Local Planning Authorities within the framework of the Government's policies for planning, growth areas, regeneration, integrated transport and sustainability. We look to your Council's Local Development Framework (LDF) to promote strategies, policies and land allocations which will support alternatives to the private car.

4. In the case of Rochford there are no trunk roads within the District, although there are two strategic corridors namely the A13 and A127/A1159 which connect into the M25 motorway network at junctions 30 and 29 respectively. Sections of these routes are currently heavily congested, particularly during peak periods, and operate under considerable levels of network stress. Therefore it is important to the Highways Agency that the impact of development proposals in the Rochford area is considered within the context of future impact on the M25 and the A13 Trunk Road.

5. Please see below our comments on the individual Development Plan Documents.

Development Management Development Plan Document

8. The Highways Agency consider that Policy DM1 should include a criteria relating to housing being sited in areas where access to day to day facilities are available by public transport, walking and cycling, thereby reducing the need to travel by private car.

9. As stated in the Transport section of the DPD, the District does suffer from high levels of private car ownership and dependency, which results in congestion and pollution. The Highways Agency therefore consider that Policy DM26 would be enhanced by the inclusion of a requirement for an assessment of the potential impact of development on the highway network, together with mitigation measures that may be required. The supporting text should include reference to the DfT Guidance on Transport Assessment (2007).

10. The Highways Agency also consider that Policy DM26 could be further enhanced by the requirement for a Travel Plan to be considered as part of traffic management