Policy BFR2 - Eldon Way/Foundry Industrial Estate, Hockley

Insufficient extra car parking provided for a retail unit of the size indicated - especially if combined with station parking.
Traffic improvement proposals unlikely to unlikely to help the situation. If only B1013 given slip lanes then Spa Road traffic will suffer badly - and that would bear the traffic to the new development. A raised area for pedestrians will only worsen traffic delays. Not room for widening pavements in Spa Road and extra slip lanes. Development will bring in extra traffic that the area cannot cope with.'Evening economy' likely to cause problems antisocial behaviour similar to Rayleigh.

The policy acknowledges a shortfall of housing provision of at least 50 units. The alternative sites suggested in the Hockley Area Action Plan hypothetical capacity test are not a practical option due to restricted dimensions and close proximity to the railway line. No realistic allowance has been made for this shortfall in the town centre or by increasing flexibility elsewhere in the district. It is not considered that the document demonstrates that the Council can meet its target for housing supply and is therefore unsound.

WE DO NOT WANT OR NEED TO RUIN HOCKLEY VILLAGE WITH A HUGE SUPERMARKET. Hockley would be fine if it wasnt for the fact that too many houses are to be built, ruining our countryside and causing too much traffic in our village. This is a village not a town and we want to keep it that way. The main questions below are only understandable by those involved and cannot be expected to be understood by the ordinary "woman in the street" so they have not been answered.

The Brownfield Sites identified including Eldon Way/Foundry sites all rely on land assembly and relocation. No traffic impact study has been undertaken.

Royal Mail formerly Consignia Plc, is the successor to the former statutory corporation, The Post Office. Although its management operates independently, Royal Mail is wholly owned by the Government through the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills. Its services are regulated by the Postal Services Regulator, Postcom. Its letters business, Royal Mail is the operator of universal postal service functions through the Royal Mail letter post delivery and collection services handling letters, postal packets, and high value (registered) packets. Royal Mail Group also operates Parcelforce Worldwide which is a parcels carrier.

The United Kingdom letter post business was fully liberalised in January 2006 by Postcomm and Royal Mail now operates in a highly competitive market place. As such, it effectively operates like any other business and is continually seeking to find ways to improve the efficiency of its business (eg increased automation) and respond to the changes in communications technology (eg email and internet). Put simply, the nature of the mail industry has and continues to change and Royal Mail's real estate needs to respond accordingly.

Royal Mail Properties

Royal Mail own the following freehold properties within Rochford District:

- Hockley Delivery Office, Eldon Way, Hockley, SS5 4AA (1575)
- Rayleigh Delivery Office, 160 High Street, Rayleigh, SS6 7BT (1581)
- Rochford Industrial Space, 50 East Street, Rochford, SS4 1AZ (1582)

Policy BFR2 provides the emerging planning policy and development aspirations for the Eldon Way/Foundry Industrial Estate, Hockley.

Royal Mail support their inclusion within this policy area although it should be noted that they currently have no plans to close or relocate the Delivery Office. That said, they agree that the site presents a good opportunity for redevelopment for a mix of uses including retail, residential and employment uses and therefore support its allocation. However, it is essential that the Allocations Submission Document recognises that the Delivery Office will need to be relocated/reprovided prior to the site's redevelopment in order to ensure that Royal Mail's operations are not prejudiced.

This site has good access to the road network, and is well located with regards the train station.

This site has the opportunity to be redeveloped for a 'mixed use' commercial scheme, including both employment and community and leisure uses appropriate to a town centre location, in accordance with the provisions of the NPPF.