Q52. Are there areas where improvements to transport connections are needed?

CFS064

This would potentially add another 400 vehicles to an already overcrowded area. There is only one road available which is severely restricted. The main road cannot cope with the extra traffic at peak times now!! A dual carriageway would be required and that won't happen. This is without all other necessary infrastructure. The mini roundabouts are blocked by traffic, so you cannot access Main Road. This is because people don't or won't use the law and roads properly. This will only make matters even worse. Parents taking children to school make this area a NO GO ZONE. Extra houses equals more frustration and thoughtlessness.

CFS027, CFS029, CFS053, CFS098, CFS086

My comments refer to all five of the above proposed/promoted sites. My first comment should cover it all -

1. FLOOD!
In August 2013, that whole area (our home included) was flooded. This was not the first time this area had suffered flooding. I note from your grading criteria that 'critical drainage risk' is assessed as a 2. The flooding in this area is always from surface water, and is an ongoing and constant threat.

After the flood of 2013 we attended council meetings to discuss the issue. A very interesting comment was made, that houses should never have been built in Blower Close in the first place. We are at the bottom of a 'bowl', where all surface water, and water flooding from streams where the culvert has been allowed to become overgrown and blocked has contributed to the flooding issue.

My husband is in constant communication with Cllr Dave Sperring, who in turn has to badger the EA to once again clean the ditches/culvert. Cllr Sperring also visited our close after our flood and witnessed first hand the devastating effect it had.

2. LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE
The access to these proposed sites is currently unmade tracks and single track minor roads. If these roads were to be upgraded to roads able to service new houses, it would quickly become a rat run to cut out having to travel through Rayleigh Town Centre, which is a nightmare at the best of times. The surrounding roads all suffer from double parking, making it impossible with the added traffic, and a danger for the emergency services. There only has to be a problem on the A127, the Weir, A130, and the whole of Rayleigh becomes gridlocked.

Our local schools are full and our doctors are completely overrun. Having to wait two weeks for a telephone appointment currently will only become longer and unacceptable. There is also no good links to bus services.

3. GREEN BELT AND OPEN SPACES
All of these proposed sites are either backing onto or in very close proximity to green belt (green belt harm - assessed as 1). Since lockdown, open spaces have become so important to people for exercise, health and mental health.

We are fortunate to have the Upper Roach Valley bordering where we live, providing a buffer between Rayleigh and Hockley. It is the lung of this area. Protected trees and ancient woodland form part of the Roach Valley (assessed as a 2).

In summary, the distance to strategic road network is poor (2), access to bus services is very poor (1). The damage to green belt (1), agricultural land (1), protected trees (2) is unacceptable. The increased rise of flooding due to poor drainage in this area and a record of flooding due to surface water, in my opinion, makes the sites I have commented on unviable (critical drainage risk 2).

I have attached some newspaper reports to remind those involved in making these decisions, the effect flooding has.

[see attached document for cuttings. Annotation on first cutting as follows:]

Blower Close - Rayleigh, August 2013 - flooded from fields (where housing is proposed) in two directions. Floodig to the other side of our close has occurred at least 3 times from the field behind (where houses are planned). A flood protection ditch was built behind 9-14 Blower Close. We have to keep a constant watch and review of the culvert in the nearby field which is often completely blocked - a major focus in our flooding too.

CFS064

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to show my disapproval of Rochford Council's new Local Plan to build 214 new houses on the field behind Hockley Community Centre stretching to Folly Chase!
The roads on Betts Farm Estate are already under strain. Any increase in traffic would without any doubt cause an increase in pollution, damaging the health of the residents who live there!

Betts Farm already has congestion with parents dropping their children off at Hockley County Primary School at 9am & picking them up at 3pm. Cars are parked up on pavements causing obstruction for pedestrians. We never see any traffic wardens so motorists park wherever they find a space, so Osborne Avenue is complete chaos!

I would also like to bring your attention to the inadequacy of the busiest road in Essex, which is the B1013. The Betts Farm, Buckingham Rd meets the B1013 roundabout. There is always traffic congestion, causing more pollution and damage to the health of Hockley residents. So please consider these points to pollution and damage to health of the residents of Hockley!