Q56d. Are there areas that require protecting from development?

Areas in the proposed plans for new development should be protected as plans for new housing near A127 will create more traffic, pollution and congestion. The A127 is the main access road into surrounding towns therefore it is already an over used road.

Yes there are areas.... The green space in Rayleigh is decreasing and if we don't object to the current plans, once they go ahead and are complete, you will move on to the next available land.

Protect all that we have left!!!!!

We strongly object to any development in the area between Wellington Road, Napier and Bull Lane. This area was supposed to be Green Belt and acted as a buffer between Rayleigh and Eastwood. If allowed to be developed for housing or commercial reasons the whole nature of the area would be ruined. The Bridleway across the field at the top of Wellington Rd is an important route for countryside walks towards Grove and Hockley Woods for the benefit of everyone's physical and mental wellbeing. Walking through a housing estate would not have the same benefit at all!!

CFS146 and CFS147, no account has been give to the pollution that will be generated by using these two sites. The west of Rayleigh is already heavily polluted being surrounded by busy roads, the London Road, A1245, A130, A127 and Rayleigh High Street. There are already two developments with over 500 new homes off the London Road and the new warehousing near the A127 that are going to bring hundreds of extra vehicle movements. You only have to look at the black sooty dust that lands on my windows and ledges outside and on the inside ledges, shutters and throughout the house to realise the level of pollution we are already subjected to. The prevailing south west winds will carry all the new pollution from these two areas over us and affect our well being and our health, both physical and mental. And it's no good thinking that electric vehicles will eventually reduce pollution because there are dangerous pollutants from brake and tyre dust.

CFS 053, 027, 029, 086 and 098
Some reasons why these sites not be considered as suitable for building on : Green belt, Critical drainage and given the changing nature of our climate an a combination of other factors such as lie of the land could possibly lead to flooding issues to current residents. Wild life issues and a popular walking and riding area with dedicated rights of way.
FULL explanation to be sent by email

With reference to the redevelopment of the Mill Hall Arts and Events centre, Bellingham lane, Rayleigh. It may well have a detrimental impact on the scheduled ancient monument as the development is on the boundary of the site. It may well have an impact on the natural screening that is currently provided by the vegetation between the site and our property. We are also concerned about the potential impact to the security of our property both during and after the project is completed.

Site reference: CFS086 Address: Land between Rivendell and Brookside, Napier Road, Rayleigh
This site is full of trees, full of Birds, full off wildlife. These small patches provide essential wildlife havens and corridors. We chip away at the small areas until one one day they are all gone and there is nothing left.

Site reference: CFS053 Address: Land south of 38 and 39 Wellington Road, Rayleigh
This site in conjunction with land North of Napier Rd Ref CFS098 should not be built on
Apart from the fact that this procure essential crops. These farm field provide a beautiful open space .
An area like this within walking distance is a joy and when the sun shines on it,it is a wonder. Waking in this area provides fresh air peace and tranquillity which is essential to mental health and wellbeing. It is rich in wildlife. The amount of damage to habitat and wildlife lost developing this land cannot be overstated. Vital Wildlife corridors will be lost They will be replaced with a sterile housing development with new garden which take many years to establish.
The road will probably be changed so there will be more traffic, more noise more air pollution this will have a detrimental affect on the meadow land opposite which is a rich diverse area . Rain water will not haver anywhere to go.
There will be more strain on local services such as Doctors and schools. .

Site reference: CFS098 Address: Land north of Napier Road, Rayleigh
This site in conjunction with site reference: CFS053 Address: Land south of 38 and 39 Wellington Road, Rayleigh
Neither of these sites should be built on.
Apart from the fact that this procure essential crops. These farm field provide a beautiful open space.
An area like this within walking distance is a joy and when the sun shines on it, it is a wonder. Waking in this area provides fresh air peace and tranquillity which is essential to mental health and wellbeing. It is rich in wildlife. The amount of damage to habitat and wildlife lost developing this land cannot be overstated. Vital Wildlife corridors will be lost They will be replaced with a sterile housing development with new garden which take many years to establish.
The road will probably be changed so there will be more traffic, more noise more air pollution this will have a detrimental effect on the meadow land opposite which is a rich diverse area. Rainwater will not have anywhere to go.
There will be more strain on local services such as Doctors and schools. It is already difficult to get a doctors appointment,

CFS029 Address: Land at Turrett Farm, Napier Road, Rayleigh
This area together with the adjacent farm land CFS053 Address: Land south of 38 and 39 Wellington Road, Rayleigh and CFS098 Address: Land north of Napier Road, Rayleigh provide a beautiful open space.
An area like this within walking distance provides fresh air peace and tranquillity which is essential to mental health and wellbeing. It is rich in wildlife. The amount of damage to habitat and wildlife lost developing this land cannot be overstated. Vital Wildlife corridors will be lost They will be replaced with a sterile housing development with new garden which take many years to establish.
The road will probably be changed so there will be more traffic, more noise and more air pollution this will have a detrimental effect on the meadow land opposite which is a rich diverse area. Rainwater will not have anywhere to go due to loss of soil which provide natural water storage
There will be more strain on local services such as Doctors and schools. It is already difficult to get a doctors appointment,

Site reference: CFS027 Address: Land north of Bull Lane, Rayleigh
This site should be built on.
This farm field provide a beautiful open space. It has a hedgerows running along it that from a home to wildlife .
An area like this within walking distance provides much needed fresh air, peace and tranquillity which is essential to mental health and wellbeing. It is rich in wildlife. The amount of damage to habitat and wildlife lost developing this land cannot be overstated. Vital Wildlife corridors will be lost They will be replaced with a sterile housing development with new garden which take many years to establish.
Rainwater will not have anywhere to go leading to increased flooding due to loss of trees and soil which provide natural water storage
There will be more strain on local services such as Doctors and schools. It is already difficult to get a doctors appointment,

Development of land between Rivendell, Brookside and Napier Rd Grid ref CFS086. Land at Turret Farm Ref CFS029, Land north of Bull lane ref CFS027. North of Napier Rd Ref CFS098 and South of wellington Rd Ref CFS053.
All of this land currently provides an easily accessible local area of countryside with public right of way. It provides fresh air, space and tranquillity which is essential to mental health and wellbeing.
An area like this within walking distance is a joy and when the sun shines on it, it is a wonder. It is rich in wildlife the amount of damage to habitat and wildlife lost developing this land cannot be overstated. Vital Wildlife corridors will be lost They will be replaced with a sterile housing development with new garden which take many years to establish. There will be Increased traffic flow lead to more noise pollution and air pollution. More strain on local services such as Doctors and schools. Doctors appointment are already difficult to book.

The area of green belt land running along the A127, CFS121 and the area of green belt land forming the Rayleigh hills, CFS077.
This area is a unique landscape, and when approaching Rayleigh from the west provides a rural landscape visible for miles around, and is vital to maintaining the town of Rayleigh as a distinct settlement, rather than urban sprawl, which development of this land would cause.
It would also negatively impact the grade 2 listed Great Wheatley farm, as well as removing its viability as a working farm.
This area has been protected by Rochford Council for decades, and should not be sacrificed now, to meet unreasonable housing targets for the district.

All areas of Green Belt land that have had planning applications declined, or have had subsequent appeals for planning dismissed by the Secretary of state, should be protected from development. The planning and appeals process is very rigorous and in itself should be more than adequate to protect Green Belt land from future development, including any local authority planning processes for future development of an area. This protection should also extend to any neighbouring/adjacent Green Belt land where a request for land development in the Local Plan has been submitted, but a formal planning application has not.

Rawreth is an area of rural land between Rayleigh (growing westwards), and Wickford (growing eastwards).
Therefore it is not sensible to further develop Rawreth, and undermine the green belt land that seperates Rayleigh from Wickford.
This is exactly how the coalescence of two seperate settlements occurs.

Cfs053 forms part of a natural break between Rayleigh and Hockley which if developed would lead to ribbon development. The impact on the green belt would be severe. The number of houses suggested would change the character of the area and cause excessive traffic on Wellington Road

I object to site COL07 Mill Hall area and also site COL20 Civic Suite & gardens being included in the Local Plan as a future residential site. These valuable central locations should be preserved for the community rather than for individual's homes - particularly Mill Hall being adjacent to historic monuments. They are conservation areas that the council has a duty to protect as well as offering green spaces and car parking for the wider community. The existing buildings provide a service and employment which should be sustained without unnecessary and adverse environmental redevelopment.

The Mill Hall site requires protection from development. It is a Heritage site and should remain one. Looking at future proposed development in this plan. The Council could at least exclude building flats on this site. Bearing in mind the future plan for housing, we will need a community and events hall the size of Mill Hall.it should be refurbished and kept as an asset to the whole District.

Site reference: CFS077 Address: Land to the north of Great Wheatley Road, Rayleigh
We should stop further housing sprawl especially on the outskirts of towns such as Rayleigh where upgrading the road system is impractical. The uncertainty of the situation is causing anxiety amongst my friends and neighbours who maybe directly impacted.

Concerns are:
Loss of greenbelt, open space and wildlife habitat
Topology and Surface water drainage issues
Traffic congestion and associated air pollution
Site access (Inability to widen the narrow residential roads in Rayleigh)
School and GP services

Greenbelt
Plot CFS077 is fully utilised every year to grow a variety of local crops.
In its greenbelt role it greatly enhances the health, wellbeing and quality of life for local residents.
It provides a pleasant outlook in an area otherwise deprived of open spaces.

Wildlife
Plot CFS077 provide a buffer from human development that benefits a wide range of wildlife:
Deer, Badgers, Foxes and squirrels are supported.
Wide range of birdlife including Heron, Geese and variety of Carrion.
Amphibians, Newts, Toads and frogs.

Topology challenges
Plot CFS077 is situated on a steep hillside unsuited for new building:
Directly overlooks existing housing
Low walking completeness score 1-4
Depending on the time of year the hillside incline will create hazardous Icey and flood conditions for any new roads.

Surface drainage issues
The immediate area downhill off Plot CFS077 has a long history of surface water drainage problems.
Existing flooding of gardens from field rain water run off would be exacerbated by additional buildings and roads.

Road congestion levels
All possible access points to site CFS077 are via narrow residential roads that are already often difficult to navigate. Our present traffic delays are very challenging and would be made intolerable by heavy construction vehicles and then by the additional vehicles from increased population. As there is no potential for widening these roads CFS077 is unviable.

Air pollution - Rochford District Council LAQM Annual Status Report 2020
New concerns over air pollution in Rayleigh High Street specifically linked to proposed housing development. A primary example being plot CFS077 along with other Rayleigh sites generating additional traffic congestion. (With associated air pollution N02 and particulates)

Previous ASR reporting has mandated actions to mitigate our current pollution levels.
Section 2.2 Progress and Impact of Measures to address Air Quality in Rochford https://essexair.org.uk/Reports/Rochford2020ASR.pdf
From the report not all actions have been implemented. Therefore further action will be needed to address our current situation. Under these circumstances we should not be developing any further green belt areas in Rayleigh with associated additional road congestion.

Site access
As noted above narrow residential roads (that cannot be widened) enclose site CFS077. This fact prevents access by heavy good vehicles hence making the site unviable.

School places
My teacher friends tell me there is a severe existing shortage of school places in the immediate local area. GP services are also well known to be under great pressure.

All green belt sites should be protected from development to stop any further irreversible damage to the environment. The whole of Rochford District is already at capacity.

All existing green belt areas should be preserved free of development.
Green belt is a very precious natural resource and should be preserved
There are unused brown field sites.

All of the conservation area should be protected from development. Any areas where traffic will exit onto Hockley Road, High Road or Eastwood Road as these roads are already subject to congestion and should not be submitted to increase traffic. Any large developments in or near the town centre as again the infrastructure is not appropriate, ie possible development accessed from Spring Gardens these roads are quite inadequate, schools, gps etc. are already to capacity and extra homes will put extra stress on all ready stretched services and facilities.

I object to site CFS146 (Land at Rawreth Hall Farm, Rawreth Lane, Rawreth) and also site CFS147 (Land north of London Road, Rayleigh) being included in the Local Plan as a future residential development site.

Under S.39 Planning & Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, the Planning & Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 and other legislation and guidance, Rochford has a duty to contribute towards achieving sustainable development.

The carbon footprint of building on these sites will significantly increase the carbon footprint of the whole district.

Under S.40 of the Natural Environment & Rural Communities Act 2006, the local planning authority has a duty, when exercising its functions, to conserve biodiversity. The green areas and trees on both sites greatly contribute to the biodiversity of the area. The loss of this biodiversity would be unacceptable if these sites were changed to residential use in the next local plan.

Regarding specifically CFS146 Address: Land at Rawreth Hall Farm, Rawreth Lane, Rawreth

I object to CFS146 as a Promoted Site for up to 905 houses.

How can this be suitable as a Site, let alone one that is promoted?

Indeed, within the Site Assessment Proforma the site scores a ‘2’ - one notch above 'worst performing' - in terms of ‘Potential Plan Strategy Option’.

It is Green Belt land and has been Agricultural land farmed for centuries.

Clearly, the Site Assessment Proforma shows a 1 (worst performing) for 'Impact on Agricultural Land', 'Impact on Archaeology’, ‘Impact on Built Heritage’, ‘Access to Bus Services’ and ‘Access to Public Rights of Way’.

It also scores badly on ‘Critical Drainage Risk’, ‘Green Belt Harm’ (incidentally how is this not scored a ‘1’ since it will destroy the Green Belt land?!?!), ‘Proximity to Water Apparatus’, and ‘Access to Train Services’.

There has already been a significant loss of Green Belt land in the neighbouring fields (eg. 46.72 ha. for the Wolsey Park development) and including this site will involve significant harm and loss to the openness of the Green Belt.

The development will also cause a negative effect on the character and appearance of the area, as already shown by the Wolsey Park development.

Using this particular site will also lead to a detrimental impact on the neighbouring amenity and the quality of life of its neighbours, including a significant loss of privacy and views, for and of, Rawreth Hall.

It will also bring about significant harm to the Grade II listed Barn Approximately 40 Metres East of Rawreth Hall, Rawreth Lane (list Entry 1112675), including its setting, as recognised by its score of 1 on both 'Impact on Archaeology’ and ‘Impact on Built Heritage’.

Using this site will mean a significant increase in Traffic generation and pressure, coming on top of the c. 500 + 222 homes as part of the neighbouring Wolsey Park development (ie. the Existing Housing Development - North of London Road, Rayleigh).

The infrastructure of the local road network cannot sustain additional housing and traffic in this area.

Furthermore, public transport links are also seriously lacking in this area.

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Regarding CFS147 Address: Land north of London Road, Rayleigh

I object to CFS147 as a Promoted Site for up to 586 houses.

How can this be suitable as a Site, let alone one that is promoted?

Indeed, within the Site Assessment Proforma the site scores a ‘2’ - one notch above 'worst performing' - in terms of ‘Potential Plan Strategy Option’.

It is Green Belt land and has been Agricultural land farmed for centuries.

Clearly, the Site Assessment Proforma shows a 1 (worst performing) for 'Impact on Agricultural Land’ and also scores badly on ‘Critical Drainage Risk’, ‘Green Belt Harm’ (incidentally how is this not scored a ‘1’ since it will destroy the Green Belt land?!?!), 'Impact on Archaeology’, and ‘Access to Public Rights of Way’.

There has already been a significant loss of Green Belt land in the neighbouring fields (eg. 46.72 ha. for the Wolsey Park development) and including this site will involve significant harm and loss to the openness of the Green Belt.

The development will also cause a negative effect on the character and appearance of the area, as already shown by the Wolsey Park development.

Using this particular site will also lead to a detrimental impact on the neighbouring amenity and the quality of life of its neighbours, including a significant loss of privacy and views, for and of, Rawreth Hall.

It will also bring about significant harm to the Grade II listed Barn Approximately 40 Metres East of Rawreth Hall, Rawreth Lane (list Entry 1112675), including its setting.

Using this site will mean a significant increase in Traffic generation and pressure, coming on top of the c. 500 + 222 homes as part of the neighbouring Wolsey Park development (ie. the Existing Housing Development - North of London Road, Rayleigh).

The infrastructure of the local road network cannot sustain additional housing and traffic in this area.

Furthermore, public transport links are also seriously lacking in this area.

Both CFS077 and CFS121 should not be used as sites for housing development. Not only are these rare agricultural spaces in this particular area but there is no obvious routes for improving the road structure to cope with the extra traffic. The A127 and A129 already jam up as soon as there is a road incident. Both natural habitats and air pollution would suffer detrimentally, and the flooding risk would be greatly increased. Housing has, in the past, been rejected because the water table could not cope with the extra demand put on it.

I object to site COL07 (Mill Hall, car park and green) and also site COL20 Civic Suite with landscaped gardens to the rear being included in the Local Plan as a future residential development site. These areas are surrounded by listed buildings and should be maintained as part of the councils duty to preserve conservation areas. Removing car parks and replacing with residential housing would be detrimental to the town. Green spaces and trees are essential for biodiversity and public health and wellbeing . Sustainability is best is existing buildings are maintained not removed and replaced with new builds.

Sites COL07 & COL20 should not be included in the Local Plan as a future residential development site. Rochrord District Council has a duty to protect the Rayleigh Conservation area. Both sites are near listed buildings.

With reference to COL07 and COL20 . These should not be included in the Local Plan as future residential development sites. These are both in the Conservation Area and the council have a duty to protect them for present & future generations. It will make these areas overdeveloped as well as losing two major assets namely The Mill Hall & the Civic Suite.

Leave the area around The Mill and the Mill Hall alone. The Civic centre and the land along Websters Way and Bull Lane are not suitable for housing or flats. This is town centre cramming. All the open spaces need to be protected. 33K people in Rayleigh they don’t have the same amount of open space available to them proportionally as other residents in the district.

conservation areas

All areas need to be protecting from development. Infrastructure and services are already over used. Resident welfare is already poor due to reasons such as dealing with congestion, pollution, unable to get doctors appointments, lack of green space. Also, the environment will suffer, as valuable wildlife habitat is lost, and more development has the additional impact of creating additional polluting emissions and greenhouse gases.
Any development will be in direct conflict with the RDC's environmental visions.