London Southend Airport and Environs Joint Area Action Plan Preferred Options

It is noted that the employment growth planned for London Southend Airport is to fulfil employment needs generated in Southend Borough and in Rochford District. Whilst Barratt Eastern Counties supports the growth of London Southend Airport for commercial purposes linked to the Airport and to help fulfil the employment needs of Southend Borough, which it adjoins, the strategy for providing a large proportion of Rochford's employment growth at the Airport appears unsustainable. The Airport is mainly accessed by car from Hawkwell, Rayleigh and Rochford with limited bus services along the B1013. The settlements of Hawkwell and Rayleigh in particular are not as well connected to London Southend Airport. It is not therefore considered a sustainable location for Rochford District wide employment growth. It is considered that the main settlements of Rochford, Hawkwell/Hockley and Rayleigh should be the focus of new employment growth and that the Airport be the location for Airport related development and employment growth linked to Southend.

The draft Core Strategy published in October 2008 highlights Rochford, Hawkwell/Hockley and Rayleigh as being "top tier" settlements for new housing growth and we consider that a sustainable development strategy would necessitate retention of existing employment areas and new employment growth being targeted at these locations to supplement new housing development. It is recognised that the airport and its environs could be developed with sufficient support infrastructure including employment related development but a balance needs to be struck so that unsustainable travel patterns are not created between Rochford, Southend and the Airport.

By targeting so much employment growth at the Airport there is a danger that the important open gap between the Airport/Southend and Rochford begins to close and that the two settlements coalesce. Rochford has a distinct character which would be undermined by this process. The Vision should therefore be refined to ensure that sustainable development principles and the principles embodied in PPG13 are not compromised. This will mean reconsidering at least one of the proposed employment allocations in favour of new locations at the "top tier" settlements.

It is noted that the airport may be subject to a runway extension to increase its ability to manage mid range aircraft. This has the potential to enhance the economic prospects of the Airport but will have environmental implications. It is important that should the runway be extended that adequate controls are in place to ensure that housing growth planned for Rayleigh, Hawkwell and Rochford is not compromised.

The strategy for planned employment growth at London Southend Airport requires further consideration. Barratt Eastern Counties supports the growth of London Southend Airport for commercial purposes linked to the Airport and to help fulfil the employment needs of Southend Borough, which it adjoins. However, the strategy for providing a large proportion of Rochford's employment growth at the Airport appears unsustainable. The Airport is currently mostly accessible only by car from Hawkwell, Rayleigh and Rochford with limited bus services along the B1013. The settlements of Hawkwell and Rayleigh in particular are not as well connected to London Southend Airport. The Airport is not therefore considered a sustainable location for Rochford District wide employment growth. It is considered that the main settlements of Rochford, Hawkwell/Hockley and Rayleigh should be the focus of new employment growth and that the Airport be the location for Airport related development and employment growth linked to Southend.

The draft Core Strategy published in October 2008 highlights Rochford, Hawkwell/Hockley and Rayleigh as being "top tier" settlements for new housing growth. We consider that a sustainable development strategy would necessitate retention of existing employment areas and new employment growth at these locations to supplement new housing development. It is recognised that the airport and its environs could be developed with sufficient support infrastructure including employment related development but a balance needs to be struck so that unsustainable travel patterns are not created between Rochford and Southend an the Airport.

By targeting the majority of employment growth at the Airport there is a very real danger that the important open gap between the Airport/Southend and Rochford begins to close and that the two settlements coalesce. Rochford has a distinct character which would be undermined by this process. The Vision should therefore be refined to ensure that sustainable development principles and the principles embodied in PPG13 are not compromised. This will mean reconsidering at least one of the proposed employment allocations in favour of new locations at the "top tier" settlements.

It is not considered that a surface access strategy can adequately overcome the inherent sustainability issues noted by Barratts Eastern Counties in these representations. In particular the distance and separation of some of Rochford's "top tier" settlements to the Airport is of concern. Given the proximity of Southend to the Airport, it is highly feasible that sustainable transport initiatives can be adopted to secure an access strategy. However Rochford District, which is rural in character, will find it difficult to deliver a sustainable transport strategy. As a consequence it is essential that some employment growth should be removed from the Airport and redistributed to the three "top tier" settlements of Rochford, Hawkwell and Rayleigh.

It is considered that the employment component of growth at Southend Airport should be reconsidered to ensure that existing and proposed employment sites related to Rochford District's needs are planned in association with the housing growth at Rochford, Hawkwell and Rayleigh.Redistribution of the employment growth in line with other comments submitted by Barratts eastern Counties.

This suggests a 50/50 split between Rochford and Southend Borough requirements. It is considered that a large proportion of the 50% targeted at Rochford District should be redistributed to the settlements of Rochford, Hawkwell and Rayleigh for the sustainability reasons given by Barratt Eastern Counties in its other representations.

It will be necessary to reconsider the size and scope of the Aviation Way Industrial Estate in line with the representations made by Barratt Eastern Counties which seek the redistribution of employment for sustainability reasons.

It will be necessary to reconsider the size and scope of the Saxon Business Park in line with the representations made by Barratt Eastern Countie, which seek a redistribution of employment for sustainability reasons.

The policy should set out dates by which the phasing of the Saxon Business Park will be delivered and by reference to the lifespan of the Core Strategy.

It is noted that the airport may be subject to a runway extension to increase its ability to manage mid range aircraft. This has the potential to enhance the economic prospects of the Airport but will have environmental implications. It is important that should the runway be extended that adequate controls are in place to ensure that housing growth planned for Rayleigh, Hawkwell and Rochford is not compromised.