Full text:
Ch. 4 Housing: Ch.10 Transport, Highways; Ch.11 Economic Development; Ch.12 Retail/town centres; Ch.5 Character of place & Local Lists
Chapter 4: Housing
Para 4.8 States sustainability underlines any decisions on housing location, primarily: current and future deliverability of infrastructure, eg roads, services, public transport, health.
Policy H1, Para.4.14 Some employment sites are considered more suitable for other uses (eg housing) including Eldon Way/Foundry, Hockley. This is all open to question.
Hockley-re Eldon Way/Foundry
In CS Preferred Options 2008 policy H2
N.E.Hockley was discarded as a housing option - whilst close to centre, station, "impact on highway network from traffic heading through Hockley...along Ashingdon Road..renders location unviable". Clearly the same principle applied to Eldon Way/Foundry for the same reasons.
Need to be logical and even-handed in proposals
June 2009 issue C S Submission issue says Eldon Way will be used for housing, whereas Sept.2009 issue says "alternative uses, including residential.." to be decided by HAAP (Issues consultation done, Pref.Options issue awaited, but judging from JAAP Pref.Options decision - namely biggest option chosen against overriding opposition, it will be housing).
Policy H1, T1 Proposals for moving employment to out of town locations, at either end of the district, with no existing public transport links, are contrary to government policy PPG14 & PPS1. it also contravenes the Core Strategy's stated aims of reducing carbon emissions; reliance on car transport and providing "an integrated network of cycle paths",
The Core Strategy also contravenes its own policy T1 and is unsound.
Health services GP surgeries are full and a PCT health centre will not occur in the foreseeable economic climate.
Ch.10: Highways and Transport
Policy T1, T2 RDC proposes working with ECC Highways, developers, but admits it has no authority, responsibility here. RDC will seek developer contributions, but this is neither detailed nor costed in CS Submission nor HAAP, and contravenes PPS 12.3 para.4.93 which states "The infrastructure planning process should identify as far as possible infrastructure needs and costs". Idea of paying for road & transport improvements through Standard Charges is unproven and unsound.
Establish like motorways with wholesale demolition.
In neither CS Submission nor HAAP is there any highways improvement, except idea to replace Spa roundabout with traffic lights and 1 way system up Southend Road and Hockley Rise.
RDC are proposing to scatter housing across the district in around 12 or sites but no detailed consideration has been given to the implications for highways across the District. Many roads across the District are at or near capacity but no modelling has been undertaken to determine the impacts.
It is clear that (i) the combined impact of scattering houses across the District and (ii) relocating Eldon Way/Foundry Industrial Estates with no public transport services will exacerbate existing problems. It is clear that the extent of improvements required is both unknown and not funded and the proposal is unsound.
Para.10.5
Policy T3, CLT1 Appendix CLT1
T1 & T2 "..highway improvements serving new developments..in a timely manner..ensuring developments delivered alongside necessary infrastructure".
These improvements cannot possibly be delivered. It should be realised: B1013 (Southend Rd), Rectory Road Hawkwell, Ashingdon, West Rochford - all in area proposed for large new developments are former winding, narrow country roads, tarmacked over for motorised traffic. Large housing increments are unsustainable off these roads, which cannot be altered without much destruction.
Public transport RDC admits this is in the private sector. In Hockley, operator has cut No 7 service to one per hour from Ashingdon Schools, claiming it is unviable beyond. This is unlikely to change as Hockley is car dependant. No 8 bus through Hawkwell is cut to one per hour to Rayleigh, for same reason as No 7. Proposed planning agreements with developers can't run: e.g., a community centre or classroom given by a developer remains once he has moved on - how can that apply for an on-going bus service?
Ch.11 Economic development
Policy ED3 Core Strategy preferred Options 2008 hinted at possible housing in Eldon Way site. June 2009 Submission version, without consultation, said Eldon Way would be housing (map included Foundry, not the text). September 2009 Submission said redevelopment would be in HAAP (which apart from the Issues/Options version, is unfinished. Judging from results of JAAP Preferred Options where biggest option is chosen, though most respondents were against it, site will be housing, without consultation.
Para.1.25 Para.11.32
Policy ED4 T1 & T2 Note CH.1 Introduction to CS Submission 2009 para.1.25 East England Plan requires 3000 additional jobs, presumably to 2021. Revised Southend Airport is expected to drive Economic development. But at para. 11.32 Eldon Way-Foundry estate is planned to be more suitably utilized. "..alternative land will be required to accommodated employment uses so displaced" - ie jobs sent to eg new site near Southend Airport - not new jobs.
Remove compulsory relocation
Policy states Council will allocate 18ha of land to make up for de-allocations in ED3 - that proves point above.
Proposals for moving employment to out of town locations with no existing transport links are contrary to government policies PPG4, PPS1 and PPS4 and Core Strategy Policy T1.
Evidence Base is ignored by contravening Hockley Parish Plan 2007 and ignoring resents' views on HAAP Issues/Options. Next stage of HAAP Preferred Options is pre-empted and rendered irrelevant.
Core Strategy plans to relocate Eldon Way Foundry estate to Greenfield site with no nearby bus or railway. RDC plans to upgrade the nearest road to dual carriageway, though the connecting B1013 (through Hockley) will stay single, said by ECC Highways statistics to be 72% capacity. Airport bosses and council cannot suggest there will be no traffic growth from JAAP and new industrial site.
Revise both 2009 Core Strategy and 2009 HAAP Issues/options
Move to new industrial site near airport contravenes PPPS4:
EC7.3C "out of centre sites, with preference given to sites..well served by choice of..transport and..close to centre and..high likelihood of forming links with centre". There is no current public transport and links with centres is unlikely".
EC 7.5.1 "whether the site is or will be accessible and well served by choice of transport, public transport, walking and cycling, as well as by car..". Remote location, narrow busy B1013 makes the site unsuitable for access by cycle or on foot.
It also contravenes PPS1 (27vii).."reduce need to travel, encourage accessible public transport provision to secure more sustainable patterns of transport..Planning should actively manage patterns of urban growth to make fullest use of public transport and focus development in existing centres, near to major public transport interchanges". Core Strategy undermines its own policy Transport and Highways policy T1 and is unsound.
H1 & RTC6 Although shown on accompanying drawing in earlier versions, there was no prior textual mention of Foundry industrial estate (next to Eldon Way) for redevelopment until current CS 2009 Submission. In recent amendment to the CS this was stated to be due to a typing error!
Chapter 12: Retail/Town centres
The Core Strategy misrepresents findings of the Retail and Leisure Study 2008.
Defer whole of proposals for Hockley town centre to Hockley Area Action Plan.
Para.12.38 H1 & RTC6 The Core Strategy states (para.12.38) "The Retail & Leisure Study indicates Hockley has great potential. Hockley has been identified as having a need for additional convenience floorspace."
Whereas the R&LS actually states:
1) (10.26) "the scale of need does not lend itself to a foodstore capable of retaining a significant proportion of main food shopping expenditure".
2) (10.28) "There is no immediate capacity for additional floorspace".
3) (10.29) "we recommend focus be maintained on developing Hockley's existing strengths, rather than retail expansion"
4) 10.31 "the current nature of Hockley does not lend itself to classification as a 'town centre' as defined by PPS6. Moreover, we have identified that it has a very small catchment population. Accordingly, the council may wish to consider reclassifying Hockley from a town centre to a district centre".
Remove threat of compulsory purchase orders.
The Council will work with landowners and its partners to deliver the HAAP.
Chapter 5: Character of Place and Local Lists
Para.5.4 "Rochford district has unique character..stems from traditional buildings..still dominate towns and villages".
Para.5.17 "Council believes many buildings..are of local distinctiveness..part of..cherished local scene".
This only appears to apply to certain places: Rochford, Rayleigh, greenbelt villages. Many Hockley conservable items have been systemically removed for supposedly lucractive development in face of widespread protect. This is for supposed need for housing. In fact heritage items have been replaced by dwellings most cannot afford, and/or are hard to sell due to unsuitability of massing and siting. Many other homes are jeopardised by this practice.
Conclusion
Core Strategy Submission DPD is basically unsound in many respects:
Incomplete information. Amongst others, it refers to Hockley AAP, the first stage of which is complete, but not other three. Rochford AAP first stage has been published in arrears of Core Strategy Submission. Rayleigh AAP is still awaited. Precise housing sites are absent, as Urban Capacity Study 2007 has been superseded by Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment, not yet published. Traders, residents, are thus responding to Core Strategy Submission with incomplete information.
Lack of community involvement. Chapter 1, Introduction, para. 1.11 "Community involvement is an essential part of the plan making process". In Statement of Community Involvement 2006 Rochford RDC "recognises need to enable people..to have their voices heard".
Re Public Meetings: "Consideration will be had to timing and venue to ensure meeting is as accessible as possible".
Hockley Area Action Plan as an example of the opposite of all this:- Presentation of document was at Hullbridge, 7.30 p.m. It was also discussed with JAAP at Rochord Freight House (for traders only) at 7 a.m., without publicity. Excuse made: HAAP on RDC website, which none will seek unless knowing it is there. Rochford District Matters newssheet had minute articles on p.3, half way through consultation period. Another excuse: a second presentation by Hockley Residents Association with planning officer present: only because of complaints, and it is not the HRA's responsibility to RDC's job. Due to unavoidable haste of calling meeting, few knew and only 50 were present.
In Core Strategy Submission Hockley Parish Plan has been ignored. Proposals also ignore 95% rejection rate response to HAAP 2009, which included proposals for Eldon Way employment site.
Unfettered right of developers to carry on as if Core Strategy didn't exist. In PPS 12, Ch.4.6 states: "Core Strategies should be flexible and able to show how they handle contingencies". Several large planning applications have been submitted proposing developments outside the Core Strategy which does not indicate how such applications will be handled and does not comply with PPS 12.
Where are we? Finally, at Chapter 1, Introduction, para. 1.24: "the Core Strategy will have to be reviewed in the event of a new Local Area Agreement, post-2011, setting different priorities". So what purpose does all this work serve? So we have hardly finished this exercise, before it all starts again?
