Rochford Town Centre Area Action Plan - Issues and Options

Representations to Rochford Town Centre Issues and Options AAP (October 2009)

Iceni Projects Ltd (Iceni) has been instructed by Colonnade Land LLP (Colonnade) to submit representations in respect of the Rochford Town Centre Issues and Options Area Action Plan (the AAP). Colnnade is a UK property fund, operated by Cordea Savills. The company recently submitted a planning application for up to 326 new dwellings at Coombes Farm, on the eastern urban fringe of Rochford. The site falls outside of the AAP area but development such as Coombes Farm that proposed for Coombes Farm has positive implications for the viability, viability and sustainability of Rochford Town Centre and is therefore indirectly relevant to the document.

a) Vision and Objectives

Colonnade does not object to the vision or any of the strategic obectives that will help to deliver the vision. Indeed, Colonnade considers the objectives to be laudable aims for the AAP that should facilitate more sustainable travel patterns and a more thriving and vital town centre in the future. However, Colonnade believes that the AAP is in danger of misleading the reader into believing that the policies and site allocations will, in isolation, deliver the vision and objectives identified on Page 34 of the Document. In reality, there is a pressing need for some development to the located on the fringe of Rochford to ensure that key objectives outlined in the Core Strategy are met. The Housing Objectives in particular need to be cross-referenced to relect the need for a Rochford Development Strategy that provides a wide choice of high quality homes, both affordable and market housing, to address the requirements of the community.

It is vitally important that the AAP highlights the need for development outside of the AAP area as part of a wider strategy for Rochford, and plans positively to maximise the benefits of such development for the town centre. In this regard, residential development on the urban fringe of the settlement can complement the regeneration sites identified in the AAP and play an important role in meeting the AAP objectives (and the Core Strategy objectives).

b) The Contribution from Sustainably Located and Well-Designed Development Outside the AAP Area

Having recently submitted a planning application on a suitable and sustainable Greenfield site at Coombes Farm on the eastern side of Rochford, Colonnade is well placed to highlight the potential economic, physical and social benefits that such a development can make and how this can help meet the stated AAP objectives.

Colonnade is firmly of the view that an increased local population size will help to maintain and enhance vitality and viability of the town centre, especially if the new population is channelled to sustainable and accessible locations. The town centre itself is unable to accommodate all of Rochford's development requirements and therefore development needs to also be channelled towards accessible Greenfield locations on the eastern edge of the settlement that can increase pedestrian movements into the town centre by residents travelling to the railway station, in accordance with AAP Objective 3. Development of this nature will enable parking provision in the town to be rationalised and will prevent overdevelopment in the town centre that compromises its character and historic form (AAP Objective 2). The population increase should positively contribute the key regeneration objective of reinvigorating and strengthening the position of Market Square (AAP Objective 4) and providing a mix of uses and facilities within the town centre that can serve the local community in the long term (AAP Objective 5) reducing the threat of such becoming unviable. A development strategy for Rochford that focuses development to the town centre and the remainder to sustainable urban edge sites will indirectly and directly meet the vision and key objectives of the AAP and should therefore by supported and promoted in the AAP.

Overall, Colonnade supports the Council's AAP and the aspiration to improve the town centre and channel development within it. Irrespective of the policies and allocations pursued by the Council in development of the AAP, there will need to be additional development outside of the AAP area as part of a wider strategy for Rochford and Colonnade firmly believes that development of its site at Coombes Farm will assist in meeting the objectives of the AAP and the company looks forward to playing a full and active role in the development of the AAP and a long term strategy for Rochford as a whole. Should you wish to discuss any aspect of this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Representations to Rochford Town Centre Issues and Options AAP (October 2009)

Iceni Projects Ltd (Iceni) has been instructed by Colonnade Land LLP (Colonnade) to submit representations in respect of the Rochford Town Centre Issues and Options Area Action Plan (the AAP). Colnnade is a UK property fund, operated by Cordea Savills. The company recently submitted a planning application for up to 326 new dwellings at Coombes Farm, on the eastern urban fringe of Rochford. The site falls outside of the AAP area but development such as Coombes Farm that proposed for Coombes Farm has positive implications for the viability, viability and sustainability of Rochford Town Centre and is therefore indirectly relevant to the document.

a) Vision and Objectives

Colonnade does not object to the vision or any of the strategic obectives that will help to deliver the vision. Indeed, Colonnade considers the objectives to be laudable aims for the AAP that should facilitate more sustainable travel patterns and a more thriving and vital town centre in the future. However, Colonnade believes that the AAP is in danger of misleading the reader into believing that the policies and site allocations will, in isolation, deliver the vision and objectives identified on Page 34 of the Document. In reality, there is a pressing need for some development to the located on the fringe of Rochford to ensure that key objectives outlined in the Core Strategy are met. The Housing Objectives in particular need to be cross-referenced to relect the need for a Rochford Development Strategy that provides a wide choice of high quality homes, both affordable and market housing, to address the requirements of the community.

It is vitally important that the AAP highlights the need for development outside of the AAP area as part of a wider strategy for Rochford, and plans positively to maximise the benefits of such development for the town centre. In this regard, residential development on the urban fringe of the settlement can complement the regeneration sites identified in the AAP and play an important role in meeting the AAP objectives (and the Core Strategy objectives).

b) The Contribution from Sustainably Located and Well-Designed Development Outside the AAP Area

Having recently submitted a planning application on a suitable and sustainable Greenfield site at Coombes Farm on the eastern side of Rochford, Colonnade is well placed to highlight the potential economic, physical and social benefits that such a development can make and how this can help meet the stated AAP objectives.

Colonnade is firmly of the view that an increased local population size will help to maintain and enhance vitality and viability of the town centre, especially if the new population is channelled to sustainable and accessible locations. The town centre itself is unable to accommodate all of Rochford's development requirements and therefore development needs to also be channelled towards accessible Greenfield locations on the eastern edge of the settlement that can increase pedestrian movements into the town centre by residents travelling to the railway station, in accordance with AAP Objective 3. Development of this nature will enable parking provision in the town to be rationalised and will prevent overdevelopment in the town centre that compromises its character and historic form (AAP Objective 2). The population increase should positively contribute the key regeneration objective of reinvigorating and strengthening the position of Market Square (AAP Objective 4) and providing a mix of uses and facilities within the town centre that can serve the local community in the long term (AAP Objective 5) reducing the threat of such becoming unviable. A development strategy for Rochford that focuses development to the town centre and the remainder to sustainable urban edge sites will indirectly and directly meet the vision and key objectives of the AAP and should therefore by supported and promoted in the AAP.

Overall, Colonnade supports the Council's AAP and the aspiration to improve the town centre and channel development within it. Irrespective of the policies and allocations pursued by the Council in development of the AAP, there will need to be additional development outside of the AAP area as part of a wider strategy for Rochford and Colonnade firmly believes that development of its site at Coombes Farm will assist in meeting the objectives of the AAP and the company looks forward to playing a full and active role in the development of the AAP and a long term strategy for Rochford as a whole. Should you wish to discuss any aspect of this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me.