Issues and Options Document

Rochester District Council
Issues & Options Local Plan Consultation

Question SP1.3: How do we plan for and facilitate the delivery of our need for new homes over the next 20 years within the District ?
Answer SP1.3:
The Council's approach taken to date through the current adopted Core Strategy in seeking to maximise the use of previously developed (brownfield) land to deliver new homes to meet objectively assessed housing needs is supported. Nevertheless, it is submitted that this approach has limitations and the scale of housing delivery now needed is such that there will be a requirement for release of Green Belt land to ensure that housing need can be met.
The Issues & Options Local Plan correctly identifies the need to assess potential suitable sites for residential currently within the Green Belt by assessing the contribution that sites make towards the 5 purposes of the Green Belt. This is an established and sound approach endorsed by national planning guidance.
The Issues & Options Local Plan also sets out six potential options for delivering new homes. It is submitted that option C (several small extensions to the existing residential area) and option D (a number of fewer larger extensions to the existing residential area) are the most appropriate and most likely options to ensure delivery of sufficient new homes within the emerging Plan period. Continued focus on increasing densities within the existing urban areas, and increasing densities on existing allocated sites (options A and B) is unlikely to result in speedy delivery of new homes, and is equally likely to result in poor quality living environments and detrimental impacts on residential amenity for existing and future new residents. Creation of a new settlement (option E) would not represent the best approach for Rochford, due to the significant infrastructure, delivery and longer lead in timescales, as well as the Green Belt status of the majority of the District.
It is therefore submitted that Rochford District Council should focus through the emerging Local Plan on identifying the most suitable small and some larger extensions to the existing residential areas. Sites should be selected as residential allocations were the release for housing would be sustainable and logical taking account of the degree to which sites contribute towards the purposes of the Green Belt, and the ability for sites to contribute towards sustainable forms of development.

Land at Clements Hall Lane, Hockley, SS5 4DT (as submitted through the Call for Sites) represents a highly suitable site for residential, being within the boundary of Hockley which is a Tier 1 Settlement. The site is close to public transport with Hockley train station 0.8 miles away and bus stops for the No. 8 and 815 only 0.4 miles away. Local amenities, such as shops and community facilities located on Main Road also within walking distance only 0.4 miles from the site. The site is at very low risk of flooding and the site does not contribute significantly towards the five purposes of the Green Belt as follows:
* development of land at Clements Hall Lane would not result in unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas;
* new housing at the Clements Hall Lane site would not result in neighbouring towns merging into one another;
* the Clements Hall Lane site does not contribute significantly towards assisting in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment;
* the site at Clements Hall Lane does not contribute significantly towards preservation of the setting and special character of a historic town; and
* whilst the Clements Hall Lane being subject to Green Belt policies to date has assisted in urban regeneration, by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land, the overwhelming need for housing within the District and the unavailability of sufficient previously developed (brownfield) land means that development of the Clements Hall Lane site would represent a logical and sustainable form of development to deliver new homes within the District.














Rochester District Council
Issues & Options Local Plan Consultation

Question SP5.1: How do we balance protection of the district's Green Belt that meets the five Green Belt purposes, against the need to deliver new homes and jobs across the district, and the wider South Essex area?
Answer SP5.1:
It is submitted that the only realistic and reasonable approach available to be taken that will ensure delivery of new homes to meet objectively assessed housing need in Rochford District is set out within the Issues & Options as option B (amend the current Green Belt policy in the Core Strategy).
Option A (retaining the existing Green Belt), and Option C (do not have a policy on the Green Belt) are both considered to be untenable. There is a need to amend the Green Belt to ensure that housing needs can be met for at least the next Local Plan period. It is clear that neighbouring authorities, such as Castle Point and Basildon, have similar Green Belt and environmental constraints as well as high housing requirements of their own, which means that the prospects of neighbouring authorities assisting Rochford in helping to meet housing needs are remote. Conversely, the Green Belt is long established and provides a valuable planning tool to prevent unrestricted sprawl, encroachment in to the countryside and coalescence of adjoining settlements and the enduring over-arching benefits of the Green Belt should be retained through the new Local Plan. Removal, in its entirety, of the Green Belt planning policies that protect the majority of Rochford District from development would be an inappropriate response to the District needs for new homes.
Option B represents the only viable and tenable approach. It is therefore submitted that there is an urgent need for Rochford Council to progress a thorough and detailed Green Belt review to ensure that amendments made to the Green Belt can be permanent in the long term, and capable of enduring beyond the Plan period, perhaps for two Plan periods.
For the reasons set out within our response to questions SP1.3, land at Clements Hall Lane, Hockley, SS5 4DT represents a logical and sustainable location for new homes. Whilst an amendment to the Core Strategy would be required to remove the Clements Hall lane site from the Green Belt, the site does not contribute significantly towards the five purposes of the Green Belt. An appropriate balance would therefore be struck by releasing the Clements Hall Lane site from the Green Belt to contribute towards meeting housing needs within the emerging Local Plan period.

Rochester District Council
Issues & Options Local Plan Consultation

Question SP1.3: How do we plan for and facilitate the delivery of our need for new homes over the next 20 years within the District ?
Answer SP1.3:
The Council's approach taken to date through the current adopted Core Strategy in seeking to maximise the use of previously developed (brownfield) land to deliver new homes to meet objectively assessed housing needs is supported. Nevertheless, it is submitted that this approach has limitations and the scale of housing delivery now needed is such that there will be a requirement for release of Green Belt land to ensure that housing need can be met.
The Issues & Options Local Plan correctly identifies the need to assess potential suitable sites for residential currently within the Green Belt by assessing the contribution that sites make towards the 5 purposes of the Green Belt. This is an established and sound approach endorsed by national planning guidance.
The Issues & Options Local Plan also sets out six potential options for delivering new homes. It is submitted that option C (several small extensions to the existing residential area) and option D (a number of fewer larger extensions to the existing residential area) are the most appropriate and most likely options to ensure delivery of sufficient new homes within the emerging Plan period. Continued focus on increasing densities within the existing urban areas, and increasing densities on existing allocated sites (options A and B) is unlikely to result in speedy delivery of new homes, and is equally likely to result in poor quality living environments and detrimental impacts on residential amenity for existing and future new residents. Creation of a new settlement (option E) would not represent the best approach for Rochford, due to the significant infrastructure, delivery and longer lead in timescales, as well as the Green Belt status of the majority of the District.
It is therefore submitted that Rochford District Council should focus through the emerging Local Plan on identifying the most suitable small and some larger extensions to the existing residential areas. Sites should be selected as residential allocations were the release for housing would be sustainable and logical taking account of the degree to which sites contribute towards the purposes of the Green Belt, and the ability for sites to contribute towards sustainable forms of development.

Land at Clements Hall Lane, Hockley, SS5 4DT (as submitted through the Call for Sites) represents a highly suitable site for residential, being within the boundary of Hockley which is a Tier 1 Settlement. The site is close to public transport with Hockley train station 0.8 miles away and bus stops for the No. 8 and 815 only 0.4 miles away. Local amenities, such as shops and community facilities located on Main Road also within walking distance only 0.4 miles from the site. The site is at very low risk of flooding and the site does not contribute significantly towards the five purposes of the Green Belt as follows:
* development of land at Clements Hall Lane would not result in unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas;
* new housing at the Clements Hall Lane site would not result in neighbouring towns merging into one another;
* the Clements Hall Lane site does not contribute significantly towards assisting in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment;
* the site at Clements Hall Lane does not contribute significantly towards preservation of the setting and special character of a historic town; and
* whilst the Clements Hall Lane being subject to Green Belt policies to date has assisted in urban regeneration, by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land, the overwhelming need for housing within the District and the unavailability of sufficient previously developed (brownfield) land means that development of the Clements Hall Lane site would represent a logical and sustainable form of development to deliver new homes within the District.














Rochester District Council
Issues & Options Local Plan Consultation

Question SP5.1: How do we balance protection of the district's Green Belt that meets the five Green Belt purposes, against the need to deliver new homes and jobs across the district, and the wider South Essex area?
Answer SP5.1:
It is submitted that the only realistic and reasonable approach available to be taken that will ensure delivery of new homes to meet objectively assessed housing need in Rochford District is set out within the Issues & Options as option B (amend the current Green Belt policy in the Core Strategy).
Option A (retaining the existing Green Belt), and Option C (do not have a policy on the Green Belt) are both considered to be untenable. There is a need to amend the Green Belt to ensure that housing needs can be met for at least the next Local Plan period. It is clear that neighbouring authorities, such as Castle Point and Basildon, have similar Green Belt and environmental constraints as well as high housing requirements of their own, which means that the prospects of neighbouring authorities assisting Rochford in helping to meet housing needs are remote. Conversely, the Green Belt is long established and provides a valuable planning tool to prevent unrestricted sprawl, encroachment in to the countryside and coalescence of adjoining settlements and the enduring over-arching benefits of the Green Belt should be retained through the new Local Plan. Removal, in its entirety, of the Green Belt planning policies that protect the majority of Rochford District from development would be an inappropriate response to the District needs for new homes.
Option B represents the only viable and tenable approach. It is therefore submitted that there is an urgent need for Rochford Council to progress a thorough and detailed Green Belt review to ensure that amendments made to the Green Belt can be permanent in the long term, and capable of enduring beyond the Plan period, perhaps for two Plan periods.
For the reasons set out within our response to questions SP1.3, land at Clements Hall Lane, Hockley, SS5 4DT represents a logical and sustainable location for new homes. Whilst an amendment to the Core Strategy would be required to remove the Clements Hall lane site from the Green Belt, the site does not contribute significantly towards the five purposes of the Green Belt. An appropriate balance would therefore be struck by releasing the Clements Hall Lane site from the Green Belt to contribute towards meeting housing needs within the emerging Local Plan period.