New Local Plan: Spatial Options Document 2021

Spatial concepts: Wellington Road BR, Albert Road BR, Napier Road BR and Horse paddock

Concerned horse riders have made contact regarding your request for views on a 329+ housing development in an area containing the above bridleways (BRs). As a BHS officer for BRs and Access, my initial concern is not being contacted on a scheme that will reduce horse riders' off-road safety, reduce the health and enjoyment of riders and disadvantage the lives of Public Rights of Way (PROW) users generally. Further comments are:
1. Both walkers and pedal cyclists have the same legal right as horse riders to use BRs, so any loss of BR access will affect three PROW users. Rochford has a number of BRs but very few BR networks. This results in horse riders having no alternative other than riding dangerous roads to reach safety of an off-road route.
2. The entire line of the Wellington Road BR runs through two fields of copped wheat, so this development will cause a whole swathe of Green Belt and agricultural land and the entire length of a valuable public BR ROW to disappear.
3. The Napiers Road BR provides an important link from Wellington Road BR with a section of Albert Road BR. Albert Road then continues south to link into Bull Lane where nearby FP49 has historically been used by equestrians, walkers and pedal cyclists to reach the riding tracks in Rochford's acclaimed Hockley Woods.
4. Besides the loss of public BRs under development, another important consideration is the looming threat of global warming. This will cause a threat to food supplies and the need for agricultural land to continue to grow food for this country's regular and significant population increases.
5. If RDC approve this development, Albert Road, with its connection to Bull Lane, will be used by road traffic from Rayleigh as a shortcut to Hockley.
6. yet another important fact to consider if this large development proceeds is increasing the loss of wildlife and their needed habitats.

We hope the above comments make clear that by developing this Green Belt and agricultural land an important PROW network will be lost to the detriment of may users, serious global warming implications will apply, traffic will unacceptably increase and both wildlife and their habitats will be lost. The BHS is strongly against development proceeding.
Our final concern was to recently find the BR width through the wheat crop from its Wellington Road juncture to be just 1' to 1'6" against the correct width of 2m minimum through crops (ECC's Environmental Services PROW enclosed leaflet confirms). Waymarks, to ensure the public use the correct line on PROWs, were also missing. Could these be rectified please (in future if the wheat is now cut)?

On a more optimistic note, within the whole area of Hockley Woods and the many paths and tracks that criss-cross the adjacent agricultural land, there are a number of improvements that would benefit landowners if corrected. We believe RDC is similarly interested in improving the overall access for PROW users and look forward to your reply.
Enc. ECC's "A Farmers guide to PROW"

Spatial concepts: Wellington Road BR, Albert Road BR, Napier Road BR and Horse paddock

Concerned horse riders have made contact regarding your request for views on a 329+ housing development in an area containing the above bridleways (BRs). As a BHS officer for BRs and Access, my initial concern is not being contacted on a scheme that will reduce horse riders' off-road safety, reduce the health and enjoyment of riders and disadvantage the lives of Public Rights of Way (PROW) users generally. Further comments are:
1. Both walkers and pedal cyclists have the same legal right as horse riders to use BRs, so any loss of BR access will affect three PROW users. Rochford has a number of BRs but very few BR networks. This results in horse riders having no alternative other than riding dangerous roads to reach safety of an off-road route.
2. The entire line of the Wellington Road BR runs through two fields of copped wheat, so this development will cause a whole swathe of Green Belt and agricultural land and the entire length of a valuable public BR ROW to disappear.
3. The Napiers Road BR provides an important link from Wellington Road BR with a section of Albert Road BR. Albert Road then continues south to link into Bull Lane where nearby FP49 has historically been used by equestrians, walkers and pedal cyclists to reach the riding tracks in Rochford's acclaimed Hockley Woods.
4. Besides the loss of public BRs under development, another important consideration is the looming threat of global warming. This will cause a threat to food supplies and the need for agricultural land to continue to grow food for this country's regular and significant population increases.
5. If RDC approve this development, Albert Road, with its connection to Bull Lane, will be used by road traffic from Rayleigh as a shortcut to Hockley.
6. yet another important fact to consider if this large development proceeds is increasing the loss of wildlife and their needed habitats.

We hope the above comments make clear that by developing this Green Belt and agricultural land an important PROW network will be lost to the detriment of may users, serious global warming implications will apply, traffic will unacceptably increase and both wildlife and their habitats will be lost. The BHS is strongly against development proceeding.
Our final concern was to recently find the BR width through the wheat crop from its Wellington Road juncture to be just 1' to 1'6" against the correct width of 2m minimum through crops (ECC's Environmental Services PROW enclosed leaflet confirms). Waymarks, to ensure the public use the correct line on PROWs, were also missing. Could these be rectified please (in future if the wheat is now cut)?

On a more optimistic note, within the whole area of Hockley Woods and the many paths and tracks that criss-cross the adjacent agricultural land, there are a number of improvements that would benefit landowners if corrected. We believe RDC is similarly interested in improving the overall access for PROW users and look forward to your reply.
Enc. ECC's "A Farmers guide to PROW"