Re: Proposal for 11 dwellings at the form Surgery and The Landings, Outings Lane, Doddinghurst

We have discovered the Brentwood Local Development Plan for 2015-2030 and that there is a recommendation for a new housing development in Outings Lane on the above-mentioned site.

We would like to inform you that we are totally against the proposed plan for 11 dwellings to be built on the site. We fully appreciate that the site needs to be re-developed and to construct residential homes would be a good solution. The concern we have is to what type of dwellings will be erected and how many. Outings Lane has an assortment of larger properties, all individual to on another. It would therefore be totally out of keeping constructing the kind of properties described in the proposal, espically adjacent to a listed Tudor building of local historical value (Barfield Farm).

Erecting 11 properties would also cause a dangerous problem with parking at the end of Outings Lane which is already a hot spot for serious accidents. There is already an issue at the other end of Outings Lane where the residents of those properties park dangerously on the pavment very close to the junction and we feel a similar situation would arise.

In 2003 we applied for Planning Permission to extend our property and we came up against various problems when submitting our plans to Brentwood Borough Council. We were told that property had to be in keeping with the other properties in the road and, therefore, our Plans had to be submitted numerous times for the Council to agree Planning Permission. We do not understand how residents applying for Planning Permission have so much trouble yet when the Council want to develop sites these guidelines seem to be totally disregarded.

I was present at a well attended meeting at Doddinghurst Parish Hall when the above proposal was explained. The meeting spoke overwhelmingly against it. The meeting was held on September 5, 2013
People were horrified at the density of the proposed housing plan, not only is it totally out of keeping with the area. It will cause dangerous traffic hazards on what remains still is a narrow country land and an equally existing dangerous junction with Blackmore Road. This proposal must be thrown out of the consultation document on planning grounds and common sense.

I am no judge of land capacity so cannot say whether 11 dwellings are appropriate for this land, though I have my doubts.
However, the proximity of this land to the crossroads gives me cause for concern. 11 dwelling = 11 cars. 11 dwellings probably = 22 cars and possibly more, making the crossroads at the top of Outings Lane even more dangerous. The only way to avoid this would be to make access to site from the Blackmore Road on the Brentwood side of the Ashwell's Lodge which would be over Green belt land. The decision is yours, but I doubt 11 is an apt number on traffic issues alone.

I object quite strongly against the building of 11 houses in Outings Lane. Traffic at Deal Tree Corrner is Bad, cars coming along Hook End Road to work every morning. Childrens buses to school, school buses along outings lane, cars and buses trying to get onto outings lane, then the Blackmore Road. Blackmore Road at Deal Tree Corner where a school bus stops, 3 houses yes, people opposite the site with steep drives a danger getting out. If this went through it would mean at least eleven more cars opposite. Outings Lane is narrow enough.

We have noted the Brentwood Local Development plan for 2015-2030 and that there is a recommendation for new housing in Outings Lane on the combined site of the former Doctors Surgery and The Landings.

Unfortunately we are unable to attend the local meeting in Doddinghurst on Thursday September 5th due to a planned vacation. If there are capabilities to join the meeting via audio or Skype then we would be happy to participate.

Nevertheless we have comments on the proposals as follows:
The former doctors surgery has now been demolished and we understand that the sale of The Landings has been agreed with a single owner securing title for the strip of green belt land next to Barfield Farm, the former doctors surgery as well as The Landings. Figure 1 shows the current plot in question outlined in red. Figure 2 shows the current demolished state of the former doctors surgery. Figures 3 and 4 are from the Brentwood Local Development Plan which suggests 11 dwellings for the site of the former surgery and The Landings which occupies 0.27 hectares. We understand from Figure 3 that Brentwood Council is not including the strip of green belt in the current planning proposal.

We have absolutely no objection to redevelopment of the site; clearly it would be beneficial to do so. To construct residential homes on the site is also a sensible solution. Our concern however is on the number of dwellings proposed, what type of dwellings are proposed and especially for the provision of sufficient parking for those homes. In December 2012, outline planning approval for two detached homes on the site of the former surgery was approved (Fig 5). This is the type of construction that is sensible for the area and we would be delighted to support.

Outings Lane consists of relatively large individual detached residential properties. It would be inkeeping with the surrounding properties in Outings Lane to construct similar types of large detached properties. With this in mind, then a proposed construction of 11 properties becomes infeasible and a concern because of the quantity of available land. Being open, honest and quite selfish for a minute we confess we are keen to encourage that redevelopment of the site does not risk devaluing the properties in Outings Lane including our own. Figures 6 shows a mock up indicating that 8 homes could be built on the site but would have limited garden and parking facilities.

When the doctors surgery was in operation, there was always a problem with increased traffic and parking in Outings Lane due to the number of people visiting the surgery exceeding the available parking. This led to parking down Outings Lane which occasionally made it difficult to get onto our drive if vehicles had been parked poorly. Unless sufficient provision is made for parking within the new developed site then we are faced with the prospect of returning to those days which we are keen to avoid. To address the parking issue please can homes be built assuming accommodation and allocation of a minimum of two vehicles per property with the parking space/ garage sufficiently large to accommodate modern sized vehicles and thus avoid the parking situation at Widbrook, which is at the bottom of Outings Lane where vehicles are parked on the pavement to ensure the road is not obstructed (see figure8 9 and 10).

In summary we have no objection to redevelopment of the former doctors surgery site. Our recommendation and preference would be to construct a small number of similar sized homes to the existing detached family homes at the top end of Outings Lane which are inkeeping with the surrounding propreties. We recommend that each is constructed with a garage and off street parking for a minimum of two modern sized vehicles per property.

See attached letter

With reference to the Brentwood Borough Council Local Development Plan Newsletter to Outings Lane residents dated July 2013 I wish to express the following views.

A quality infill development of 3 houses on the site of the old Outings Lane Doctor's Surgery may be acceptable, and a sensible use of land, but a development of 11 affordable residential homes at the top of Outings Lane would be wholly unacceptable for a number of reasons. First, the potential scale and impact of the new build on the adjoining Green Belt & the road currently thought to be one of the 'best' roads in Doddinghurst, secondly the highways access to the land in question is very problematic, and thirdly the potential lack of parking for that number of properties would lead to congestion similar to that at the bottom of Outings Lane. It is a constant issue with many developments in the area that inadequate parking provision leads to vehicles being parked anywhere in the highway including footpaths. In particular both the Wid Terrace development & the site of the former Outings lane Surgery created unnecessary accident black spots around the road junctions at both ends of Outings Lane. The junction with Blackmore Road is an offset crossroads which is both dangerous & hazardous at the best of times. Also the roads that traverse Outings Lane at both ends are scheduled bus & school bus routes, so any obstructions at either end will increase the risk of accidents for motorists & pedestrians.

In The Gardens, Doddinghurst area we have already seen a local farmer selling off pieces of Green Belt behind Church Woods, so that residential gardens can be 'unofficially' extended beyond the curtilage. These fenced off areas are a true blot on the landscape. Brentwood Council appears to be unable to stop these residents doing exactly what they like & breaching regulations behind their backs. Also Meadow Farm - the storage of vehicles is creeping into the same Green Belt field, which has been fenced off even further. Surely building a new development in Outings Lane will give way to an even greater relaxed attitude & encourage further disregard for the Green Belt in the village, and the countryside will be completely ruined

I would like to strongly object to the proposed building of 11 houses at the above site.

11 Houses on such a small plot would not be in keeping with the area, they would look like rabbit hutch size buildings and could possible be a blot on the landscape. Outings lane is a beautiful English country lane with houses of various design and character and should be kept as such. 1 or may be 2 houses of different design would surely enhance the area.

There is also the fact that 11 smaller houses mean families with children--would the school be able to accommodate more children? They have already added a mobile unit because the amount of pupils they already have.

Can the New Medical Center accept more patient when we already have to wait for two to three weeks for an appointment. I myself had to wait a month to see my own Doctor, albeit it was not an emergency but it was still important for me to see him.

Will these house have garages for their cars or will they park along the roadside? That is a dangerous corner and is used by a lot of traffic.

Will the infrastructure of Doddinghurst be able to cope with more houses?

Can your planning officer not see the problem's , l have named but a few or is it a case of "I don't live there so it does it matter what it looks like---or is it a matter of finance---more houses bigger profit for the builder plus more council tax for the borough.

I await your reply with interest.

See attached