brentwood.gov.uk

We would like to register my families objections to your proposed plans for West Horndon.

1. Infrastructure
The current infrastructure barely meets the needs of the village and would not be able to sustain a larger community. Both the A127 and A128 have seen a number of fatal and serious injury accidents and the local police continue with little success to enforce the current laws within the confines of the village. For example speed, parking and HGV. The polices' response time is also inadequate and poor, and a larger community will only increase crime, anti social behaviour and a heavier burden on an already over stretched police force. It is a stated fact that any new build will have to include a substantial amount of social housing and my experiences shows that this will allow your council and surrounding boroughs and London inner city councils to re home or place problem families within this community ( as it is out of sight and out of mind. ) The increase in size of the village would also have a financial burden on the residents that I am sure Brentwood council would not be responsible for. For example higher crime equals higher home insurance and more vehicles will increase car insurance.

2. Amenities
West Horndon is built within a flood area and has already experienced flooding in December 2012. Since we have lived in the village we have experienced a number of main drain over spills that has lead to excrement on our drives and pavements. It is a know fact in the village that the sewage struggles to cope with the demand. Therefore any build will also mean disruption to the sewage.
I am a current train user and know from personal experience that the station during rush hour is overwhelmed and has little scope for an increase in passengers. The car park too often over spills into the road. The shops within the village would not sustain a trebling of the house numbers that you propose, neither would the doctors, school or community hall.
The demolition and displacement of the industrial estate will also cause hardship and unemployment to villagers in a time of social disharmony. A number of villagers will not be able to relocate.

3. Travellers
Travellers already bring a well documented list of issues whereever they are housed and West Horndon already has a number of sites within a short radias ie Thurrock, Dale Farm a traveller site in Upminster and the A130. These sites although legal will often encourage illegal sites that the borough has already shown its inability and lack of interest to deal with appropriately and within a reasonable time period. There is no explanation as to why West Horndon has been selected when it was not considered appropriate several years ago when sites were being discussed. Other sites proposed are for only two or three pitches where as West Horndon has a minimum of 10.

4. Green Belt
The metropolitan green belt was set up to show a clear boundary between the city of London and its surrounding counties. Building on this land will reduce the identity of villages in Essex and other counties and will be swallowed up in the London Metropolis. Building on green belt land is ill advised and will set a precedence that will allow further builds. Other areas should be looked at such as the compulsory purchase of Tescos land at the end of Sawyers Hall lane or Childerditch that is several miles closer to Brentwood. This would cause less disruption to the community and have better access to current schools and amenities in the area.

Finally I would like to stress that I feel the consultation process has been flawed and lack of information and the inability or apathy of the planning unit towards us leads me to believe that as we are on the border of Brentwood it is easier for you to dump these issues on us rather than have them on your own doorsteps.