Object
Local Plan 2015-2030 Preferred Options for Consultation
Representation ID: 1139
Received: 02/10/2013
Respondent: Mrs Andrea Wilkes
Objects because:
- The village is a flood risk area
- The threat to the green belt surrounding West Horndon
- The train services are few and far between and the trains are often full before they reach here.
- The road system in is heavily congested at peak times and junctions on to the A127 and A128 are inadequate with frequent accidents occurring.
I would like to make a comment on the proposed Local Development Plan and how it may affect the village of West Horndon.
The plan does not provide enough detail of exactly why West Horndon has been chosen for such a vast remodelling compared to the modest developments to other villages on the periphery of Brentwood.
The village is a flood risk area and was flooded as recently as last Christmas. There is no detail in the plan about any environmental assessment having been carried out as to the impact of 1,500 new homes in such a vulnerable area.
Please will you provide details of whether or not this has been done.
The use of Metropolitan Green Belt land for building new homes is the most shocking point in the plan as I have been led to believe since my childhood that Green Belt land is sacrosanct and designed to prevent urban sprawl which is so common in many areas of the country.
Please would you explain why the council is proposing that such a thing could take place and if there are any exceptional circumstances which could possibly justify this.
In terms of sustainability, West Horndon does not seem to be a particularly good choice as although we have a train station, the services are few and far between and the trains are often full before they reach here.
What communication has the council undertaken with C2C to ensure that capacity will be increased to cope with the increased demand?
The road system in this area is heavily congested at peak times and junctions on to the A127 and A128 are inadequate with frequent accidents occurring.
How will the roads be improved to meet the challenge of increased traffic and will these improvements be carried out before the new homes are built?
I do accept that some development must take place in all areas of the Borough and I am not averse to any change in West Horndon but the scale of the the proposed changes seems to me to be ill thought out and not thoroughly planned.
At present, I feel that I have no choice but to OBJECT to these plans as there is insufficient detail in them to make them worthy of consideration.