Comment
Draft Local Plan
Representation ID: 13890
Received: 23/03/2016
Respondent: Cllr Noelle Hones
The Garden Centre has been a well used and valued amenity within the ward for over 75 years, providing employment and service facilities.
The site is situated between the A12 and the railway line, a noisy environment by any standards.
There is the issue of sustainability, the local primary schools and doctors surgeries in Ingatestone and Shenfield are over subscribed. The sewage according to Anglian Water is at capacity in the area.
As one of the local Councillors for Ingatestone, Fryerning & Mountnessing, I would like to take the opportunity to comment on two of the proposals for the Ward currently under consultation, without fettering my discretion, in case I am appointed a Member on the Planning and Licensing Committee in the near future.
I refer in each case to the Brentwood Draft Local Plan and give the appropriate page number.
Page 185:
Site Ref 128: Ingatestone Garden Centre (60 homes);
The Garden Centre has been a well used and valued amenity within the ward for over 75 years, providing employment and service facilities. There is a perception within the community that the current owner bought this viable concern and "ran it into the ground," with the overall intention of using the site for housing development.
Whilst I hesitate to echo residents' comments about the current owner's original intentions, I would like to raise my concerns about the appropriateness of this site for potentially 60 new dwellings:
(1) The site is situated between the A12 and the railway line between London and Colchester: A noisy environment by any standards;
(2) There is the issue of Sustainability: The local Primary and Junior Schools are currently over-subscribed, as are the nearest local Doctor's surgeries in Ingatestone and Shenfield. There is also the issue of sewage capability within the area, which I understand from Anglian Water is currently up to capacity.
Both of these issues, in my opinion, should be given material weight when Officers are considering recommendations for either approval or refusal.
Page 186:
Site Ref 079A: Land adjacent to Ingatestone by-pass (part bounded by Roman Road) 42 homes:
Please refer to the same concerns addressed above with regards to noise levels for future tenants and Sustainability, as mentioned regarding the Ingatestone Garden centre proposal.