Comment
Draft Local Plan
Representation ID: 14989
Received: 26/04/2016
Respondent: Mrs N. Blake
Some development is proposed in Pilgrims Hatch along the Doddinghurst Road where it intersects with the A12 - site ref 023 for 250 homes. The majority of the traffic generated from these homes will go south into Brentwood along the Ongar Road and perhaps along the Doddinghurst Road. This area is already at gridlock in the mornings and evenings, not helped by lorries off-loading outside the shops.
Similarly, Western Avenue traffic moving towards the London Road/ Kings Road traffic lights is very heavy with delays at the traffic lights backing up to William Hunter Way roundabout. More houses and hence more traffic in this area will be unacceptable unless major improvements to the traffic management are made in some way that has not been defined.
Overall the Brentwood Draft Local Plan is well thought through and, given the challenges, makes a good plan for the provision of new homes in the Borough.
I have two main concerns:
1. Policy 5.2 Housing Growth: There remain 928 dwellings to be provided under the "windfall" allowance, which in comparison the historic growth rates add up to a very large number of new sites of up to 10 homes to be allocated in the future and a very long list of sites in the current non-allocated housing sites. Will this not create a potential planning blight in these areas if it isn't made clear where the 928 houses are to go? Can the status of the non-allocated sites be made clearer? Will there be a pause in development for windfall sites whist the main plan areas for development are progressed to ease the period of uncertainty?
2. Policy 10.1 Sustainable Transport Policy: Some development is proposed in Pilgrims Hatch along the Doddinghurst Road where it intersects with the A12 - site ref 023 for 250 homes. The majority of the traffic generated from these homes will go south into Brentwood along the Ongar Road and perhaps along the Doddinghurst Road. The traffic from the intersection of Doddinghurst Road and the Ongar Road moving towards Wilsons Corner is already at gridlock in the mornings and evenings, not helped by lorries off-loading outside the shops at the top of the Ongar Road and the roundabout at the William Hunter way giving automatic priority to cars emerging from William Hunter way to turn right towards Wilsons Corner - not good when the car parks empty in the evening with home goers. Similarly, Western Avenue traffic moving towards the London Road/ Kings Road traffic lights, bound for either the railway station or London Road offices or the M25, is very heavy with delays at the traffic lights backing up to William Hunter Way roundabout. More houses and hence more traffic in this area will be unacceptable unless major improvements to the traffic management are made in some way that has not been defined.