brentwood.gov.uk

1. I object to the allocations of 076 and 077 on grounds of excessive development in Blackmore Village - the proposed sites represent over 28% increase in houses in the village which is unsustainable. Of the proposed sites listed in 'Green Belt - Larger Villages' section of the LDP, nearly 70% of the proposed houses are in Blackmore and Tipps Cross Ward (116 houses out of a total of 169). This is an excessive and unwarranted increase for this small historic village which cannot be justified. In contrast neighbouring villages such as Doddinghurst have no proposed sites for development. Blackmore has limited facilities and is fairly isolated from major centres, with poor public transport services.

2. The sites 076 and 077 are Green Belt fields with the protection that designation provides - development should only be considered in exceptional circumstances. Green Belt was established to protect the boundary of built development of the village and the open countryside.

3. The proposed development will cause degradation of environment and damage to wildlife. Site 076 is home to many rare birds which are protected species such as skylark, barn owls and turtle doves which are regular visitors to the field in question.

Turtle doves have been seen and heard on the site for the past 3 years and field 076 is a known breeding site for turtle doves. The turtle dove is a Section 41 species which is of principal importance for conservation of biodiversity, and they are vulnerable to global extinction. They have suffered a 91% UK population decline since 1995. More than half the remaining turtle doves breed in East Anglia with Essex being identified as one of the important 'hotspots'. The loss of this site to housing would inevitably mean the loss of this important breeding site and further loss of appropriate habitat. Turtle doves favour wide undisturbed field margins and this is not the sort of habitat which can be incorporated into housing development. Furthermore, the fact that the site is a breeding site for turtle doves raises the question as to what other species exist there. A detailed assessment of both site 076 and 077 should be undertaken to establish the ecological importance of the sites; such assessments should not be left until the planning application is submitted as it may result in the site being undeliverable and therefore Brentwood Borough Council will not be able to meet their housing requirements in respect of these sites. It is also within a priority area for the Lapwing bird species and has records of Corn Bunting and Yellow wagtail sightings in the last 10 years which are all protected species under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (2010) and Biodiversity Action Plan UK listed species (Please see attachment 1).


4. The site is also recorded as a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone as of 2017, which may cause potential problems surface and groundwater contamination as a result of the proposed development (Please see attachment 2 for site designations).


5. The fact that Red Rose Lane, a narrow country lane, runs East/West to the north of the village seems to have been used to justify the allocations 076 and 077 as appropriate pieces of land.
These sites are not self-contained village infill as suggested in the LDP- the sites are on open land outside the village, and the road which is being viewed as a border -Red Rose Lane - is a narrow country lane and unsuitable for anything other than light traffic. When these sites are viewed in reality rather than on a plan, the area is open countryside and a very important part of the Green Belt.


6. Infrastructure - Red Rose Lane which borders the proposed development is a narrow country lane unsuitable for heavy traffic. Blackmore is surrounded by minor roads and is unsuited to the large increase in traffic that this development would bring. There are already problems with parking and congestion around the village shop and this will be greatly exacerbated by the proposed increase in housing.


7. Traffic - access to the sites from Red Rose Lane will be difficult and dangerous due to narrow nature of lane. In particular, if site 076 is accessed through Orchard Piece this will cause greatly increased traffic flow in what is currently a quiet cul-de-sac and will cause a danger and disturbance to current residents and their children.


8. School - Blackmore has a small primary school which is currently at capacity. Proposed development would put excessive pressure on school and facilities, and would result in insufficient spaces being available for the children of the village.


9. Health and transport - no GP surgery within parish boundary, and nearest GP surgery is full to capacity with considerable problems obtaining appointments at short notice. Bus services which link the village to Chelmsford and Brentwood are part time only.


10. Flooding - Red Rose Lane is often subject to flooding in times of heavy rain. A site immediately adjacent to field 076 (site 250 Post Field) was rejected for development on the grounds of flooding and surface water problems. Field 076 is actually lower lying and Red Rose Lane in the area of Red Rose farm has become impassable at times due to flooding. Development would make flooding worse as green field land would be lost to housing and hard-standing.

If the development attempted to address the flooding and surface water issue by the creation of a pond for instance this would make the housing targets undeliverable.




My objections are supported by the response of Blackmore Parish Council. I urge Brentwood Borough council to reconsider these allocations and retain this important section of Green Belt land. Whilst recognising the pressure for additional housing more assessment should be carried out on brownfield land or within larger settlements which are more accessible with better facilities, or within the larger new Dunton Hills Garden village settlement.

A recent study by the CPRE the State of Brownfield 2018, has highlighted that more should be done to develop brownfield rather than release greenbelt for housing.