brentwood.gov.uk

Site 178 and 044 are Designated Protected Urban Space that should be retained as school playing fields.

The indicative dwelling yield is excessive, out of keeping with the character of the area and aims of protecting greenfield sites and environment assets. On this basis, there is also an objection to the proposed Delivery Forecast of 1-5 years which would put this site ahead of development of alternative brownfield sites.

Site Access is a significant Site Constraint that is not identified in the Plan for these Sites. 044 and 178 are entirely enclosed being bounded by a railway line to the south, residential properties along the east and north, and schools on the west. The existing access is a single lane track hemmed in by residential properties.

Site Constraints also fail to adequately identify the significance of "localised traffic impacts". Site access is to/from Priests Lane and Priests Lane does not meet national highway criteria (insufficient road and pavement width). It would be unreasonable from safety, pollution and transport infrastructure efficiency aspects for Brentwood Borough Council to consider further development directly into this environment (compounding generated traffic from development elsewhere, although other developments would at least have the option of avoiding Priests Lane).

Overall, inclusion of site 044 and 178 does not appear to have been properly considered. The disadvantages are real and significant and are not justified by any perceived benefits of developing these sites.

Sites 044 and 178 should therefore be removed from the Brentwood Draft Local Plan as areas for housing development