brentwood.gov.uk

Sirs,

I accept that with Brentwood being a district with a high proportion of Green Belt finding appropriate sites for development is a struggle.

However, it is the local planning authority's responsibility to retain the status of Green Belt and the change of status of these two parcels of land is contradictory to their responsibility to retain the status of Green Belt.

This development does not meet the requirements for an exception to Green Belt development being not a limited infilling and/or limited affordable housing for local community needs, an increase of 28.6% does not represent a limited infill.

Surely there are previously developed sites (brownfield land) which would not have such a dramatic impact on the village.

Why have sites such as the areas alongside the A12 along the Rayleigh Road not been considered in this respect?

The proposal of 4 sites within an established Green Belt area are an unequitable allocation of additional housing within the Blackmore parish when other villages in the area have no houses being proposed.

The proposed development in the area of the village of Blackmore at Orchard Piece and Woollard Way both with proposed access via Red Rose Lane is wholly inappropriate in my opinion for the following reasons.

The addition of approx. 100 homes to the village is not supported by a commensurate increase in the infrastructure.

We would require major upgrades to utilities systems such as foul water system, water supply, power, gas and communications

There is no GP surgery within the parish and the local health centre already struggles to service the needs of the community.

The local primary school in Blackmore is already full and the possibility of an increase in demand for this or other local schools may not be met within the local education system.

There is a limited bus service which will put additional pressures on the roads with commensurate pressure on local roads that are not equipped to deal with this level of traffic.

The expansion of the village will put pressure on local roads - the proposed access via Red Rose Lane is completely laughable and inappropriate - has no one even looked at this road which is barely wide enough for 2 vehicles let alone an additional regular daily increase of approximately 200 cars that will put unacceptable pressure on local traffic through the village and local countryside.

The development in Orchard Piece with access via Red Rose Lane is again an ill thought out proposal, this is again barely wide enough for 2 cars with no passing places for vehicles the additional traffic will cause damage to the road which already suffers from use by heavy vehicles which damage the verges and flooding occurs regularly due to the high water table with the run off from fields and the poorly kept ditches overflowing that results in abandoned vehicles.

In summary the degradation of the environment around Blackmore is an unacceptable burden on the residents of the village and the proposed development does not represent a well thought out option to meet housing needs.