brentwood.gov.uk

I live close to site reference 085B and wish to raise my objection to the proposed development on both sites listed above. My objections are as follows:-

My big concern is the poor drainage on the fields, particularly with site 85B. When it rains, the water sits on the field for a period of time and does not drain away. I am concerned that building on both sites will push the water onto my property as there will be less soil available for the water to drain through. I have already measured using a laser, and found that my property is built on a lower level to that of the field, which is increasing my worries regarding this. An increase in water flowing onto my property will mean that my garden will become water-logged and this may affect the foundations of my house.

I am concerned with the increase in noise from the 20 extra houses that will be put up. The new houses will be much closer to my house, and particularly in the summer, there is the potential to have to endure weekend party noise that will adversely affect the current quiet neighbourhood.

The new access road that will be required will increase both noise and pollution from all the vehicles. It will also increase the traffic on Blackmore Road in front of my house. The cars pulling in and out of the road will block my view of the road when I am using my driveway. This is already a busy road, and a new housing development will add to that. As there is a limited bus service in this area, it is highly likely that each of the proposed 20 houses for the two sites will have 2 or more cars per dwelling. Therefore, we are looking at a possible 20 houses and 40 cars on a small piece of land that is currently surrounded on three sides by peoples gardens!

If each of the 20 houses has 2 or 3 cars each, where will the extra cars be parked if the properties are not provided with big enough front gardens? When visitors arrive, where will they park their cars? Surely they cannot park on Blackmore Road? This situation could be become dangerous and a huge nuisance to the current residents of Blackmore Road.

I maintain the grass verge at the road end of my front garden, and want it to continue to look neat clean and tidy, as befits the area in which I live. However, there is possibility that drivers from the new housing development will use that grass verge as a parking spot if there are not enough places to park nearer to their houses. Blackmore Road is not wide, it is fairly narrow, and parked cars will be a danger to me and my family when trying to pull out of my drive, and to other users using a busy road: there are many dog walkers who use the grass verge outside my house and the neighbouring properties.

The very busy junction of Tipps Cross Lane, Ongar Road and Blackmore Road will suffer from even more traffic. An increase in people living in the new flats at that junction, plus the proposed extra 20 houses and possibly 40 cars, will inevitably increase the number of cars using the road. This will increase the risk of accidents to pedestrians. There is no pavement outside my house, and further along the road towards Deal Tree Corner. However, many people do walk along with their dogs, with no pavement to protect them. An increase in traffic will be a danger.

The near-by view from my back windows and from my back garden is currently almost building free. I do not want to look out and see 20 other houses which will be very close to me. I bought this house because it is not overlooked, and the garden feels open. The proposed buildings will encroach on that. This area is semi-rural and must be allowed to remain in that state.

I am concerned that the light will be affected in my house and garden. At present, the sun comes up to my property as I look out from my house. A development of houses will block the sun. This will mean that I will not get any morning sunlight. The garden could possibly cast in shadow for most of the day and this would be very unfair.

Currently the community of Blackmore, Hook End and Wyatts Green use the field (site 85B) for events. Groups and Clubs using the Tipps Cross Remembrance Hall also use the field regularly for Fun Days and outdoor training. During Spring, Summer and Autumn the Tipps Cross Croquet Club meet every Tuesday afternoon to play. If the field is built on they will not have anywhere to play. Local people use the field to play football and games with their children. It is an open space, shielded from the road by the hedges, so is ideal for family games. In the Autumn, the hedgerow is full of blackberries, which locals are able to pick. All of this will be lost to the community if the proposed development goes ahead. There is no other safe place for the locals to use. Tipps Cross Remembrance Hall is a well maintained place for local people to use. It will be seriously compromised if the field adjoining it is lost to housing.

There is one Doctors Surgery in this area. Currently, we have to wait 2 - 3 weeks for a Doctors appointment when you telephone the surgery. An increase in the housing to Blackmore, Tipps Cross and Kelvedon Hatch area can only make this worse. The infrastructure in this semi-rural area is not built to cope with increase in demand which the proposed new housing will bring.

It is wrong for the council to consider de-registration of the green belt area covered by the site 294 and 085B. Brentwood council should be protecting the land, environment and green spaces that is within their jurisdiction. Building on these two sites will bring misery and unpleasantness to the surrounding community. The hamlet of Hook End will start to disappear if this land is built on. There will be a danger that it will gradually become a small village, then it may be linked with Stondon Massey and then it may become a large village. It is the councils responsibility to stop this happening and protect our parish. Hook End must remain a hamlet in a semi-rural parish.