brentwood.gov.uk

As a co-landowner of site HELAA Ref: 076, the subject of Policy R26, Land North of Orchard Piece, Blackmore, I agree that this site is suitable for Green Belt release in order to provide new homes for the local community and to ensure development is not limited to the centre and south of the Borough. The current pre-submission document is both a sound plan and legally compliant. It is the result of a positively framed, technically researched, participatory process that began some ten years ago. I support the sequential land-use approach, in particular Policy NE9 8.88 "development in the Green Belt will be deemed necessary to support rural economies, to ensure the sustainability of villages"(p228) and Policy NE13: Site Allocations in the Green Belt 8.115 "New housing development in these locations will provide for a range of needs as advised by evidence, such as the Council's Strategic Housing Market Assessment, and local housing strategy. This could be to provide starter homes,...and smaller units, for example to allow older people to have a realistic option to downsize and free up larger homes for families" (p238). Policy R26 supports item 2.8 "To promote sustainable growth in rural areas, the NPPF (2018) paragraph 78 states that housing in rural areas should be located where it will enhance the vitality of rural communities, to ensure villages grow and thrive." (p21) The last development in the village of Blackmore took place in the 1960s, Policy R26 would serve to:  update the housing stock to meet new design and energy efficient features (SP01: Sustainable development);  increase housing in a larger village to meet local needs in the next 15 years (SP02: Managing growth);  Provide mixed housing, with some smaller units in a desirable setting that will encourage social interaction (HP01). I do not agree that the allocation of Policy R26 has been reduced from 40 to 30 units as there is an acute need at a local level for both private and affordable housing, and there is no technical justification for this change. According to Policy HP03 "Residential development proposals will generally be expected to achieve a net density of at least 35 dwellings per hectare net or higher.." Accordingly the net area of this site (1.52 hectares) this would equate to around 53 units. Therefore, given the need to provide sufficient housing supply for the coming 15 years an allocation of approximately 40 units should be reinstated. We chose to work with Crest Nicholson, a locally based national award winning house builder, in the knowledge that Crest has the capability to effectively deliver housing of a high standard within the next two years. (SP:06 p60). Crest has the construction management design and expertise (SP:05 p58) to provide the housing needed, while preserving and enhancing the character and settlement of Blackmore. (SP:01) In response to some comments from local residents, I would like to add that our site has not been used for arable farming owing to the quality of the soil. It faces Redrose Farm, once a dairy farm owned by our grandparents. Some of the agricultural land was sold to build Orchard Piece. The availability of new housing meant that we were able to live close by to our grandparents. Redrose Lane is at the outer edge of the village and our site lies within the village boundary. Policy R26 will give priority to those with "demonstrable local connection and those over 50". The latter is also important as there is insufficient housing stock for down-sizing in Blackmore.
In over 60 years of family ownership, we have not experienced flooding on our land. Furthermore it should be noted that a development on this site would lead to a betterment in the management of surface water discharge rates. Land North of Orchard Piece, Policy R26, is a discrete site of only 1.52 hectares and represents a natural boundary to the settlement and release of this site for a small housing development would provide a boost to the village of Blackmore