brentwood.gov.uk

The land at Priests Lane should be removed from the Local Development Plan.

-The Plan is unsound on the basis that the evidence base is flawed.
The Transport Assessment is not accurate as it does not include all the traffic along Priests Lane and was undertaken at times that did not include all the school traffic even though the Council had said that a traffic assessment would be undertaken for Priests Lane.
-In addition the Transport Assessment does not take into account the increased use of Priests Lane for traffic travelling to the A127 that would be generated by an additional 1,000 houses in Shenfield nor any impact of the Elizabeth Line.
-The safety of the residents is not addresses; the proposed new accesses on Priests Lane are hazardous and the road design is dangerous in the context of an increase in traffic movements. The pavement is already far too narrow and in only on one side of the road in a number of places.
-Relevant sustainability conditions are not met in particular access, transport network, mitigation of impact on local services, unacceptable effect on health as a result of increased pollution.
-Sites on Priests Lane have been rejected previously as the land was deemed to be valuable open urban space.
-The junction of Priest Lane and Middleton Hall Lane is already a pollution hotspot and pollution there will increase.
-The Lane was not intended to be a distributory road; residents have pointed out failure to comply with Essex design guides re road and pavement width.
-NPPF Compliant: Local Plans should address healthcare and education needs as well as housing and traffic concerns.
-No mitigation options have been identified as regards traffic in the context of the sustainability review.
No specific or robust argument has been made that a viable access point is possible.
-Considered against reasonable alternatives the sites cannot be deemed to be justified and there is no reference to enhancement of infrastructure.
There is no provision for increased health and educational needs. There is already a low level of GPs per head and the Hogarth expansion was to meet current needs not further increased needs as a result of additional housing. Attendance at schools further away would require car journeys to attend making the traffic situation even worse.
The land at Priests Lane should be removed from the Local Development Plan.