brentwood.gov.uk

Remove site R03 from plan

R03 Land north of Shenfield
The local plan is unsound with regard to this site for a number of reasons. Firstly this is green belt land and as such should not be considered as part of the local plan. Brownfield sites should be developed for housing first. To build 800+ new homes on what are currently open green fields will make the traffic situation in Shenfield and particularly the Chelmsford Road untenable. This would mean up to an additional 1600 vehicles added to the local existing road users creating further congestion on Shenfield Broadway and the station approach. The Chelmsford Road always has a queue of traffic during the working week which is particularly bad during peak hours. It would not be possible for the additional number of vehicles joining this road from this site to be absorbed. When the A12 is blocked (which frequently happens) the tail back can be considerable with this number of vehicles, all with their engines running, CO2 emissions wil increase by a very large amount.
Under station bridges at Shenfield Station is a prime example of somewhere the exhaust fumes build up at present and where the standard of air quality is often poor. On occasions Shenfield comes to a standstill or has extremely slow moving or stationary traffic, now without the additional planned houses. With the advent of Crossrail and very little parking provision for the anticipated increase in cars coming to the station more congestion must be the inevitable outcome without these houses being built. Compounded with the pressure of the other sites planned locally the building of such a large number of dwellings will have a detrimental effect on the local area and result in the loss of much of the green space which makes Shenfield a pleasant place to live to say nothing of it being joined to Mountnessing. A considerable number of new houses have just been completed on the Mountnessing roundabout site also leading to more local traffic congestion.
Houses on the Chelmsford Road have difficulty in coming out from their drives onto the road at present and roads onto the sites will become a line of cars waiting to pull out again with a negative effect on air quality. Another problem is with the drainage system in the Chelmsford Road which has frequently resulted in burst water mains again causing traffic tailbacks. It would also put additional pressure on the current sewage system and water supply.
I understand that a new primary school is planned to be built but not provision has been made for a new doctors surgery. The wait for appointments now is excessive. The pressure to close the local library service and the proposed increase in population means a distinct lack of amenities in the area if building on this site goes ahead.
I feel the developer have too much to say in the sort of housing that is built rather than the local Council who have a much better idea of what should be built.