Object

Addendum of Focussed Changes to the Pre-Submission Local Plan (Regulation 19)

Representation ID: 27079

Received: 26/11/2019

Respondent: Ms Pauline Davidson

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Representation Summary:

Q - FOCUSSED CHANGE 3: POLICY R19 - Land at Priests Lane, Shenfield.(11% of total responses, March 2019). Defined as: Greenfield Land within Brentwood urban area / Settlement boundary. This is a site surrounded by existing housing, on a main road, and next to a railway line. This site is more suitable for residential development than more remote locations (EG Policies R25 and R26) and therefore should be built on before remote locations.
A - I agree - we should prioritise building on sites with, or close to, existing infrastructure.

Change suggested by respondent:

Sites R25 and R26 should be removed from the plan.

Full text:

Q - FOCUSSED CHANGE 1: POLICY R01 - Dunton Hills Garden Village Strategic Allocation. The allocation should be further increased and the delivery programme accelerated in order to remove policies R25 and R26 from the LDP
A - I agree - Dunton Hills can accommodate the houses planned for Blackmore

Q - FOCUSSED CHANGE 2: POLICY R18 - Land off Crescent Drive, Shenfield. Brownfield. (Less than 1% of total responses, March 2019)Brownfield sites should be prioritised over Greenfield, and Green Belt should not be released at all unless all other alternatives have been used to fulfil the target housing allocations. The number of homes should be increased back to a minimum of 55 and R25 & R26 should be removed entirely.
A - I agree. Blackmore sites are Green Belt so surely the brownfield sites should be used first.

Q - FOCUSSED CHANGE 3: POLICY R19 - Land at Priests Lane, Shenfield.(11% of total responses, March 2019). Defined as: Greenfield Land within Brentwood urban area / Settlement boundary. This is a site surrounded by existing housing, on a main road, and next to a railway line. This site is more suitable for residential development than more remote locations (EG Policies R25 and R26) and therefore should be built on before remote locations.
A - I agree - we should prioritise building on sites with, or close to, existing infrastructure.

Q - FOCUSSED CHANGE 4 - PART A POLICY R25 - Land North of Woollard Way, Blackmore. Greenfield and Green Belt. (36% of total responses, March 2019). To be read in conjunction with Focussed Change 5 - All comments apply to both sites. Greenfield/Green Belt land in a remote village location with inadequate infrastructure. The number of houses has been reduced by 10. For all the reasons stated in March 2019, this site should be withdrawn completely from the LDP. A reduction of 10 houses does not change fundamental problems - in particular the infrastructure and services of the historically significant Blackmore Village will not support this scale of development.
A - I agree - the site should be removed from the LDP. Coming from Brentwood and visiting Blackmore regularly - parking is already an issue in the village surely this would cause extra issues with more houses. Plus this is not a brownfield site. Brownfield site should be prioritised.

Q - FOCUSSED CHANGE 4 - PART B The sites proposed are developer led and still have not been properly assessed against local housing needs. These sites should be removed.
A - I agree - these sites are developer led and should be removed from the LDP.

Q - FOCUSSED CHANGE 4 - PART C At the time of the Addendum, a large number of developments (not included within the LDP) are in various stages of progress. These will further degrade the infrastructure of Blackmore. In particular, there has been inadequate consultation and strategic planning between Brentwood and Epping Forest Councils, with EFDC considering/consenting to; 30 houses are currently under construction in Fingrith Hall Lane (1km from the Village) An additional 5 houses are going through planning in Fingrith Hall Lane There are other EFDC 'infill sites' in Nine Ashes (1km away) Within metres of the village there will be at least 10 large dwellings at Ashlings Farm (the entrance development within Blackmore Parish).
A - I agree - There has been inadequate consultation and sites R25 and R26 should be removed completely from the LDP.

Q - FOCUSSED CHANGE 4 - PART D Also within Brentwood running through the normal planning process is: Redrose Farm (12 dwellings) on a Brownfield site (see R26 comments) 5 starter units in Spriggs Lane - Approved; PP being sought/appealed in Spriggs Lane/Chelmsford Road, (9 dwellings) and any number of other Greenfield sites/opportunistic PPs sought by farmers and land owners. R25 and R26 should be completely removed from the LDP, as the pre-existing and future normal infill (and windfall) in the Blackmore area means this Village has more than shouldered the appropriate housing burden, which will already overwhelm our very limited resources and wholly inadequate infrastructure.
A - I agree - Sites R25 and R26 should be removed completely from the LDP.

Q - FOCUSSED CHANGE 5: PART A POLICY R26 - Land North of Orchard Piece, Blackmore. Greenfield and Green Belt. (37% of total responses, March 2019 - ie grand total 73% across R25 and R26)To be read in conjunction with Focussed Change 4 (above). All comments apply to both sites. Redrose Farm is a Brownfield redevelopment opportunity (opposite R26) for 12 homes, and it will
deliver part of our own Village plan as opposed to digging up Green Belt land. It should therefore replace R26 in its entirety.
A - I agree - Green Belt land should not be built upon and Brownfield should be prioritised (eg Redrose Farm)

Q - FOCUSSED CHANGE 5 - PART B R26 is also Greenfield/Green Belt, and development is undesirable in the context of better/alternative sites, both within the Village/Parish and the wider Brentwood Council area.A site that was in the LDP (from Jan 2015 - November 2018, when it was withdrawn) is Honeypot Lane (Ref was 022). Identified as 'Green Belt land - edge of Brentwood Urban Area' - an eminently better near town centre site surrounded by existing housing and would provide c200 units. It should be reinstated as this would allow R18, R19, R25 and R26 to be completely removed whilst not adding to the burden on R01.
A - I agree - the Honeypot Lane site should be reinstated.

Q - FOCUSSED CHANGE 5 - PART C SOUNDNESS AND HOUSING NEED: In the Addendum, sites R25 and R26 (c50 dwellings) equate to 49% of Green Belt release in 'larger villages'. Brentwood and Shenfield urban areas are identified as having the highest housing need, yet two sites (R18 and R19) have now had their allocations reduced. Blackmore remains classified as a 'Category 3' settlement ('larger village'). Our population numbers are much lower than many other villages in this category - which have sufficient infrastructure and resources that Blackmore lacks. Blackmore is Green Belt and there is no identified need for additional housing on the scale proposed.
A - I agree - the allocation in Blackmore is disproportionate and unsound.

Q - CONCLUSION: Taking all the above factors into account, I am opposed to building on the Green Belt, and that sites R25 and R26 should be withdrawn from the LDP.
A - Strongly agree.