Object
Schedule of Potential Main Modifications
Representation ID: 29614
Received: 05/11/2021
Respondent: Mrs Anne-Marie Hopcroft
Legally compliant? No
Sound? No
Priests Lane cannot withstand a further increase in traffic both in terms of road safety with increased traffic movements and also pollution. In the mornings, cars already queue back from the junction between Priests Lane and Middleton Hall Lane beyond Glanthams Road. In addition the road already does not comply with requirements for road and pavement width.
The site has only a single access point which cannot be viable for the number of houses and is likely to lead to road safety issues.
The number is arbitrary, as no assessment has been undertaken to confirm the Lane can withstand such an increase in traffic and it does not account for the increased usage of Priests Lane from the proposed development of 1,000 houses in Shenfield travelling to the A127, nor does it account for the impact of the Elizabeth Line.
• The site has a single access point for which not only has no specific or robust argument been made that it is viable, but which must also be considered a safety issue should this point be blocked to emergency vehicles.
• The Plan fails to address the safety of residents. Technical submissions of residents that new road accesses along Priests Lane are hazardous have not been addressed, nor concerns that the road design is dangerous for increased traffic movements.
• No account has been made of the increased pollution along Middleton Hall Lane and Priests Lane, the junction of which is a pollution hotspot.
• The Lane was never meant to be a main distributary road which it has now become. Residents have pointed out that as such it does not comply with the Essex design guide with respect to road and pavement width.