Object
Schedule of Potential Main Modifications
Representation ID: 29691
Received: 09/11/2021
Respondent: Miss katherine Webster
Legally compliant? Yes
Sound? No
The evidence given at the hearing was insufficient to support an increase in housing units to 75.
The road already carries a considerable level of traffic at peak times with frequent long traffic queues, and is close to a pollution hotspot.
The cumulative effect of this development with the other proposed development will have a significant detrimental effect.
The access for the proposed development is badly sited and will have a safety risk for residents, and there was no evidence on how the drainage and utilities difficulties will be managed.
The loss of greenfield sites is against current government thinking.
We are residents of Priests Lane and wish to comment on the development of the Land at Priests Lane (Policy R19).
• Priests Lane is a heavily used road and the point at which the development joins the road is narrow and has limited visibility with only one pedestrian pathway, and a narrow junction in close proximity on the opposite side. Essex Highways have not carried out a proper analysis, and we continue to consider that there is a real safety issue with the single access for the main site as proposed.
• The high-level traffic analysis which has been carried out as part of the LDP is insufficient, based on flawed datasets and does not take account of the cumulative effect of all the proposed building within Shenfield on the traffic using Priests Lane for access to Brentwood and the A127.
• 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 Council recommended 45 units which was an appropriate number having regard to the surrounding neighbourhood, being higher density than the immediate neighbours but reflecting the housing density of the wider area. The proposal to increase the number to 75 units does not seem to be based on sound evidence given the limitations of this site.
• The area has drainage problems and we have been advised that the utilities such as sewerage are at capacity, and there is no evidence that these problems have been addressed, and so increasing the numbers will result in greater problems for the neighbouring residents.
• The site is currently regarded as protected open urban space, which, once developed will be lost forever. The newest Government thinking is that building should primarily take place on brownfield sites so that greenfield sites such as that at Priests Lane are not lost. The development of this site, particularly as it is scheduled to be built upon before brownfield sites in the area, goes against this current thinking.