brentwood.gov.uk

Object

Representation ID: 30495

Received: 04/12/2021

Respondent: Mrs Lucille Foreman

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? No

There is already a major flood risk in Blackmore to existing housing before the proposed addition of 70 homes. Has an Environment Agency investigation been commissioned on the soundness of including R25 and R26 in the final/adopted LDP. This is a serious omission and effects the soundness of the LDP.
Red Rose Lane floods on a regular basis and is impassable. Access to site R26 from Chelmsford Road was impossible and consideration of building on R26, even with mitigation measures proposed would seem to be an error judgement.
Emergency vehicles will be impeded on by ongoing flooding (which is a certainty) and to consider using Red Rose Lane as an access point for R26 is problematic on
many levels, ie flooding, narrowness, danger to walkers, cyclists, horse riders, etc.
Also to suggest access via Orchard Piece as an alternative is unsatisfactory, and will lead to traffic chaos, damage te the infrastructure of, the road, i.e. kerbs, verges etc, whether the existing road is "man enough" to support the constant use by HGV's and builders vehicles. The amount of damage caused to Meadow Rise access and verges, kerbs, was significant with only one property being worked on opposite the school.
Surface water run-off -Blackmore already suffers from significant levels of surface water flooding and to propose replacing 4 hectares of green fields (containing quality
farmland) in the Green Belt with concrete, tarmac and "two large ponds" will only exacerbate the existing, well documented problems that the village has faced for
many years.
The impact of climate change of all the above is obvious.
Both sites proposed are disastrous, with R25 being only slightly better.
Both sites are immediately uphill from the dwellings in the existing village and the potential increased surface water run off will therefore flow directly into the centre of
the village, the Conservation Area, all the Listing Buildings and the church. The most serious floods of 1987 and 2016 are upper most in the memory of the village community, and climate change is likely to increase the frequency of these events.
AECOM Sustainability Appraisal (sept 2021) indicates that the proposal to increase density in Blackmore potentially gives rise to a degree of risk.