brentwood.gov.uk

In response to Brentwood Councils "Proposed Development" and West Horndon. I object most strongly to this proposal, which is poorly researched and ill conceived.

We are a small village and your plans are to develop a new settlement alongside us. The character of this VILLAGE will be lost. This VILLAGE has been chosen to take almost half of the allocation of Brentwood, with no explanation as to why.
National guidelines state "Local Planning Authorities" should access the quality and capacity of infrastructure i.e. utilities, telecommunications, water supply, energy, social care, education and health. This does not appear to have been done.

National planning policy framework states that planning authorities should aim to involve all sections of community, also that a wide section of the community should be proactively engaged. This has not been done, we have not been properly consulted on what the VILLAGE wants. Also every time I ask planning a question the answer us "WE DON'T KNOW". All Brentwood Council are doing is imposing their decisions on us without any proper and meaningful consultation.
It appears that most of Brentwood's needs are being imposed on us with no regards for the residents on the environment. Maybe you should consult surrounding Boroughs to take up some of Brentwood's proposed housing.
The main part of the allocation of the proposed housing is on "Green Belt Land" and National Planning says Green Belt development by definition is inappropriate and harmful. Also the Government has said housing demand is unlikely to constitute exceptional circumstances to justify housing demand. Can West Horndon be sustainable? Sustainable as defined as ensuring better lives for ourselves, does not mean worse lives for the future with over development.
WE are a small village with very limited amenities i.e hardly any shops, a satellite doctors surgery, where it is difficult to obtain an appointment, we have tried to change doctors only to be told that we have to travel to Baslidon (BY CAR) as we are the wrong side of the A127. The bus service here is limited and often unreliable. The railway station only caters for very limited journeys on already packed trains even at weekends. Jobs in West Horndon will be accessed easier by car with cars speeding through the village from elsewhere.

The new development would create more traffic for the established residents who would appear to gain nothing but the loss of our rural character. We also have to dice with death if we attempt to walk to the local county park, again for safety reasons we have to use our cars.

The A127 Grinds to a halt most mornings another 1,500+ new homes would make this road unbearable, to say nothing of the additional pollution. I have waited for 15 minutes to turn right from Station road onto the A128. This is clearly unacceptable. The M25 as everyone knows cannot cope now.
The village has flooded in the past and again on 25th December 2012, adding misery for the residents, taking away fields will aggravate this issue.

Finally construction of what is frankly a new town on open countryside will destroy this open setting and rural character. We have a wide variety of wildlife and birds including Sparrows which have already for most part disappeared from London because of over building and losing their habitat. Butterflies, Water volves, Great Created Newts etc, will also loose their habitats.

This village will gain nothing, all Brentwood Council is doing is imposing their bad proposals on u without any proper and meaningful consultation as to what the village wants. This will be resented by the resident's on this small community.
PS - Also you are planning a travelers site again when I have asked questions the answer is "Don't Know". Policing in West Horndon is virtually non existent. Bearing in mind the problems Brentwood Council have with some sites which have lead to SHOOTINGS at one. Is this wise? In fact on a recent occasion when a neighbour had an attempted burglary when she was at home. The police officers who eventually turned up told me that they had come from Harlow, and did not know this VILLAGE was here. I have asked if this would be a family site which do not appear to have as many problems as mixed sites again "You don't know" West Horndon is being targeted to bear the brunt of all your plans. Also numbers are being vague on number of pitches.

I ask a question who would want to buy a house there? I know I would NOT

Finally West Horndon is a very small area of Brentwood this site would be on our doorstep.