brentwood.gov.uk

The proposed Strategic Growth Local Plan was discussed in full at a recent meeting of the committee of the Great Warley Conservation Society. The following decisions were reached:

1. The purpose of our Society, which has been active since 1972, is to help the residents of Great Warley to protect the Green Belt and the open environment of our village. We therefore vigorously object to the sites listed below, which have been put forward for future development.

2. It is our opinion that building on these sites would be both visually poor for the approaches to the villages and to Brentwood town, and also remote and lacking in the services and facilities which are required for substantial development.

3. It is fully appreciated that any future development will still require detailed planning permission. However, future planners at Brentwood Council would be in a very difficult position when considering applications if these sites have already been allocated for development in the Local Plan.

The following suggested sites are of most concern to the Conservation Society:

a) Coombe Woods, Beredens Lane, No. 212. This is a woodland area of special natural landscape interest. Building here would involve losing a large number of trees, plants and wildlife, as well as detrimentally affecting the vistas of the periphery of Brentwood. This would have a negative impact on the quality of life.

b) Land adjacent to Hill Cottage, Warley Road, No. 167, and extending down to Mascalls Lane to Mill House, and

c) Land adjoining Carmel, Mascalls Lane, No.027

Both of these sites, as well as being in the Green Belt, provide a pleasing outlook on the edge of existing buildings. The inevitable resultant requirements for amendments to the road layouts would further urbanise one of the few remaining landscapes which make Brentwood so appealing.

d) Woodlands School, Warley Street, No. 16 A and B and

e) Land at Dickensons Farm fronting Warley Street, No. 082.

Both of these sites are too remote from any reasonable transport links and other facilities, and housing construction is incompatible with the surrounding Green Belt area.

We therefore wish to register our formal objection to these sites being included in the proposed Strategic Growth Options Plan.