brentwood.gov.uk

Re: Proposed Development at West Horndon
We write to register our objection to the proposed development of the site on the west side of the village.
We understand that the proposal will lead to the building of 1500 new homes which would increase the size of the village to three times it current size. We have lived in the village for over 10 years and consider ourselves to be part of the local community. We use the local amenities including the doctor's surgery, the local shops and enjoy the peaceful nature of the area.
Brentwood Borough Council's Development proposal document repeatedly states that maintaining the rural character of the borough is a primary objective when any new development. West Horndon has definitely not been given the same consideration when taking the disproportionate nature of the proposed works into account and the negative impact it will have on our surroundings.
Having looked at the proposals and attended the public consultations, we believe that the development would change the character of the whole area. We have looked at the development proposed for the whole of Brentwood and note that West Horndon is to undertake 43% of the development. This is wholly disproportionate and will place undue strain on the resources available for the existing village population. No explanation has been given as to why West Horndon should receive almost 50% of the development, which would effectively create a new settlement.
No infrastructure plan has been made available. National guidance states that Local Planning Authorities should assess the quality and capacity of the infrastructure, water supply, waste water and its treatment, energy (including heat), telecommunications, utilities, waste, health, social care and education, flood risk and its ability to meet forecast demands. There are also areas of the village already prone to flooding which makes expansion on the scale proposed very concerning. We have not been provided with any information and can only assume that it has not been done. West Horndon should not be being asked to comment on consultation without all the relevant information being available.
As part of the local community we believe that we have been marginalised throughout this process. The people who are tasked with making these decisions have not made consultation with the local authority a priority. Particularly the presentations have been led by those ill-equipped to answer questions as to why these decisions are being made without recourse to those that live in the village.
What is also of concern is the fact that the majority of the development is targeted to take place within the Green Belt. National Planning Policy Guidance is clear that development in the Green Belt is inappropriate and harmful. Further, that exceptional circumstances must exist to justify the loss of Green Belt land. The Borough Plan focuses on the fact that this development will satisfy a housing demand. This is in direct contradiction to the position in Government that housing demand is not an exceptional circumstance.
As mentioned above we have lived here for over 10 years, and one of the main reasons for doing so was that it provided an improved quality of life for our family. The proposed development would increase the volume of traffic going in and out of the village, increasing noise and congestion. Driving out of the village is already problematic during rush hour mornings and evenings as both A127 and A128 are noticeably gridlocked.
The services in the village would also be overrun such as our local school and the local station, and we are concerned about what would happened to our local shops who provide services and jobs for local people.
In short, life in the village would significantly deteriorate, without any benefit to those that already live here.
We trust that you will take the objections we have raised seriously, and we look forward to your response to the points we have made.