FINAL DRAFT
Herongate and Ingrave Parish Council
Response to Consultation on Brentwood Strategic Growth Options

Assumptions:

1. The six thousand plus building requirement from the Government is fixed.
2. This implies a 20 - 25% growth in Brentwood's population from incomers alone by 2030.
3. The only way that there is any possibility of this huge rate of growth being sustainable is to make an equally huge investment in infrastructure.

It is obvious that piecemeal developments will not make possible any significant income from "106" or similar type commitments making large developments obligatory. Necessary infrastructure improvements would be impossible.

It is equally clear that good quality, productive, agricultural land should be avoided when selecting locations for enormous developments of the type required. If the UK is to grow at this rate, feeding the resident population will become difficult, particularly in a world that is becoming increasingly unstable.

To apply the above to the situation in Herongate and Ingrave; all of the farm land to the east of the A128 (Brentwood Road) as far as Hutton and Billericay is in current productive use and should be left to help feed the country. Additionally, this agricultural land, particularly if, as seems likely, Brentwood Borough is absorbed into London, will be a part of the greenbelt separating our Borough from Billericay and Wickford. The vast majority of this land has very poor access roads which again would make it very unsuitable for large developments.

Of the remaining option sites in the two villages, all are small. The majority have accessibility problems. However, two sites, one opposite Button Common and the other next to the Ingrave Johnston School, are potentially accessible directly from the Brentwood Road. Were these sites removed from the greenbelt by the LDP process, many reasons would remain for not using either of them.

The Brentwood Road (A128) is heavily loaded and has a bottleneck through Herongate and Ingrave. Gridlock is regularly caused by the various junctions through the villages; Billericay Road and the Petrol Station are good examples. Vetoing any new junctions on the A128 would be an excellent way of not making matters worse. In the event that, as mooted, major developments occur in West Horndon and/or Dunton Garden Suburb then the idea of having additional junctions in the bottleneck becomes ludicrous.

These two sites have another common factor; both form a part of the Thames Chase Woodlands. The designations were formally established between the Borough and the Thames Chase organisation. A commitment was made by the Brentwood Borough Council to act for Thames Chase in protecting the sites from harm as special landscape areas and as wildlife habitats. Both areas are proven to support prolific quantities of wildlife. The site opposite Button Common is a County Wildlife site and the other has recently been subjected to detailed ecological studies for mammals, reptiles, amphibians and bats providing proof of the prolific presence of many species in each category. We assume that Brentwood Borough would not even consider reneging on such a formal commitment to Thames Chase. Further, the site opposite Button Common is sandwiched between two conservation areas which would be very badly degraded by building a number of blocks of flats there. Similarly, the site between Hillcrest Nursery and Ingrave Johnston School is the last remaining greenbelt area preventing the conjoining of Ingrave and Herongate. These are two separate villages and residents very much wish them to remain so.

Yes

Yes

There seems to be little consideration for infrastructure. Numerous homes have been built recently e.g. Gloucester Park, Markhams Chase, Basildon Cherry Down etc. Further developments such as Dunton Fords circa 900 homes, are also planned. No new schools have been built, Doctor surgeries cannot cope, A&E times are in excess of 5 hours, trains and roads have become noticeably busier.

I strongly object to new building on green belt land South of Brentwood.

It would swallow up Ingrave and Herongate. Also badly maintained roads could not cope with extra traffic.

I object to Brentwood's strategic growth , due to the destruction of green belt land and wildlife habits, already congested roads.

It is pleasing to see that the Brentwood Council are seeking views on the proposed Local Development Plan. However I found the documentation voluminous, full of TLA's and FLA's and generally difficult to read on line. Having said that I appreciate that developing a practical plan is a complex and difficult exercise.

What does come through is that Brentwood is going to be radically changed by the influx of new people from outside the area - particularly from London. Having lived in North Brentwood for over 40 years there have been many changes however this one will be more significant than those previous.

I have two major concerns that do not seem to be addressed in sufficient detail - transport and access to the green belt.

Taking transport first; Over the years traffic density has dramatically increased making it difficult to traverse or exit/enter Brentwood at certain times of the day - particularly during school time when Brentwood becomes totally clogged and the rush hour when, for example, Brooke Street backs up from the M25. To make the roads safer traffic calming measures such as mini roundabouts, pedestrian crossings have sprung up all over the place - slowing traffic to a crawl and creating high levels of pollution. There have been no significant road building. Cycling into town is dangerous and walking unpleasant and noisy. With the increased population the situation will get worse however I could not see how this was going to be addressed in the plan.

The green belt in and around Brentwood is a jewel however it appears the plan proposes building on it . Something I find difficult to accept. The documents do not appear to address access and use of the green belt in any detail. There are around 250 km of footpaths and bridleways in the Brentwood district which provide the public with access to a wide variety of attractive, quiet landscapes. I could not see where the plan addresses the impact of developments on this magnificent resource.

It is pleasing to see that the Brentwood Council are seeking views on the proposed Local Development Plan. However I found the documentation voluminous, full of TLA's and FLA's and generally difficult to read on line. Having said that I appreciate that developing a practical plan is a complex and difficult exercise.

What does come through is that Brentwood is going to be radically changed by the influx of new people from outside the area - particularly from London. Having lived in North Brentwood for over 40 years there have been many changes however this one will be more significant than those previous.

I have two major concerns that do not seem to be addressed in sufficient detail - transport and access to the green belt.

Taking transport first; Over the years traffic density has dramatically increased making it difficult to traverse or exit/enter Brentwood at certain times of the day - particularly during school time when Brentwood becomes totally clogged and the rush hour when, for example, Brooke Street backs up from the M25. To make the roads safer traffic calming measures such as mini roundabouts, pedestrian crossings have sprung up all over the place - slowing traffic to a crawl and creating high levels of pollution. There have been no significant road building. Cycling into town is dangerous and walking unpleasant and noisy. With the increased population the situation will get worse however I could not see how this was going to be addressed in the plan.

The green belt in and around Brentwood is a jewel however it appears the plan proposes building on it . Something I find difficult to accept. The documents do not appear to address access and use of the green belt in any detail. There are around 250 km of footpaths and bridleways in the Brentwood district which provide the public with access to a wide variety of attractive, quiet landscapes. I could not see where the plan addresses the impact of developments on this magnificent resource.

I am writing to formally register my objection to Brentwoods Strategic Growth Options Consultation, due to the negative impact I believe it will have on the surrounding communities, wildlife, green belt areas and travel routes.

Some of my questions and concerns are as follows:
1. Why is greenbelt land now being considered for declassification in and around the Brentwood & Basildon area?
2. Isn't Green Belt Land protected to stop developments and urban sprawl?
3. What, if any, consideration has been given to the wildlife that will be impacted with such a large scale development on greenbelt land?
3. With such a large scale proposal why hasn't the local communities been properly consulted and informed?
4. Why is it seen that the A127 has a better scope for improvements and expansion than the A12 when nothing has been done to tackle the current congestion level for existing traffic and basics such as straightening out the Fortune of War roundabout as this has been deemed far too expensive for so many years? Widening of the A127 will only consume more Green Belt Land.
5. Why does Brentwood Council appear to favour the majority of its developments at its most extreme of borders affecting towns other than its own?
6. Why is the deadline for this consultation so short when it will affect so many?

I am logging my objection to the above SGO.

Firstly this is precious protected by law greenbelt land, it homes our much needed wildlife. The farmland is equally as precious as it is ancient land. Heron Hall I understand is a listed building? There are no special circumstances to allow building on this greenbelt/ farmbelt.

I cannot believe that you are also considering making both the a127 and a128 busier than they already are. The roads are already gridlocked and dangerous and developing on this land, providing more housing will make matters worse. I also commute to work on my bike each day and have encountered several near misses on both the a127 and a128. The roads are already overpopulated and dangerous and cannot accommodate traffic at present.

There is no infrastructure in place to accommodate these new proposed developments. - primary & secondary schools are already oversubscribed and full to capacity so are doctors surgeries, dentist and local hospitals and other services.

These development plans will de-value current housing in the area and as a homeowner in the village for 20 years I am extremely angry that you are proposing these developments. I live here because I enjoy village life. Let's keep things that way.

I would also like to add that my whole family feel that the whole consultation procedure has been rather underhanded and most residents in the village are uninformed due to the councils negligence to provide important information regarding their surroundings. The questionnaire is completely flawed and the whole local plan appears to be for monetary gain only. The local plan goes against common sense and logic.

I am logging my objection to the above SGO.

Firstly this is precious protected by law greenbelt land, it homes our much needed wildlife. The farmland is equally as precious as it is ancient land. Heron Hall I understand is a listed building? There are no special circumstances to allow building on this greenbelt/ farmbelt.

I cannot believe that you are also considering making both the a127 and a128 busier than they already are. The roads are already gridlocked and dangerous and developing on this land, providing more housing will make matters worse. I also commute to work on my bike each day and have encountered several near misses on both the a127 and a128. The roads are already overpopulated and dangerous and cannot accommodate traffic at present.

There is no infrastructure in place to accommodate these new proposed developments. - primary & secondary schools are already oversubscribed and full to capacity so are doctors surgeries, dentist and local hospitals and other services.

These development plans will de-value current housing in the area and as a homeowner in the village for 20 years I am extremely angry that you are proposing these developments. I live here because I enjoy village life. Let's keep things that way.

I would also like to add that my whole family feel that the whole consultation procedure has been rather underhanded and most residents in the village are uninformed due to the councils negligence to provide important information regarding their surroundings. The questionnaire is completely flawed and the whole local plan appears to be for monetary gain only. The local plan goes against common sense and logic.

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I would like you to register my OBJECTION to Brentwoods Strategic Growth Options Consultation for the following reasons:

I do not believe that any greenbelt land should be built on, and that brown field sites should be used instead, or derelict buildings and un-used factories. Greenbelt land was put into place to stop urban sprawl, I do not believe this should be changed. An example of greenbelt land is around the villages of Herongate and Ingrave, land mentioned in the Domesday book. An example of our heritage that could be lost forever should it be agreed that greenbelt land can be built on.

South East England, particularly Essex, is an area that is already full to the brim. Our public services are already stretched, including our hospitals, GP surgeries, schools, roads and police. Big projects such as Dunton Garden Suburb will put impossible strain on these public services. Therefore I do not think that the main infrastructure issues have been addressed at all.

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I wish to note my objection to Brentwood Council's Strategic Growth Options Consultation for a number of reasons. Firstly I do not wish to see the surrounding green belt area destroyed which is one of the reason we moved to the village. In addition, it would most certainly increase congestion in the area which is bad enough as it is. I am also concerned about the effect of the future value of my property in Ingrave as I feel I paid a premium for my property in Whitby Avenue because of the self-contained village feel, which is sure to be lost if this development goes ahead. Finally, the school situation in Ingrave and indeed brentwood is difficult enough to without adding to this stress for parents by building more houses in the area and adding to the pressure for places.


For here reasons it would be an absolute travesty if this building work went ahead our lively greenbelt. Green areas are scarce enough in this corner of the uk and we at lucky enough to live in one. Why would we want to change that. I feel it would only be to the detriment of the local area not to mention Ingrave and Hutton.

I strongly object to the proposed strategic planning proposal in Herongate and Ingrave.

This would affect the local farm land and increase the conjestion. The traffic is already bad in the villages and as a result there is a current campaign to reduce the speed to 20, following a number of accidents.

Of course the biggest issue is that this is green belt land

I strongly object to the proposed strategic planning proposal in Herongate and Ingrave.

This would affect the local farm land and increase the conjestion. The traffic is already bad in the villages and as a result there is a current campaign to reduce the speed to 20, following a number of accidents.

Of course the biggest issue is that this is green belt land and I firmly believe we should protect this as it was created for very good reason

I wish to object to a new housing development in Doddinghurst. We are a village and green belt is very precious , once built on it is lost for ever. The infrastructure of the village would not be able to cope i.e.school , roads- Doctors etc so if more house were to be built we would have to build bigger schools etc and then we would become more like a small town instead of a village. Brown fields sites should be found and used before destroying our village way of life.

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I am responding to the above concerning the various proposals to build extensively in the vicinity of Brentwood.

My Wife and I have lived here since 1959 and the changes that have taken place since then in Brentwood itself and the surrounding areas make it difficult to remember it in those days. The population has increased considerably and the thought of a very large number of new homes is not in the least appealing.

The infrastructure is creaking at the seams already; traffic congestion, lack of parking spaces, pressures on doctors' surgeries and dentists, school places etc come easily to mind and further large scale development is only going to add to the difficulties. In addition, the loss of Green Belt land is also a loss of amenity and of food production that will not be able to be reversed. Because of these factors, my Wife and I are completely opposed to these proposals and trust that they will be defeated.

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I object to the Brentwood Strategic Growth Options Consultation that is currently being debated. I have lived in Hook End a small hamlet outside Brentwood town for 7 years now, and I love living here. It is green, with wide open spaces and plenty of woodland walks. This cherished countryside offers me and my family, including the dog, much needed fitness, leisure and relaxation time.

I understand the need for more homes, but that need must not be allowed to take the place of our green belt areas. These must be protected at all costs. There is too much at stake and we will lose too much if these proposals go ahead. We need agricultural and grazing land for food. We need space for grass, hedgerows, meadows and ponds for the multitude of wildlife that inhabits the Essex countryside. We know from past experience that if you keep building, taking away green space, concreting it over that does irreversible harm to the environment.

Then there is the need for other services? You cannot just build houses, and homes and not build more schools, hospitals, doctors surgeries and other facilities. The local NHS facilities are already stretched in this area, why make it more difficult.

Has the increase in traffic, been considered. Our roads are in a bad enough state without even more, heavy traffic continuously thundering over our roads and country lanes.

So why do we need to do it? There must be other areas to look at.

I hope that my objection to the current plan is heard.

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Email: Please note I am not in favour of any development in West Horndon Village.

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I object to the above SGO development plan on the basis that the land earmarked is protected greenbelt and farmland. I live in Billericay Road which cannot accommodate present traffic flow as it is! The A128 is gridlocked most days and there have been several accidents on this stretch of road involving school children. This is also going to impact greatly on the current traffic overburdened A127.

There is no infrastructure in place to accommodate either traffic or residents from these new proposed developments. I.e, primary/secondary schools are already oversubscribed and full to capacity as are the doctors surgeries and hospitals, local services and amenities.

The said greenbelt is a natural habitat for many wildlife species and there is no special circumstances to build on this land.

These development plans will de-value current housing in the area and turn the villages into urban sprawl. This is completely un-acceptable. I have lived here for almost 20 years and chose to live in a village environment. Let's not change the character and charm of these villages.