Reduce housing and industrial units proposed for West Horndon Parish, with particular regard to Dunton Hills Garden Village.

Dear

BRENTWOOD BOROUGH LOCAL PLAN 2016 -2033
RE-OPENED PRE-SUBMISSION REGULATION 19 CONSULTATION

As you are aware, the Pre-Submission Regulation 19 Consultation on the Brentwood Borough Local Plan 2016 - 2033 has been re-opened. This follows a decision by the Borough Council to re-examine housing proposals at four sites in Blackmore and Shenfield. It has been recommended that the housing stock at these four sites will be reduced by seventy homes and this displaced number will be added to the homes to be provided at the proposed Dunton Hills Garden Village. This will be done over the lifespan of the Local Plan.

I write on behalf of West Horndon Parish Council: the Parish that will have to absorb these additional 70 homes. It would be very easy to dismiss this relatively small number of properties given the proposed size of Dunton Hills Garden Village. However, this ignores the fact that these homes will exacerbate an already ill-conceived and poorly planned new Garden Village.

As the central Government requirement to provide new housing within Brentwood Borough has grown, the size of the Garden Village has increased to meet the perceived demand. During the drawing up of the Local Development Plan various lobbying in respect of different proposed sites has taken place and the size of the proposed Dunton Hills Garden Village has grown and grown. It is stated in the Borough Plan that Brentwood is a borough of villages. However, West Horndon Parish, at the southern extreme of the Borough, is being expected to provide a disproportionate amount of the necessary housing and industrial development. It is difficult not to draw the conclusion that Dunton Hills Garden Village is being used as an excuse to ensure that other parts of the Borough do not have to experience the upheaval that will result from extended building works over a number of years.

As noted in earlier representations, the Regulation 19 Local Plan is not consistent in respect of Dunton Hills Garden Village with National Policy. Sustainable development, in terms of providing suitable transportation links, and meeting the challenges of climate change and combatting flooding, needs to be provided. Sustainable movement in West Horndon Parish and surrounding areas is already difficult. It has been shown that it will be extremely problematic with the proposed Garden Village in place. No evidence has been provided by the Borough Council that the impact of growth on the A127 and the A128 has been appropriately assessed. Passenger numbers at West Horndon Station on the C2C line into Fenchurch Street are already at capacity, and no understanding or allowance has been made for how additional passengers can or will be accommodated.

In conclusion, this further increase in the size of the proposed Dunton Hills Garden Village is non-sustainable.

Yours sincerely,

Kim Harding
Clerk to West Horndon Parish Council