Infrastructure Components

July

31

45 comments

essex design guide

By special request…. here’s a short post to give people a chance to leave comments about infrastructure…

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  • OK – I can start by listing the RDC committments made in the ( unmanned ) display
    at the Rayleigh Mill in March ’14 , plus some items not listed but within the Allocations document put before the Government Inspector in order to get the nod .
    Hopefully this will act as a checklist to measure what is showing on the Planning Application plot plans put forward by Countryside and others this Summer ? :-

    1. New Primary School – ( already cancelled )

    2. New & Enhanced facilities for RTSSC – ( already cancelled )

    3.Local highway capacity improvements – ( none planned by ECC as yet ?)

    4.Youth & Community Facilities – ( not shown on initial Countryside plot plan ?)

    5.Play Space

    6. Public Transport improvements – ( inc link between London Rd & Rawreth Lane)

    7.Sustainable drainage systems – ( hope so !!!!! )

    8. Commercial Units – ( within the ‘estate ‘ – a Surgery perhaps ? )

    9. A link and enhancements to local Bridleway – ( ? )

    10. Public Park land to provide a buffer between the ‘estate’ and the A1245

    CHRIS – presumably we will get a heads up warning of any planning application, hope
    the above helps for a first glance review of the submission……thanks – JIM

  • On sustainable drainage – there are many roads in and around Rawreth that still do not have mains drainage. This inevitably leads to contaminated water flowing down the streets at times of flooding. Given the “natural” increase in flooding that appears to be happening, plus the increase that will come from run off from yet more building shouldn’t someone somewhere be encouraging Anglian Water to connect people to mains drainage, or at least lay the necessary pipework so people can get connections done if they want to. This is an aspect of flooding that seems to have been pretty much overlooked

  • Christine – on the other thread ( Chris Lumley’s letter ) I explained the ludicrous obligation on the Water Co to absorb any and all connections throw at them ,without
    Consultation.
    Most of the “rules” were established many,many moons ago ( as was the sizing of
    Mains ) when the utilities were Nationalised industries. Since then they have all been privatised ( ie:- profit driven ) so I would suggest not the best formulae for a business model – thus a tendency towards ” if it ain’t broke don’t fix it “, which is spin for wait till it goes wrong ( Fairglen Interchange Pumping Unit for example ).
    I am starting to think that rather than a deliberate attack on West Rayleigh ( re:-Allocations Document ) it is just plain incompetance within RDC – given the Planning portfolio has changed hands 3 times in as many weeks ( hot potato ?). Does the new
    man have a CV relating to Planning/ Transportation matters – I don’t think so !!!!!.

  • No mention of any doctors surgery. How long are people waiting for an appointment at present and it will grow worse with an ageing population. Rayleigh Town Council policy is to try for a new health facility and I hope there will be no back tracking on this.

  • Good point Bruce. I have to say I don’t have any problem getting an appointment when I need one, but I do know that people who are with Rayleigh surgeries have a lot of problems, especially those who are at work and can’t sit on the phone all morning from 8.30 trying to get through to the doctors. However, I can see Rawreth having a big problem when these new houses come. The nearest surgery to them is Downhall Park, one full time doctor, one full time nurse, currently one two day a week locum, small premises, essentially a converted private house, no room to expand. Those of us who live Wickford side of Carpenters roundabout and Rayleigh side of Shotgate, already have no choice of GP, it’s one or nothing. Rayleigh won’t take us, their catchment stops at the Carpenter roundabout, Wickford and Shotgate won’t take us, they stop at the roundabout for Shotgate Industral Estate. Some people may be with Wickford or Rayleigh doctors historically, but when we moved here over 20 years ago we were faced with a choice of just one, and it hasn’t improved since then. If Downhall Park gets overwhelmed with new patients, which as the nearest surgery it could well do, then we are the ones who will get caught up in the fall out. And what about Dentists, we aren’t exactly tripping over those every few yards either.

  • So, has anyone else received the notification of the modifications to the submitted outline planning application ( North of London Rd ) ? – Developer has obviously been
    where he needs to tighten it up for approval. Does’nt change any of the root ‘overwhelming the infrastructure issues ‘ as far as I can see.

  • Didn’t get one of the letters, but I’ve seen the details. As far as I can see a bit of tinkering to try and get it through doesn’t change the basic objections to lack of infrastructure, flood risk etc.

  • I received one due to the fact that, having made formal objections throughout the Local Development Framework proceedures, RDC are obliged to keep me informed unless I opt out.

  • I see Countryside and their chums ( Chelmsford Councillors this time ) are at it again –
    3600 new homes as an extension to Bealieu Park in Chelmsford , but of course it won’t impact local traffic or the A12…..,.,,????

  • Jim, this is nothing new – this has been on the cards for a number of years with plans available to view for at least the last 2, the road infrastructure has long since started complete with a road that will bypass the already congested Springfield Road. Given that this development also gives Chelmsford an additional train station (Boreham) this is a well thought out development.

  • I think your calculations are somewhat flawed, will EVERY house have 4 people living in it? I find that highly unlikely. I kind of feel that there is not a housing development in this country that would meet with your approval! We have an increasing population in this country, where would you like to put them? Or perhaps we should turn our parks to tent cities? You consistently moan about the lack of infrastructure with the development proposed in Rayleigh, yet that is not an issue with this development, yet it’s still not good enough for you! Perhaps you don’t think it’s a well thought out development. I do!

  • Fine , we are all entitled to an opinion – I just do not share your faith in ‘Developers’ working in the public interest , and the fact is that most elements of the Infrastructure
    ( ie: the NHS ) cannot cope with this county wide development ( Similar schemes in Brentwood/Basildon/Rochford/Castle Point/Southend ).
    As to the housing need , the facts are that local indigenous Demographics show only
    a medium/ steady rise over the last 20 years , which could be covered by Brown Field and Infill building – the propaganda is for accommodating the displacement from the myopic London expansion plans. And the developers are rubbing their hands in glee.
    We can argue about individual development numbers of people but add it all together
    accross the county and it will significantly impact all of us – have you tried A+E lately?.

  • Well Jim, as Nick Clegg said (I think today), the money for the roads isn’t new , the amounts involved had already been announced , today’s news was about where it would be spent.
    And as for the NHS – the coalition is sorting out the economy, the economy is better now, unemployment is down, so lets improve the NHS.

  • Well according to my paper today ( i ) ” British Government borrowing to rise by a further £75 Billion ” – I don’t see that as sorting out the economy , that’s just living on the never-never ( again )- just like the so called Labour Party did.

  • Before everyone jumps up and down with glee did you happen to notice that virtually all the money for roads is in marginal constituencies. Check how much is coming to South East Essex to sort out our traffic nightmares! Note:- You wont need a calculator.

  • I suppose our politicians can’t work out that if you ‘import’ a million low paid workers and then have to give them tax credits to pay for their rented homes and council tax it is a false economy. Plus when these low paid workers decide to bring their aged parents over to live with them they impact on our NHS without contributing one penny. The qualify for income support even if they can’t get a state pension. Plus again perhaps it would do a few MP’s a power of good if they visited a boot fair locally and spent five minutes counting the number of pregnant women from the immigrant communities, all costing the tax payer and the NHS a fortune again having not contributed a penny/euro or any other currency towards their situation. We are being made mugs at every turn and the people are now waking up to that fact. A little too late.

  • Linda @ 18, be careful, you will have the do gooder right on lefty liberal brigade getting up a posse to drive you out of town soon, but hey, don’t worry too much, Nigel is coming over the horizon to save us all.

    I note that Euro Claggy was absent in Parliment today but it did not matter, nobody listens to a word he says anyway………

  • Oz, I like the way you gently mock Nigel in almost the same way that you mock Nick, but if successful UKIP aren’t going to save us from anything!

    Just make the economy worse (though maybe some bankers will do OK), lead to the break up of the UK (because I don’t see Scotland staying in a UKIP-run UK) and have just about everything here owned by China or India in 20 years. There’s something worse than a country with immigration issues … and that’s a country with too much emigration, particularly among its young people…

  • I think it is much worse than just Scotland breaking away , both Northern Island and Wales are already semi-detached and the big cities/generic regions are already asking for the same deals – so you have to ask why.
    Mrs Thatcher ( advised by her fiscal guru from the USA ) pulled the plug on the manufacturing base of this country in favour of the “service industries “.
    Her biggest disciple ( Tony Blair ) carried on her legacy by betraying the working class
    and courting the ‘floating middle class vote’ to get into office and open the door to further the “service industries” ( ie: cheap labour ).
    In the last few weeks the coalition have been making much of measuring their success by referring to our manufacturing base statistics – so manufacturing does matter then ?. And where is the service industry – minimum wage / zero hour contracts and still , we are told , we need unrestrained immigration to fulfil the need.
    We all live in the comfortably middle class South East , it is a very different world North of the Watford Gap and that is why this country is breaking up into the old tribal regions where we began – get set for a multi- party coalition government ( like Italy ).

  • But I forgot to mention one of the biggest impacts of those previous government decisions and that is Apprenticeships – by dismantling our manufacturing base it
    took away the need for training the next generation. Now we are told that we need
    to welcome young / clever people from overseas to resource our technical needs!!!!.

    NO – we need well thought out ,long term policies for the future ,that serve our own youth not the rest of the worlds problems , what we have/are doing is always short term – serving only the established vested interest.

    I know it makes you smile when I say we need a British Spring – but we do!!!!.

    • I think the government is awake now to the need for apprenticeships – there are plenty of adverts on the radio promoting them to companies.

      In thus instance it may be short-termism on behalf of companies.

  • SO, just 10 days to the 29/01 – Planning Meeting ( Houses North of London Rd ) ,
    Who is planning to attend :-

    Our MP ?
    CHRIS Black ( Downhall and Rawreth ) – yes
    Ron Oatham ( Downhall and Rawreth ) -?
    Rawreth Parish Council – ?
    Rayleigh Town Council – I believe so.
    Me – yes
    Any of you other regular posters?

  • As you know the Mighty Oz knows all, so here is my prediction….the new houses will get built come what may. No new roads, No new bus routes, No new schools, No new surgeries, in fact, no new nothing except houses. BUT if you personally have had children and contributed to the population growth, drive a car, get ill or need a bus, please don’t moan. You are the problem…….just like the rest of us. A fact that nobody has yet to challenge, nothing to do with me of course, it’s everybody else…..would write more but need to get my protest banner up…????

  • No vision – the Westwards development of the land between London Rd and Rawreth Lane has been going on for decades ( without any meaningful road upgrades ) and will continue to do so until it reaches the A1245.
    This current phase ( Countryside ) should not be connected to either road ,instead a
    new East-West road should be connecting to the A1245 – that would preclude extra direct traffic ( turning right in or out of the site ) accross both lanes of the already gridlocked Rawreth Lane / London Rd. And what is more that new road would have to be paid for by Countryside in order to get planning permission – but it won’t , the roads will be an ECC responsibility and they have no funding – so as usual nothing will be done.
    Why , because what can be done at the East end of both existing roads ?- years of no vision has properties built right up to the edge of the roads so no room for widening to ease turn off / congestion ; Hambro Corner – OK a filter lane left to Hullbridge but what about traffic coming from Hullbridge how are you going to solve that, looking forward to 10 years of large/ heavy Construction traffic serving two simultaneous developments of 500.

  • You are right Jim .No vision .Look at the newest developments along Rawreth Lane and London Road.They are a series of self contained enclaves with no inter connection all traffic has to access either road ,giving no possibilities of public transport. Add this to the ever increasing traffic from the east and we have gridlock but hey planners seem surprised and recommend a little modification at both ends of Rawreth Lane .I despair of the lack of the greater needs of the Peninsula where there is only one way out .I never thought I would support an outer ring road from Southend which needs to escape northwards over the Crouch to link in with a newly dualled A132 into the A130 at Rettendon ,immediately relieving A127 ,so encouraging the desperately needed investment in and around Southend .We need jobs for these people not dormitories!

  • UPDATE – to my #27 above :-
    Our MP will be speaking
    Rawreth Parish will be speaking
    Rayleigh Town Council will be speaking
    Linda Kendall will now be speaking
    All against !!!!!
    Presumably the applicant ( Countryside ) will be speaking for…[edited]
    The question is how many Councillors will speak ( either
    for or against !!!!!!!!! ????) in
    particular Rayleigh Councillors in general.
    Is anyone on here going to attend – TOMORROW EVENING 7:30pm ).

  • OH NO SHE IS’NT – apparently Londa has now been blocked ( by RDC ) from speaking tomorrow , after being told she could , which reversed the first decision
    that she could’nt. What a bunch of amateurs we elected to represent us ????.

  • RDC have even tried to remove the emails sent telling me they had changed their original decision to refuse me the right to speak at the Committee meeting. Having advised that Cllr Capon had secured the agreement and I could participate I then received a telephone call advising the change of decision from the Committee Clerk. I asked who had caused the change of position and she advised it was Shaun Scrutton Head of Planning and Albert Bujega the Head of Legal services. I requested confirmation of the decision via email and she agreed but the email never arrived. Instead the employee tried (unsuccessfully) to retracted her previously sent emails (under instruction no doubt). What a shower! We pay some RDC employees in excess of £85,000 a year plus expenses from our Council Tax. I am on an exercise to check just how much Councillor Cutmore receives from his role as Leader of RDC and the added County Council position he holds. The top up fee for being just Leader of RDC is apparently £21,250. Austerity and the need to switch off our lights etc. didn’t you know!

  • In the face of it not good, but….the two people who are alleged to have made the decision to stop Linda speaking are not elected councillors, they are employees.

    • I think the problem is that the developers may consider that council rules weren’t being followed properly, and they might make a legal challenge were the application be refused tonight or any extra conditions added… I do NOT think that Shaun Scrutton was against this in principle. The confirmation of public speakers is not under his control anyway.

  • Admin – that says it all , the ‘Developers’ are in control and in a position to dictate policy – democracy ebbing away again…….I despair for this area.

  • Given the Council spent years and £2.1million on not realising the roads and flooding are the big issue – I would suggest it is time for the Chief Technical Advisor to consider his credibility in recommending acceptance of this application , and do the honourable thing NOW.

  • Well said Jim. In fact I think we should all, including our MP, be calling for a full Public Enquiry as to how this situation got so far when it is abundantly clear the infrastructure was inadequate when they started the process. It was already flood plain and we had traffic mayhem then. We don’t need resignations we need sackings with loss of pension and the shaming of the Councillors who have supported all this. We need to know why they have done that and who for. Can someone tell me how last night the octogenarian Councillor Cllr Heather Glynn managed to equate open greenbelt farmland, that is the backdrop of our town , with building on a disused brown field gas works developed previously?

  • Nope – I did’nt follow that logic either , even the Chairman ask her to stick to the matter under discussion , talk about your life in their hands……????

  • The Echo has been running a piece on the recent ( recurring ) local Highway problems for the last week or so, culminating with interviews with those responsible
    in the Thursday edition.
    They admit there is little they can do about it …..
    That additional developments will make it worse …….
    It will be four years ( 2019 ) before a big spend on Fairglen Interchange……

    The lunatics have taken over the Asylum….

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