The Echo report is here.
by Philip Jones
BATTLE lines have been drawn over plans for 500 new homes west of Rayleigh as councillors insist the town cannot cope with extra traffic.
Developer Countryside has submitted an outline application to Rochford District Council, but Rayleigh town councillors strongly railed against the plans on the grounds of overdevelopment and a lack of adequate roads.
The town council argues righthand filter lanes, for access to the site between London Road and Rawreth Lane, simply will not cope with the extra traffic associated with 500 new homes.
Councillor Chris Lumley said: ?In 1777, there was London Road, Rawreth Lane and Downhall Road, more than 200 years later these are still the same basic roads we use.
?They cannot cope with the current traffic in Rayleigh, adding 500 more homes and their cars, will be a nightmare.?
Recent roadworks to Beeches Bridge, Hullbridge, have closed Watery Lane and forced villagers to use Rawreth Lane, leading to long delays on that and surrounding roads.
Councillor Bruce Smart said: ?One day there will be an emergency vehicle that will not be able to get where it needs to go because the correct roads have not been put in.?
Rayleigh Town Council?s planning committee voted, almost without objection, against the outline application and called for a full traffic survey to be carried out to assess the impact of the new homes.
Residents were allowed to speak at the beginning of the meeting, with all of them raising similar concerns over congestion.
Tim [sic] Cripps said: ?Rawreth Lane is just that, a lane, it is not a highway.
?Putting T-junctions in there, and on London Road, will cause mayhem, to add to the chaos we already have.?
Chairman of the Rayleigh Action Group, Linda Kendall, of Lubbards Close, is currently waiting to hear the result of her High Court challenge to Rochford District Council, which could stop these homes being build.
She said: ?We have to stop Countryside getting outline planning because once they do, they will just bulldoze everything else through.?
The outline application will be heard by a meeting of the Rochford District Council development committee on an, as yet, undecided date.
I endorse Chris & Bruce’s comments wholeheartedly!! Last Monday I needed to get to Eastwood to pick up my grandaughter. A journey that normally takes 20 mins, even with roadworks, took 45mins, & another 45 mins back! And this was apparently due to a burst water main in Basildon!
As soon as there is a problem on the A127 or A13 everything diverts onto the London Rd/Rawreth Lane/Eastwood Rd, plus all the side roads like Bull Lane, until the whole area in gridlocked.When are those responsible going to do a realistic, “actual” traffic survey?
I agree with Bruce too about the problems faced by emergency vehicles. On whose conscience would it be if they couldn’t get to a serious situation?
Trouble is, who listens to us? One gets very cynical, & wonders what hidden agendas might lurk behind such decisions? Oh well, we keep on keeping on, in the hope someone, somewhere will eventually realise the reality of building all these houses in an already overcrowded part of Rayleigh.
There are a large number of traffic counters around central Rayleigh. Who have these been installed by, and for what purpose?
Sean , its being done by Essex CC – This is to measure traffic turning movements and pedestrian crossings to create a proper computer model that can used to examine how to improve traffic flow around the town centre.
Janet, it’s funny but I bet the person in the car behind yours was saying exactly the same……????
on Wednesday the A129 was closed due to flooding for about 4 hours, Old London Road which has a width restriction had buses articulate lorries cars all trying to find ways to Wickford absolute chaos. When will Rochford Council Wake up and realise these road were never built for the amount of traffic there is now without the increase if these house are built.Perhaps if more of the committee members lived nearer Rayleigh West or as we prefer call it Rawreth they would see the congestion drivers put up with weekdays getting to and home from work.
Bruce Smart sensibly made the point about emergency vehicles at the Town Council meeting on Monday. Last night at midnight my toddler grand daughter need to get to Southend Hospital ASAP to be treated for a choking condition. It took the ambulance crew just 15 minutes to get her into resus I cannot imagine what would have happened if it had been rush hour. (she is on the mend). Tonight I have received a report about an emergency ambulance that was attempting to get through Rawreth Lane last week with its blue lights and sirens but had to turn back, reversing into a farm track to take another route. We need to know what happened on that occasion. My contact has the details of time etc. so perhaps one of our Councillors will take it up with the ambulance service to reinforce our case on congestion before someone perishes due to the idiocy of RDC and ECC as to traffic issues in this area.
The media is reporting that Eric Pickles has changed the planning laws specifically to protect the Green Belt. Does anyone know how this affects the Rochford situation?
Part of the problem was that the road closed sign at the Carpenters was positioned so you could still drive down the road, mainly because our end of the road was flood free so we could come and go quite happily. It did though mean that other drivers disbelieved the sign and just carried on until they could go no further
@ 5 –
The fact that they don’t live hereabouts is exactly why their core plan proposes to put the lion share of government housing quotas and Traveller Sites – as far away from their own Wards as possible. Mind you I have a bigger issue with those Rayleigh
based Councillors who vote as they are ordered by the Cabinet Whip instead of standing up for Rayleigh.
The demographic data for the Rochford area shows only a steady local growth and nowhere near the “required quota” of housing is needed, in fact local Brown Field site and infill building would satisfy local needs ( if people could afford them ) – Bullwood Hall site , convert it into affordable Flats and get youngsters on the ladder.
Brian @ 7 – the U turn is directly related to grass roots feedback , the heartland Tory blue rise brigade are not happy with their rural ideal being spoilt , Government are worried about losing votes ( next year ) hence the new spin on it . Too late to stop all
the Core Plans though …….
Linda @ 6, please email me with more details.
On Wednesday Night about 12.30am a ambulance was up and down Old London Road on blue lights obviously trying to find its destination, I know the A129 was closed at the junction of Old London Road, a problem under the bridge. let’s hope it arrived on time
With or without new housing improvements in the road system are needed. Hopefully no one has suffered in the incidents listed.
Chris. My contact has put the details through my door so have them to hand. What do you need date, exact time and name of witness? I reason Essex Ambulance will have a record of the contact with the emergency crew who often get the flack when delayed, likewise the Old London Road incident just posted.
The Old London Road one highlights the lack of street light issue as well because my conversation with a paramedic attending my Mum in laws home last weekend indicated they are seriously worried by that stupid decision of ECC which incidently has nothing to do with money and everything to do with an EU Directive on Carbon Emissions. ECC can’t/won’t insulate every building they are responsible for to preserve energy as required so switching off the lights became a ‘easy’ option.
Linda, that info will be good start. I don’t exactly know what I do need, never had to contact the ambulance service before with such a question…
Linda,
Don’t worry too much, next year Nigels party will be in charge and all this Euro cobblers will be a bad dream. I challenge any right thinking person to disagree with the best politician in the UK. See below.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2789592/nigel-farage-did-win-don-t-play-fools.html
Jim, no mention of you know who…..????
Reducing energy consumption from streetlights is a good idea, in the same that making cars more fuel efficient is a good idea. But it can be done by introducing more energy-efficient lighting. I don’t read about streetlights being turned off in other parts of the EU. Or even in most parts of the UK.
Jim @9, The Bullwood Hall option for accommodation of any form is good but it is off one of the very roads highlighted by Cllr. Chris Lumley in the article by Philip Jones above. Any new development onto this road, be it from Rochford, Hawkwell, Hockley or Rayleigh will add traffic to Rawreth Lane and London Road as we all know to well.
Another example linked to post 1 above. I needed to get to Hadleigh at 5.15pm on Friday afternoon. BBC Essex Radio informed me that the A127 was blocked by an accident approching Kent Elms Corner and that another accident on the road from Rayleigh Weir to the High Street had closed that. I decided to take a gamble and go west on Rawreth Lane then take A1245 & A130 via Saddlers Farm roundabout to join the A13 to Hadleigh. There was hardly any traffic all the way and the A13, even through the Tarpots Junction, was a pleasure to use. Journey time was 15 minutes. This is further proof that conjestion is concentrated on the roads to the north of the A127.
Old London Road and Church Road are flooded today 13th Oct can’t get out in any direction really depressing residence in Church Road reduced to tears.High tide 4 20pm keeping fingers cross,
Oz in 17 above – spotted your note , your reforming – good lad.
Not sure about Nigel and Co myself but , if only to shake up the cosy Westminster club , it is the only way that will lead to the change in governance system we need.
I think the public are ,at last, waking up to the erosion of democracy and I hope there
are 3 bloody noses at the General Election – so we are as one on that point.
Collins @ 20. Seems to happen every time it rains now. Last night’s and today’s rain wasn’t that exceptional, it’s Autumn, you expect to get days where you have rain for 10 or 12 hours, and even though it did throw it down every now and then it wasn’t a torrential downpour the whole time, there were breaks. Existing drains need a lot of high level maintenance, brooks need dredging and deepening and freeing of any obstructions before they even think about any more building.
Chris and team,
A little suggestion for the web site, how about a Like and Dislike ( could be agree / disagree ) button next to each post. One way of seeing how folks feel.
The capacity of the main channel of the Crouch from Battlesbridgce is badly compromised by the silting up and the excessive weed growth ,this is slowing up the water.For a change the weirs were not the problem yesterday .When there was regular barge traffic the river was kept clear .As Christine points out clearing of brooks will help but there has to be the capacity to recieve the amount of water. Conversely the silt and weed does reduce the threat of tidal floods .
Christine @22. Totally agree, this isn’t exceptional weather.
Oz @ 232. Do you mean for posts or for comments?
Chris, I was thinking about the comments, what do you think ?
Not keen on having a ‘downvote’ button, that might discourage people from commenting. Maybe an upvote button – will have a look at the possible plugins in the next few days.
500 new homes in Rayleigh ??? This is news to me !!! . Flooding in Rayleigh ??? Where ? When ? – FYI – I have had my photograph taken over 300 times in the past 12 months 🙂
One point Chris Lumley failed to point out was that the road layout may date from 1777, was that in the 1860’s we were blessed with a Railwayline so that now most cross town traffic funnels under two bridges…….a radical re-evaluation of the towns traffic flow is required
Invisible at 29- I think your point is made… probably no need to repeat it again…
Invisible @29, probably best you try the ECHO web site……more your style.
Er, Admin, that’s a Lib Doomed response if ever there was one. You cannot please everybody, man up and put voting buttons on, if you get voted down so what…you can’t have just agree buttons….????
Why not? Thats how Facebook does it.