For everyone trying to understand what is proposed to the west of Rayleigh, here’s a map – hand-traced from a scale map. Double-click on it to enlarge.
It shows :
550 Houses “North of London Road” – the site also includes at least 4 hectares / 10 acres of open space, and land for a primary school.
222 houses where Rawreth Industrial Estate is now.
Employment land South of London Road, near Swallow Nurseries. Existing businesses there could continue, with a smallish area for light industy on western side ,and land for offices to the east.
An industrial site near the Fairglen interchange, for heavier industrial uses and maybe a civic amenity site. Behind a buffer would be the traveller site, council-owned and council-run.
The map also shows Rawreth Hall, Macro and Sweyne Park but these are just there as markers, they should not be affected in any way!
Going back to the council meeting on November 27th last year, we reported:
Last night the District Council approved the latest stage of the Core Strategy ? the specific allocations for housing and other development. This will now go to public consultation, on whether it is sound and legal?
The Conservatives voted it through (although Cllr Angela Hale from Hullbridge abstained.)
The Lib Dems present and the Greens all voted against.
Setting out the Lib Dem objections, Chris Black said that
the council still couldn?t say what improvements were needed to Watery Lane,
there hadn?t been a traffic impact study on the cumulative effect of the sites to the west of Rayleigh,
the new open spaces were small compared with open places like Sweyne Park
Rayleigh Sports and Social Club were being bullied by the council – into being relocated so that houses could be built on their present site.
I have recently been told that Little Wheatleys Garden Centre is up for sale and that Asda and Sainsbury’s are interested, both feel it’s a good place for them because of all the new development.
Is it likely a supermarket of some sort could get planning permission on that site given it is almost next to the “Employment Land”?
If some sort of stand isn’t taken we will end up with continuous development from Billericay through to Southend with no gaps in between and all green belt gone. If we don’t call a halt soon we will turn into a concrete jungle. Green belt is there for a reason, it was to stop urban sprawl. All this development will do is clog up roads and put strain on services that are already buckling at the seams – oh yes, and make money for developers.
Christine, we’re inquiring about your question…. may need to reply to you privately…
OK thanks.