Hawkwell residents may well be interested in what Residents Councillor John Mason has put on his website today:
David Wilson Homes are intending to apply for 370 homes in the Rectory Road area and are holding an exhibition at the Clements Hall Leisure Centre!
The exhibition will be held at:
Rochford Suite – Studio 1, Clements Hall Leisure Centre, Clements Hall Way, Hawkwell, SS5 4LN
Thursday 30th July, 12pm – 5pm
Saturday 1st August, 10am – 2pm
More details on John’s site.
From the Echo – 28 July 2009
Builders still hope to cash in on housing plan
IT is known 2,400 new homes have been earmarked for across the Rochford district, but it is not known exactly where they will go. The local development framework, a blueprint for Rochford’s development until 2021, has been at the centre of a furious argument since it was first produced.
The initial plans were for 1,600 new homes in Rayleigh, but public pressure forced this to be reduced to 800. However, there is still concern about this number and the council has said major infrastructure improvements will be needed before building goes ahead.
Public pressure and angry protest meetings also led to the reduction of the number of homes planned for Hawkwell, which were dropped from 330 to 175.
Despite the allocation of the local plan, developers are still putting forward proposals for the land they own.
They hope if councillors reject a scheme because of the local plan, it could get approved by a Government inspector on appeal.
The Colonnade Group has also held a public exhibition for a large housing estate at Coombes Farm, off Stambridge Road, in Rochford, although no planning application has been put forward.
The housing has been forced upon the district by targets set in the East of England Plan.
From the Echo on 28 July 2009
370 homes on green belt
DEVELOPERS are planning 370 new homes on green belt land in Hawkwell.
David Wilson Homes will reveal its proposals at two public exhibitions at Clements Hall Leisure Centre on Thursday and Saturday.
The company wants to build the homes on land off Rectory Road, taking in the area known as Christmas Tree Farm, as well as surrounding agricultural land.
It is more than double the amount Rochford District Council wants to see.
John Mason, Hawkwell Independent councillor, has fought against previous applications for housing in the village.
He said: “This is an interesting development and it seems to be very premature in any case.”Opposition in the area has already brought the number of homes in Hawkwell proposed up to 2021 down from 330 to 175 and now we find a proposal for 370 from a developer.”As a planning application is involved, it is difficult to comment on this scheme until we know the full details, which will obviously have to be looked at on their merits.”At first sight, I would say this will need a great deal of explanation before local people would accept it.”
David Parker, 73, of Rectory Road, said: “We just do not want more housing in the area. We are already overcrowded and we haven’t got the roads or the other infrastructure to cope.”
Keith Hudson, Rochford district councillor responsible for planning, said the council had reduced the number of homes from 330 to 175 in the core strategy after listening to the views of residents.
He added: “Any application which is put in by David Wilson Homes will be looked at in the same way as any other and will be considered against local and national planning policy as well as the council’s local development framework.”
Kay Patrick, spokeswoman for David Wilson, said: “Rectory Road is one of the sites which may be designated for future housing.
“David Wilson Homes is proposing to develop a residential scheme of 370 homes and is preparing to submit a planning application.
“The exhibition will seek the opinion of local residents to inform the planning process.”
The exhibitions will be held at the Rochford Suite, Clements Hall Leisure Centre, Clements Hall Way, Hawkwell, on Thursday, between noon and 5pm and on Saturday August 1 between 10am and 2pm.
John, I think you will find that it was 1,800 homes that was earmarked for Rayleigh