Back in November we wrote about surprise plans for a new waste site on part of Dollymans Farm, on the Rawreth / Basildon border.
Tomorrow a 6 week consultation begins on the proposal – and we will give more details about the consultation process tomorrow night.
This evening local councillors were given a presentation by County officers, and were able to ask questions and highlight issues of concern.
The basic situation is like this:
- Essex County Council and Southend have to prepare a new plan for waste disposal up to 2032.
- They prepared a plan last year with 18 sites allocated for waste disposal. They looked at some other sites – such as Dollymans Farm- but decided not to include them.
- The plan was then examined by a government inspector. She was concerned about a likely lack of capacity for disposing of construction waste from about 2026 -2032.
- The landowners made representations as to why they thought part of their land should be used for the disposal of inert material from construction sites.
- The inspector agreed that the site should be included and that the plan was unsound without it
- One of the reasons for including it is that there is an unfilled hollow left when earth was removed for building the A130.
- The land wouldn’t be raised above its previous level.
- The total quantity would be about 500,000 tonnes – equal to 14 20-tonne lorries per day for 5 years,
- Access would be from the A129 (with a road southwards through the farm to the site)
- A 6 week consultation period starts tomorrow (on this change and other changes) .
- Local councils, organisations and people can put forward evidence that they think the inspector didn’t have and might change her mind, or make suggestions for planning conditions.
- If the plan goes through, there will still need to be a planning application , that will be decided by the county council.
We asked lots of questions and raised important points – concerns about flooding (at the moment this hollow is valued as somewhere flood water might collect), dust, noise and traffic. One important matter to consider is what route the trucks should be allowed to make to go to the site. Another is phasing – if the problem for disposal is from 2026, should the site be phased to start then and no earlier?
We’ll add an update here on the consultation tomorrow night.
UPDATE: You can take part in the consultation by going to the County Council website at http://www.essex.gov.uk/Environment%20Planning/Planning/Minerals-Waste-Planning-Team/Planning-Policy/Pages/Replacement-Waste-Local-Plan.aspx
I would like to draw attention to the fact that the Dollyman’s farm area is heavily used for leisure by walkers , dog walkers and horse riders. It has several Bridleways (BW) running through it and comprises a locally unique circuit much used by horse riders in the area. This circuit includes the Pegasus crossing that we use to cross the A 129, we then ride along BW 17 past Dollymans farm, and along BW55 (Doublegate Lane) to Rawreth Barns and across the Rawreth Barn Bridge over the A130 back to the A129.
The proposed entry to this allocated site from the A 129 is very close indeed to the Pegasus crossing and the road proposed runs parallel and right next to bridleway 17. The danger, noise and dust from the heavy lorries would make any BW near the assessed site a no-go area.
These bridleways keep us off the many busy roads in the area and provide a rare and valued opportunity to ride safely in Green Belt land in the local area. On behalf of all the riders at the livery yard in Church Road Rawreth I ask you to take every action open to you to protect this Green Belt area that is so needed in our built up and densely populated area
Jayne , thanks for your message, please help get as many people as possible to respond to the consultation (if you have facebook, please post this onlinefocus item on there). We will do what we can!
And thank you for taking the trouble to write and telling us how much you care about this.
Whilst theoretically I am in favour of filling up voids ,this application has many drawbacks . Jayne above makes a very good case for horses ,walkers and indeed cyclists to have off road use. The access to the site promises years of disruption to residents along London Road . It is the remains of a very thin slither of green belt between Shotgate and westward creeping Rayleigh . The very real threat of leaching into the Rawreth Brook system as the natural drainage is direct into the brook . This could undo some of the recent improvement in water quality in the River Crouch . Unless the site is strictly controlled with what is dumped there ,much noxious material under the guise of building waste can find its way under the “radar”. The tip would make all rights of way over the area completely unusable . There is also the two memorials to the Airman ,one off which is within the perimeter of the proposal . The void could become a vital part of a flood prevention scheme to mitigate the pressures of the future developments to the East and the West,this could provide a haven for wildlife with creative planting
All good points but unless we get plenty of people formally raising objections we will not influence RDC ( in fact they ignore us anyway ) – but please do get
your objections & likely outcomes on the record as one day we might be able
to make those responsible accountable.
I’m off to do my input now….
Hi Jim – just to clarify – this isn’t RDC’s plan. It’s not even the County Council’s plan – it’s the Inspector who is supporting this.
OK but the impact will not be less because of who is foisting it on us , I expect
Parish > Town > District to fight to retain our areas character – this man made
feature ( created by the A130 ) should’nt even be there . The memorials to the
WW1 pilots who gave their lives should remain in perpetuity – not swallowed by builders rubble and the long established bridleways / foot paths sacrificed
for a rubbish tip.
Yes of course the Planning Inspector is pushing it , he has sanctioned mass housing too , and it is the Developers rubble / mess that creates the need for
a site ( how much are they contributing to any of the impacts they are creating) – peanuts.
Just imagine the traffic impact that these lorries will create on top of the
construction vehicles for mass housing ( Rayleigh – Wickford – Benfleet ),
Highway modifications at Fairglen / A130 , Industrial Estate – Traveller site &
and relocated Rayleigh Tip at Fairglen corner ( that idea came from RDC ).
We are ruled by fools……
I have read the various documents that led to this site being re- allocated as a possible site for waste disposal and below is my response on behalf of myself and my colleagues. The direct quotes are from the landowners comments and reports and make me very concerned indeed. I will be writing the letter below in my objection letter.
The Dollyman’s site was previously non-allocated partly because it is in the Green Belt and has in this document, been changed to allocated. It seems this may have been influenced by comments and reports commissioned by the landowner stating that the fact that this site is in the Green Belt should not be a considered as relevant.
I strongly reject this contention and the judgements that have been made in these reports. I and my horse riding colleagues ride through this area on a daily basis. We and the myriad of walkers and dog walkers who use the routes regularly value the area enormously. We use Bridleways that cross the land and the proximity of the new road and waste disposal site would render them effectively unusable for horses.
Please know that the Dollyman’s farm area is heavily used for leisure by walkers, dog walkers and horse riders. It has several Bridleways (BWs) running through it and comprises a locally unique circuit regularly used by horse riders in the area. This circuit includes the Pegasus crossing that we use to cross the A 129, we then ride along BW 17 past Dollyman’s farm, and along BW55 (Doublegate Lane) to Rawreth Barns and across the Rawreth Barn Bridge over the A130 back to cross the A129.
The proposed “ temporary†road divides BW 17 from BW55 and would have to be crossed by walkers and riders to enable them to use this circuit of Bridleways that we use daily to avoid the busy roads that circle the area. The hazard and noise of the many and regular heavy trucks filled with waste that would be using the “temporary†road and the increased heavy traffic on the A129 and the turn off from the A129 (very close to the Pegusus Crossing that we use) would make the route very unpleasant and hazardous for walkers and totally unsuitable for riding safely.
We could not disagree more with the landowner’s comments on the Pre-submission Consultation on the waste local plan (2016) that
“the site is of poor quality, particularly in terms of visual amenity†.
We also take issue with the LIVA conducted by Liz Lake Associates that states:
“ The existing landscape amenity of the Site has been assessed to offer a Limited to Negative contribution to the Local Landscape Character of the District:
As one of the people who use and love the countryside that is affected by this proposed site we beg to differ. We do not have the means to employ consultants to produce reports in our favour but we do actually use the land in our day to day lives. For us this is an attractive and hugely valued oasis where we can ride safely and enjoy the countryside in a local area that offers little other access to green fields and BWs for horseriding. It may not be on a par with Cumbria but it is of no less value to the local people who use it to escape the urban areas that surround it. Its despoilment by this proposed waste facility would be an enormous loss to the community.
It is also stated in the landowner’s comments on the Presubmission document 2016 that:
“ The allocation of Dollyman’s Farm would not compromise the objectives of the
Green Belt and in the medium to long term once restored would likely result in an
improvement to the landscape character.â€
This indicates that the area would actually be improved by this proposed use but this is highly unlikely. It seems to my colleagues and myself that once this Green Belt land is allocated then it is likely to be the thin end of the wedge. Evidence of this is clear in the statements from the report below
“The attached Site Layout Plan is indicative of the areas of the site proposed for the respective uses. However, the landowners have indicated that they are amenable to increasing the amount of inert landfill subject to Essex County Council’s requirements, and would also be willing to consider accommodating other waste streams to include non-inert and non-hazardous waste.
In addition, while the proposed use of the site is for waste transfer and inert landfill, the landowners are willing to take a flexible approach to prospective uses and to discuss the possibility of locating alternative or additional waste facilities on the site including composting, recycling and energy from waste uses. The landowners and Strutt & Parker would be more than happy to enter into discussions with Essex County Council in this regard.
Importantly is the following statement is telling:
“ If an allocation for the site for a waste use is forthcoming, we intend to enter into detailed discussions with a number of interested operators in the areaâ€.
This Green Belt land would not be safe and is highly unlikely to be restored to us. The report goes on to state:
“The proximity of the site to the Shenfield to Southend Victoria line, which forms the southern boundary of the site and links directly to London Liverpool Street, could also provide the opportunity for a siding off of the railway line as part of a future waste development on the site, and allow for the importation of waste from London.â€
This does not sound to us as if the area would ever be returned to, by local standards, a quiet place to walk and ride and enjoy access to the countryside. Allocating this site in this plan and allowing a breach of the Green Belt here would in the short, medium and long term ruin an area well-loved and utilised by the community and set a precedent for the future that we fear.
This site is not some kind of ugly deserted piece of land. It is highly valued Green Belt and needs your protection. Please restore it to its previous non- allocated status.
Thank you Jayne.
I would like to support Jayne Crow and her excellent comments. The bridleways around Dollymans Farm are so precious to us horse riders, it is all we have locally, the only alternative is going on dangerous roads. The thought of having to ride with the constant worry of 14-20 massive lorries is, frankly, terrifying. We let our children ride these bridlepaths because it is a safe environment for them to do so, the thought of a horse bolting with a child on it because a lorry has frightened it is an unimaginable fear which could cause the death of both horse and rider. Please keep this one small area of tranquility, safe and ‘green’.
I am in full support with Jayne Crowe and many many others that use Dollymans Farm and bridleways . My Daughter and I have used these bridleways safely for years either on horseback or walking our dog. Like many other people we have had pleasure of using this area without worrying about heavy traffic, disgusting smells etc that would have an impact in this area if plans go ahead. I was under the impression that this was A GREEN BELT area and not for waste and landfill. If the plan goes ahead wildlife and animals would also be effected along with possibilities that the river crouch could be contaminated with poisons that would then have environmental effect. Whenever there is talk of building houses or landfill, green belt and bridleways which are supposed to be protected, are taken from the local people. There are many other areas that are NOT green belt that could be used for waste and landfill, but then money talks. Keep this a GreenBelt area not just for now but for generations to come. Not only humans but also for the wildlife that inhabits it. We need to keep this area Protected forever .