On Tuesday night, the application by Countryside Properties to increase the density of housing on the site to allow up to an additional 222 dwellings, was put before the development committee.
This application seeks to increase the number of dwellings by up to 222 compared to the 500 originally approved at the wider site of which this application site is a part under planning consent ref 15/00362/OUT. The total
number of dwellings that would result across the wider application site if this application were approved would therefore be a maximum of 722. Reserved Matters consent has already been approved for a total of 312 dwellings in Phases 1 and 2 of the wider site, which would leave a maximum of 410 dwellings to be provided on the application site that relates to this current proposal.
The application sought to remove the mini / junior pitches and allow the developer to give a financial contribution to Rochford District Council, so that 3g pitches could be build elsewhere.
Despite efforts by the Lib Dems, with visiting member Cllr Newport, reminding the committee of the woefully inadequate infrastructure in place in Rayleigh and Cllr Stanley moving for refusal, the committee (which consisted of mainly Rochford based Councillors) voted to allow the increase in housing density to facilitate the developers wishes to maximise their profit.
Cllr Chris Stanley asked the committee to refuse the application Cllr James Newport spoke about the inadequate infrastructure to support further development
In an interesting stance from one of the new committee members, Cllr Foster, who ardently campaigned against the building of houses in Ashingdon due to the woefully inadequate infrastructure (Ashingdon Rd mainly) it didn’t appear to concern him on this particular application. Has nimbyism crept in here?
It’s a sad ending to the story for this site which the late Cllr Chris Black and Cllr Ron Oatham fought to reduce the housing numbers on this site allocation, but only for the developers to circumvent the original intention of the Core Strategy.
absolutely disgusting.
This is a near 50% increase on the original planning consent.
Another victory for the “shove it all in west rayleigh” Tory group from the east of the district
Poor old Chris must be turning in his grave!
Don’t Rayleigh’s Tory councillors care what happens to our town?