Advice & Guidance
Making Comments
It should be remembered that the consultation is about the soundness of the Plan. Therefore comments are best kept matter of fact, impersonal, and unemotional.
Say for example someone was inclined to comment on the so called ‘spatial strategy’, whereby housing has been allocated across the borough on population rather than based on sustainability analysis, as required by national planning policy. Such a comment is best kept to discussion of what has been done compared with what should have been done, according to the rules. Prolonged discussion of the anticipated consequences is not advisable. The remedial action – that is to say what should be changed in the Plan - would be revising the allocation across the borough based on a proper sustainability analysis.
Say for example someone was inclined to comment on the so called ‘spatial strategy’, whereby housing has been allocated across the borough on population rather than based on sustainability analysis, as required by national planning policy. Such a comment is best kept to discussion of what has been done compared with what should have been done, according to the rules. Prolonged discussion of the anticipated consequences is not advisable. The remedial action – that is to say what should be changed in the Plan - would be revising the allocation across the borough based on a proper sustainability analysis.
Some areas to consider
Very high overall housing target set by the borough with a large allocation to Billericay
The borough will be building more new homes than they are obliged to, more than local people need and, more than local people want.
Significant loss of Green Belt with Billericay has been disproportionately targeted. Council’s aren’t obliged to build on their Green Belt.
Over 50% of the boroughs Green Belt loss will be in Billericay.
Those that are lucky enough to have Green Belt can use it as a reason to build less. Public consensus is meant to be a major factor if Councils wish to remove land from the Green Belt.
The South West Relief Road
Individual Sites
The policy numbers are listed below. For each site you wish to comment on state that it is unsound in Section 2 and Not Justified in section 2a. As before, write whatever you wish in section 3, and don’t worry if you are repeating things that you’ve written elsewhere.
Building so many new homes is not economically sustainable, especially in infrastructure terms, there are issues such as:
The SW Relief Road – the idea is counter-productive, insufficient thought has been given to traffic flows when traffic exits either end of the road, to rat-running, or to the practicalities of junctions. The Council has not thought through the practicalities, so your personal experience and local knowledge could help the Inspector make the appropriate decision.
- Potential for new traffic pinch points, especially at new junction with London Road
- The Relief Road would be narrow, narrowing further in the crucial Frithwood Lane area - could HGVs pass?
- Potentially unacceptable effects on resident in the Frithwood Lane area - housing blight?
- It appears there would be an informal extension of the Relief Road through the H17a Mountnessing Road site, so that traffic heading north would discharge on to Mountnessing Road, with its narrow hump-backed bridge.
Individual Sites
The Planning Inspector is not familiar with these sites, but local residents are. The following is a list of some of the problems that have been brought to BAG’s attention, which should have been considered had a proper sustainability study been carried out for Billericay and acted upon :-
The North
- The two potential access roads are too narrow
- The development goes right up to the borough border. Chelmsford would be tempted to expand the site on their side of the border as Brentwood did with Basildon’s Dunton proposal.
- Environmental - no consideration of the high probability that rare dormice and badgers are present. Potential for many established trees to be lost.
- A long distance from the High Street and other services leading to high car use
- Extra congestion at Stock Road roundabout
- Potential for increased rat-running through Bridles estate
The South-West
- Impact on Mountnessing Road, especially new access near to narrow railway bridge
- Long distance views lost.
- Issues around desirability of placing sports clubs on agricultural land.
- Impact on Tye Common Road
- Immediately adjacent to High Street (architectural) conservation area.
- Close to Little Burstead (architectural) conservation area
- Lack of green buffer towards Little Burstead - potential for sprawl and coalescence
- Possible archaeological sites
- Elevated site (in part) so would impose on the skyline.
- Ecologically sensitive, adverse impact on wildlife and setting of nearby Frith Wood and Laindon Common.
-Would aggravate existing flood problems in the Kennel Lane\Church road area.
The South-East
- Impact on Greens Farm Lane and Outwood Common Road
- An elevated site (in part), very prominent on the skyline.
- Little protection for important hedgerows
- Congestion caused by traffic entering site heading towards Billericay - tailbacks possible towards Barleylands?
- Little protection for important hedgerows.
Luxury self-builds
- Drainage issues worsened by boundary disputes with neighbouring houses.
- Adjacent to Norsey Wood which is an Ancient Woodland and SSSI
- Access via The Mount – residents there believe there may be practical problems around access.
The borough will be building more new homes than they are obliged to, more than local people need and, more than local people want.
- State policy SD1 in section 1 of the form
- State ‘No’ to Soundness in section 2
- In section 2a you can tick to indicate that this is not justified and not consistent with national policy.
- In section 3 write as much or as little as you like about the issue.
Significant loss of Green Belt with Billericay has been disproportionately targeted. Council’s aren’t obliged to build on their Green Belt.
Over 50% of the boroughs Green Belt loss will be in Billericay.
Those that are lucky enough to have Green Belt can use it as a reason to build less. Public consensus is meant to be a major factor if Councils wish to remove land from the Green Belt.
- State policy SD2 in section 1 of the form
- State ‘No’ to Soundness in section 2
- In section 2a you can tick to indicate that this is not justified.
- Fill out any desired details in section 3, but you might have already done this for policy SD1, above.
The South West Relief Road
- State policy H17 in section 1 of the form
- State ‘No’ to Soundness in section 2
- It’s counter-productive so in section 2a you can indicate that the policy is not effective.
- Describe any problems with the idea and the details of the road scheme in section 3.
Individual Sites
The policy numbers are listed below. For each site you wish to comment on state that it is unsound in Section 2 and Not Justified in section 2a. As before, write whatever you wish in section 3, and don’t worry if you are repeating things that you’ve written elsewhere.
- H16 – Potash Road
- H17a – Mountnessing Road
- H17b – London Road & the Sports Clubs
- H17c – Tye Common Road
- H17d – Frithwood Lane
- H18 – Windmill Heights & Kennel Lane
- H19 – Southend Road, South Green
- H20 – Greens Farm Lane
- H21a – Billericay School
- H21b – Maitland Lodge, Southend Road
- H21c – The Mount, adjacent to Norsey Wood
Building so many new homes is not economically sustainable, especially in infrastructure terms, there are issues such as:
- Train capacity
- A127 and other strategic roads capacities
- Local roads capacities
- Vehicle parking availability
- 2,800 homes but no new jobs in Billericay
- GPs, Hospitals and other Health facilities ability to cope
- Primary Schools (Secondary schools might cope but would no longer be able to admit children from outside of Billericay)
- Sewage handling capacity
- Water drainage capability
- Much accessible countryside lost.
The SW Relief Road – the idea is counter-productive, insufficient thought has been given to traffic flows when traffic exits either end of the road, to rat-running, or to the practicalities of junctions. The Council has not thought through the practicalities, so your personal experience and local knowledge could help the Inspector make the appropriate decision.
- Flawed Concept
- Potential for new traffic pinch points, especially at new junction with London Road
- Design
- The Relief Road would be narrow, narrowing further in the crucial Frithwood Lane area - could HGVs pass?
- Potentially unacceptable effects on resident in the Frithwood Lane area - housing blight?
- It appears there would be an informal extension of the Relief Road through the H17a Mountnessing Road site, so that traffic heading north would discharge on to Mountnessing Road, with its narrow hump-backed bridge.
Individual Sites
The Planning Inspector is not familiar with these sites, but local residents are. The following is a list of some of the problems that have been brought to BAG’s attention, which should have been considered had a proper sustainability study been carried out for Billericay and acted upon :-
The North
- H16 Potash Road
- The two potential access roads are too narrow
- The development goes right up to the borough border. Chelmsford would be tempted to expand the site on their side of the border as Brentwood did with Basildon’s Dunton proposal.
- Environmental - no consideration of the high probability that rare dormice and badgers are present. Potential for many established trees to be lost.
- A long distance from the High Street and other services leading to high car use
- Extra congestion at Stock Road roundabout
- Potential for increased rat-running through Bridles estate
The South-West
- H17a – Mountnessing Road
- Impact on Mountnessing Road, especially new access near to narrow railway bridge
- Long distance views lost.
- - H17b – London Road (including cricket and tennis clubs)
- Issues around desirability of placing sports clubs on agricultural land.
- H17c – Tye Common Road
- Impact on Tye Common Road
- H17d – Frithwood Lane
- Immediately adjacent to High Street (architectural) conservation area.
- Close to Little Burstead (architectural) conservation area
- Lack of green buffer towards Little Burstead - potential for sprawl and coalescence
- Possible archaeological sites
- Elevated site (in part) so would impose on the skyline.
- Ecologically sensitive, adverse impact on wildlife and setting of nearby Frith Wood and Laindon Common.
- H18 - Windmill Heights
-Would aggravate existing flood problems in the Kennel Lane\Church road area.
The South-East
- H19 a&b Greens Farm Lane
- Impact on Greens Farm Lane and Outwood Common Road
- An elevated site (in part), very prominent on the skyline.
- Little protection for important hedgerows
- H20 – Southend Road, South Green
- Congestion caused by traffic entering site heading towards Billericay - tailbacks possible towards Barleylands?
- Little protection for important hedgerows.
Luxury self-builds
- H21a – Laindon Road
- H21b – Maitland Lodge, Southend Road
- Drainage issues worsened by boundary disputes with neighbouring houses.
- H21c – The Mount, adjacent to Norsey Wood
- Adjacent to Norsey Wood which is an Ancient Woodland and SSSI
- Access via The Mount – residents there believe there may be practical problems around access.
Sources of Information
This website contains a lot of useful information about the local plan, including a map of the proposed sites. Please follow the links from the Home page.
The 3 key sections of this website are :
Regulation 19
Local Plan Structure
Current Situation
The National Planning Policy Framework can be found here NPPF (opens as pdf)
BAG Facebook Page/Group : Save Billericay from Housing Developments
The BAG MailBAG newsletter sent by email to subscribers.
The BDRA The Resident newsletter delivered to subscribers homes.
A BAG leaflet that will be delivered to every home in Billericay
The 3 key sections of this website are :
Regulation 19
Local Plan Structure
Current Situation
The National Planning Policy Framework can be found here NPPF (opens as pdf)
BAG Facebook Page/Group : Save Billericay from Housing Developments
The BAG MailBAG newsletter sent by email to subscribers.
The BDRA The Resident newsletter delivered to subscribers homes.
A BAG leaflet that will be delivered to every home in Billericay
Click here to return to How to Respond Regulation 19
