Site Guides
Below are some bullet points and commentary about each of the proposed sites allocated in the draft Basildon Local Plan. Please use this to help with your consultation responses.
Please remember that the are all Green Belt today.
The sites on the map total about 1,000 hectares - about 700 football pitches! That's just for the Billericay and immediate area.
There are more Green Belt sites around Wickford, east of Noak Bridge, at Laindon, Bowers Gifford & Pitsea. Please don't be fooled when anyone (the council?) says that the loss of Green Belt is minimal! The Green Belt loss is very significant right across the borough.
Please remember that the are all Green Belt today.
The sites on the map total about 1,000 hectares - about 700 football pitches! That's just for the Billericay and immediate area.
There are more Green Belt sites around Wickford, east of Noak Bridge, at Laindon, Bowers Gifford & Pitsea. Please don't be fooled when anyone (the council?) says that the loss of Green Belt is minimal! The Green Belt loss is very significant right across the borough.
H1- South-East Billericay
- This is a huge area sitting east of Southend Road with Sunnymede to the north and Barleylands to the south.
- It includes the approved planning application (23/01147/FULL) for 99 houses on Southend Road, 47 houses at Maitland Lodge (21/01687/FULL) and the care home on Coxes Farm Road (21/00755/FULL).
- Existing and approved new (23/01468/FULL) solar farms east of Outwood Farm Road and Southend Road also fall within the area.
- It also includes the land where planning applications are expected for 380 houses east of Greens Farm Lane and 310 houses between Outwood Common Road and Outwood Farm Road.
- But the area can contain more development than the c.800 houses we currently know about.
This area already includes the Southend Road development which was given permission for 99 houses and a care home despite the presence of highly protected Dormice. The draft Local Plan suggests that much of the area from the railway line down to Barleylands now accommodates 1,500 houses. It’s exceptionally vague.
Would the rest be of this area be removed from Green Belt and developed later?
There are questions about how much growth the A129 Southend Road, which feeds into the congested junctions around Sun Corner, can accommodate.
But the side roads are much more problematic and unsuitable for new estates:
The proposal is too vague for much more detailed commentary, but the big problem is wildlife and biodiversity. The area borders the Mill Meadows SSSI which is already mostly surrounded by housing, it borders ancient woodlands and includes valuable secondary woodlands. The habitats and wildlife corridors are vital for Dormice and a range of other species.
Would the rest be of this area be removed from Green Belt and developed later?
There are questions about how much growth the A129 Southend Road, which feeds into the congested junctions around Sun Corner, can accommodate.
But the side roads are much more problematic and unsuitable for new estates:
- Outwood Common Road
- Outwood Farm Road
- Greens Farm Lane
- Coxes Farm Road
The proposal is too vague for much more detailed commentary, but the big problem is wildlife and biodiversity. The area borders the Mill Meadows SSSI which is already mostly surrounded by housing, it borders ancient woodlands and includes valuable secondary woodlands. The habitats and wildlife corridors are vital for Dormice and a range of other species.
H2 - West of Great Burstead
- This area extends from the approved Kennel Land site (20/01614/OUT) for 179 houses southwards with Noak Hill Road to the west as far as Church Street at Great Burstead. The eastern boundary is Kennel Lane.
This proposal is very ambiguous in that only a small part of the area is needed to deliver stated 200 houses in the Plan Period. Would the rest be developed later?
The centre of the site is very well hedged and therefore important for wildlife. The setting of the field footpaths should be protected.
There is a severe existing problem with flooding at the Kennel Lane/Church Street junction. Development towards the east of the site risks worsening that, as does the new development already approved at Kennel Lane.
The issue could be mitigated if the “Great Burstead Flood Alleviation” scheme in the SE of the site were implemented. There is also an unprotected Secondary Woodland in the NE of the site which helps reduce flood risk. This woodland must be properly preserved.
The northern part of Kennel Lane is especially unsuited to handle further growth. It is narrow, winding, undulating and parts are often flooded. There are safety concerns about more traffic using Kennel Lane as an inevitable rat run.
The centre of the site is very well hedged and therefore important for wildlife. The setting of the field footpaths should be protected.
There is a severe existing problem with flooding at the Kennel Lane/Church Street junction. Development towards the east of the site risks worsening that, as does the new development already approved at Kennel Lane.
The issue could be mitigated if the “Great Burstead Flood Alleviation” scheme in the SE of the site were implemented. There is also an unprotected Secondary Woodland in the NE of the site which helps reduce flood risk. This woodland must be properly preserved.
The northern part of Kennel Lane is especially unsuited to handle further growth. It is narrow, winding, undulating and parts are often flooded. There are safety concerns about more traffic using Kennel Lane as an inevitable rat run.
H3 - South of Great Burstead
- This large area sits south of Church Street/Mill Road with Noak Hill Road to the west and Southend Road to the east. The southern boundary is roughly in line with Barleylands Farm.
- A solar farm was proposed for part of this land but the planning application was rejected.
As with many allocations, there are more questions than answers. The impact on the landscape would be severe and it would be many years before new planting could mitigate that. There would also be an impact on the setting of the Great Burstead Architectural Conservation Area on the high ground.
Where would access be taken from – Noak Hill, the A129 Southend Road or both? These are already busy today and accidents on Noak Hill Road are sadly becoming more commonplace.
There is a dense network of popular Public Rights of Way which would be degraded. The worst impacts would see paths hemmed in by fences and fragmented by roads.
Where would access be taken from – Noak Hill, the A129 Southend Road or both? These are already busy today and accidents on Noak Hill Road are sadly becoming more commonplace.
There is a dense network of popular Public Rights of Way which would be degraded. The worst impacts would see paths hemmed in by fences and fragmented by roads.
South-west Billericay & Little Burstead
In the withdrawn Local Plan the council responded to its evidence base by clearly stating that there could be no development in the west and south-west of Billericay unless a solution to the town’s especially intense road traffic challenges was delivered. It’s not entirely clear why this constraint applied only to the west rather than applying to the town as a whole. Congestion is across Billericay, not just the south-west corner, and housing was proposed all around the town!
Although it was clearly counter-productive (redistributing existing traffic, inducing new traffic, with massive disruption to those living on Frithwood Lane) the old relief road proposal was intended to address that problem, facilitating development. No such solution is presented now but the scale of development remains, potentially even more housing is now being proposed in the area.
A Gateway Feature – or Coalescence?
Basildon’s landscape evidence base recognises that the entry to Billericay around Greenleas Farm, on the A129 from Havering’s Grove, is of poor quality and that a 'gateway feature' is needed.
This could be achieved by enhancing/landscaping the open green-space on either side of London Road, and this would ideally include turning the brownfield on the east bank of the Mountnessing Brook (Greenleas Farm buildings) to parkland instead of building houses as currently suggested.
Unfortunately, like the withdrawn Local Plan, the proposal is to do the opposite – to develop this small area of Green Belt between Billericay and Havering’s Grove village (in policies H7 and H6 below). Billericay would then be a cross-boundary settlement extending deep into Brentwood borough, nearly as far as Hutton.
Although it was clearly counter-productive (redistributing existing traffic, inducing new traffic, with massive disruption to those living on Frithwood Lane) the old relief road proposal was intended to address that problem, facilitating development. No such solution is presented now but the scale of development remains, potentially even more housing is now being proposed in the area.
A Gateway Feature – or Coalescence?
Basildon’s landscape evidence base recognises that the entry to Billericay around Greenleas Farm, on the A129 from Havering’s Grove, is of poor quality and that a 'gateway feature' is needed.
This could be achieved by enhancing/landscaping the open green-space on either side of London Road, and this would ideally include turning the brownfield on the east bank of the Mountnessing Brook (Greenleas Farm buildings) to parkland instead of building houses as currently suggested.
Unfortunately, like the withdrawn Local Plan, the proposal is to do the opposite – to develop this small area of Green Belt between Billericay and Havering’s Grove village (in policies H7 and H6 below). Billericay would then be a cross-boundary settlement extending deep into Brentwood borough, nearly as far as Hutton.
H4 - West of Laindon Road
- This area includes the yet to be decided (as of November 2024) planning application (24/00762/OUT) for 250 houses to the north of the site and south of Scrub Rise, with Laindon Road to the east and Frithwood Lane to the west.
- The area stretches south towards Little Burstead and encloses ancient Frith Wood and is adjacent to Laindon Common.
This is an exceptionally valuable site. An accessible and bio-diverse ’green wedge’ that extends from Frithwood Lane to Laindon Road. The Council's landscape documents recognise the importance of this site to the landscape.
Access via Laindon Road channels traffic into the one way system and to Sun Corner. Frithwood Lane is unsuitable for primary access, being narrow and winding.
The hedge, along which the very well used public footpath (FP23) runs, has been shown to be a remnant of ancient woodland and should preserved – it should not be pierced by roads. Bisecting the footpath with the estate road introduces a safety concern.
Frith Wood is an Ancient Woodland and we should not be building near these. Likewise Laindon Common which would see development up to its boundary to the east. We should not underestimate the impact of people and pets on sensitive wildlife areas.
Any proposed biodiversity enhancement might see more planting or pond creation (to restrict flooding) but many of the wildlife species, especially birds, using the site today will not return to habits within housing. They are creatures of the open country side. Many are on the red list of endangered birds.
The site is active farmland of high agricultural quality, parts are Grade 2 or 3a which are rare in the area, and should not be developed according to national planning guidance. Jobs as well as the countryside would be lost of housing is allowed here, but that can be said of all the proposed Green Belt sites as they are all productive farmland.
Access via Laindon Road channels traffic into the one way system and to Sun Corner. Frithwood Lane is unsuitable for primary access, being narrow and winding.
The hedge, along which the very well used public footpath (FP23) runs, has been shown to be a remnant of ancient woodland and should preserved – it should not be pierced by roads. Bisecting the footpath with the estate road introduces a safety concern.
Frith Wood is an Ancient Woodland and we should not be building near these. Likewise Laindon Common which would see development up to its boundary to the east. We should not underestimate the impact of people and pets on sensitive wildlife areas.
Any proposed biodiversity enhancement might see more planting or pond creation (to restrict flooding) but many of the wildlife species, especially birds, using the site today will not return to habits within housing. They are creatures of the open country side. Many are on the red list of endangered birds.
The site is active farmland of high agricultural quality, parts are Grade 2 or 3a which are rare in the area, and should not be developed according to national planning guidance. Jobs as well as the countryside would be lost of housing is allowed here, but that can be said of all the proposed Green Belt sites as they are all productive farmland.
H5 - Laindon Common Road
- This area includes land adjacent to the north of Little Burstead Village and the Burstead Golf Club.
Would this be an extension of Billericay, Little Burstead or both?
There would be impacts on the Little Burstead Architectural Conservation Area.
The Golf Course includes 'The Wilderness' (an Ancient Woodland, and source of the River Crouch) in the centre, Laindon Common to the east, Wiggins Lane Wood (secondary woodland) to the west ,and a great deal of other tree cover.
There are also Public Rights of way in the site.
Where would primary access be? All of the surrounding roads are country lanes and unsuitable for more traffic. Much of the traffic will impact Little Burstead village. Being a remote location near no services within easy walking distance (schools health, shops, station) , car use is inevitable. No public transport serves the area.
Together these factors combine to make sustainable development difficult.
There would be impacts on the Little Burstead Architectural Conservation Area.
The Golf Course includes 'The Wilderness' (an Ancient Woodland, and source of the River Crouch) in the centre, Laindon Common to the east, Wiggins Lane Wood (secondary woodland) to the west ,and a great deal of other tree cover.
There are also Public Rights of way in the site.
Where would primary access be? All of the surrounding roads are country lanes and unsuitable for more traffic. Much of the traffic will impact Little Burstead village. Being a remote location near no services within easy walking distance (schools health, shops, station) , car use is inevitable. No public transport serves the area.
Together these factors combine to make sustainable development difficult.
H6 - South of London Road
- This a vast area south of London Road and west of Tye Common Road. It stretches far into the countryside towards Hutton and Little Burstead.
- It includes a number of existing but yet to be decided planning applications as of November 2024 - London Road south (24/00004/OUT) for 130 houses, London Road retirement facility (24/00479/FULL) and at Heath Road (23/01519/OUT) for 33 house and 33 sheltered accommodation units.
- It also includes Billericay Cricket Club despite that land not being available for development. It excludes Billericay Town Football Club being council owned land.
This is very vague in that the proposal site covers a much larger area than is needed to deliver 650 houses in the plan period. Would the rest be developed later?
Primary access is assumed to be from Tye Common Road which is in part no more than a country lane or for residential access. But it is already a major route used to avoid other parts of Billericay during the peak periods. Development here will put more traffic onto the already congested junction with London Road/Western Road and more traffic through Little Burstead village/Rector Road. Traffic on football match days is an existing problem that will get worse with increased housing.
Open views from Tye Common Road towards Hutton would be lost, impacting the rural setting of western Billericay.
- Depending on the parts chosen, the proposal would see coalescence with Havering’s Grove – and possibly extend further west as far as the borough border. That would open us up to development on the Brentwood side of the border in Hutton.
- Three sports clubs (football, tennis and cricket) are sited in the north of the proposal area. Their interests must take precedence over new housing which might impact their operational flexibility.
- The setting of Footpath 14, which passes through the area must be preserved so that the public can continue to enjoy its amenity. A BDRA volunteer has also applied to have a short route from Heath Close to FP14 (behind the Football Club) added to the Public Right of Way Network. That link should also be preserved.
- The area west of Mountnessing Brook includes Ancient Woodlands and a large buffer should be preserved around them.
- There would be a significant impact on the landscape, including the long distance views westward from Tye Common Road towarsd Huttonl
Primary access is assumed to be from Tye Common Road which is in part no more than a country lane or for residential access. But it is already a major route used to avoid other parts of Billericay during the peak periods. Development here will put more traffic onto the already congested junction with London Road/Western Road and more traffic through Little Burstead village/Rector Road. Traffic on football match days is an existing problem that will get worse with increased housing.
Open views from Tye Common Road towards Hutton would be lost, impacting the rural setting of western Billericay.
H7 - West of Mountnessing Road/North of London Road
- This area is the same as that subject to the planning application (19/01725/OUT) for 480/540 house that has yet to be decided.
- The Local Plan is not proposing a larger area for development
Many of the issues with this site have been covered when the planning application above was debated earlier in 2024, and previous years. In summary;
- This proposal would cause coalescence with Havering’s Grove.
- There would be a significant impact on the landscape.
- The popular public footpath would be severed by roads and hemmed in by development.
- The traffic impact on the London Road/Mountnessing Road junction, and the traffic lights at Western Road, will be significant and hard to mitigate. This is a congestion spot today.
- The proposed secondary access point on Mountnessing Road near Bellevue Road has the potential to create a rat run through the estate and puts more traffic on Mountnessing Road near the railway bridge which is unfit for today's level of traffic,
- That hump-backed road-bridge over Mountnessing Road has dangerously narrow footpaths and a blind summit and is unacceptable today for pedestrians. More people using that bridge will increase the risks of serious harm, especially those walking to schools to the north (e.g. Brightside).
- If developed, the tractor tunnel through to Pleasant Drive Open Space (the park north of the railway) should be secured for public use.
- Many red list birds, some breeding, will be lost from the area as they are will not tolerate the habitats bring proposed within the estate. They require open countryside. Biodiversity proposals are inadequate.
IF3 - Break Egg Hill Plotlands
- This is proposed housing in-fill (IF) within the Break Egg Hill plot-lands adjacent to and south of Norsey Wood.
- We note that the area being considered by the council is bigger than the extents shown on the plot-lands map, extending further west, across Outwood Common Road to the borough boundary with Chelmsford. As such it includes some areas of productive farmland.
This is a vague, clumsy, and ecologically dangerous proposal on the SE boundary of the highly protected Norsey Wood.
Norsey Wood is an Ancient Woodland and Site of Special Scientific Interest. The site also borders Ancient Woodland to the east in Chelmsford Borough (the Barrenleys group of woods). We shouldn’t be building anywhere near Ancient Woodlands – instead we should be leaving significant buffers around them in order to protect them from the effects of urbanisation, people and their animals. Buffers also facilitate the protection and creation of connective wildlife corridors which are essential to biodiversity. Norsey Wood, being a ‘green wedge’ is already mostly surrounded by housing and this proposal would worsen that situation.
The policy refers to in-fill of a several houses in the Break Egg plot-lands, an area (in sky blue on map below) that includes grasslands and secondary woodland which connect to the railway line – an important wildlife corridor. This plot-land area must retain full Green Belt protection.
Oddly– the area also includes an extensive part of the Billericay urban area, around Outwood Common Road and the Mount (pink)– and worryingly an area of non-plot-land Green Belt to the East (orange). An area that could see around 100 houses developed if Green Belt protection is weakened or removed. Far more than the 5 in-fill houses the Local Plan proposes.
Norsey Wood is an Ancient Woodland and Site of Special Scientific Interest. The site also borders Ancient Woodland to the east in Chelmsford Borough (the Barrenleys group of woods). We shouldn’t be building anywhere near Ancient Woodlands – instead we should be leaving significant buffers around them in order to protect them from the effects of urbanisation, people and their animals. Buffers also facilitate the protection and creation of connective wildlife corridors which are essential to biodiversity. Norsey Wood, being a ‘green wedge’ is already mostly surrounded by housing and this proposal would worsen that situation.
The policy refers to in-fill of a several houses in the Break Egg plot-lands, an area (in sky blue on map below) that includes grasslands and secondary woodland which connect to the railway line – an important wildlife corridor. This plot-land area must retain full Green Belt protection.
Oddly– the area also includes an extensive part of the Billericay urban area, around Outwood Common Road and the Mount (pink)– and worryingly an area of non-plot-land Green Belt to the East (orange). An area that could see around 100 houses developed if Green Belt protection is weakened or removed. Far more than the 5 in-fill houses the Local Plan proposes.
IF2 - Broomholls Chase Little Burstead
- This site sits south-east of Little Burstead village with access from Laindon Common Road
- Modest in-fill of the plot-lands area is proposed here with potentially 8 new houses
Immediate concerns are the impact of the Little Burstead Architectural Conservation Area nearby, and the impact on wildlife that would occur because of densification of plotlands which are sometimes very green and rich in wildlife.
The densification could include development of vacant (wild) plots, subdivision of plots into smaller units and a proliferation of outbuildings.
We believe the east of this area, near the wooded valley of the young River Crouch and its wildlife corridor to be most ecologically sensitive.
The densification could include development of vacant (wild) plots, subdivision of plots into smaller units and a proliferation of outbuildings.
We believe the east of this area, near the wooded valley of the young River Crouch and its wildlife corridor to be most ecologically sensitive.
IF3 - Green Lane
- This is a plot-lands area located south of Little Burstead and north of Steeple View
- No housing is being proposed so why is it included?
North Billericay Alternative Sites
The name 'Alternative Site' suggests these two sites are not currently first choice to be developed, but they could be added in if some others around the borough are considered unsustainable. Past experience suggests worse 'alternative' choices are often added later!
The B1007 Stock Road is the only classified road that passes out of the borough to the north. Housing growth in Billericay, especially in the north, will have a significantly adverse effect on this road, including the roundabout where it meets Queens Park Avenue and Potash Road.
The nearby Stock village in Chelmsford Borough would be adversely effected by increased traffic, especially the narrow winding pinch point by the village shop/zebra crossing.
Either of these proposals would also urbanise the relatively narrow gap between Billericay and Stock, a gap which is much interrupted by ribbon development and large clusters of housing.
It would be folly to build up to our borough border with Chelmsford as suggested, as we will lose control of where the Billericay urban edge is. Chelmsford could easily allow adjacent developments of their side of the border, leading Billericay to become a cross-boundary community as Wickford is (part of Runwell is in Chelmsford Borough).
Any development in north Billericay would be a very long way from services resulting in car dependency and more congestion.
The B1007 Stock Road is the only classified road that passes out of the borough to the north. Housing growth in Billericay, especially in the north, will have a significantly adverse effect on this road, including the roundabout where it meets Queens Park Avenue and Potash Road.
The nearby Stock village in Chelmsford Borough would be adversely effected by increased traffic, especially the narrow winding pinch point by the village shop/zebra crossing.
Either of these proposals would also urbanise the relatively narrow gap between Billericay and Stock, a gap which is much interrupted by ribbon development and large clusters of housing.
It would be folly to build up to our borough border with Chelmsford as suggested, as we will lose control of where the Billericay urban edge is. Chelmsford could easily allow adjacent developments of their side of the border, leading Billericay to become a cross-boundary community as Wickford is (part of Runwell is in Chelmsford Borough).
Any development in north Billericay would be a very long way from services resulting in car dependency and more congestion.
AS1 - North of Queens Park
- This is shown as a alternative site (AS) and at this stage we do not know if or when this will come into the reckoning but raising comments and objections now is appropriate, just in case.
- The area is vast, running in a west to east arc from Hannakins Farm, through Queens Park Country Park, and across much of Stock Brook to Stock Road.
Much of this area is an important habitat for protected Dormice and other wildlife. It provides a rich wildlife corridor north/south and to the open land to the west.
Considering the amount of public and private amenity space contained in this area we are surprised that it even being proposed.
Considering the amount of public and private amenity space contained in this area we are surprised that it even being proposed.
AS2 - North of Potash Road
- This is shown as a alternative site (AS) and at this stage we do not know if or when this will come into the reckoning but raising comments and objections now is appropriate, just in case.
- This area is the same as that which was subject to a planning application (22/01353/OUT) refused by Basildon council and with an appeal dismissed (thrown out) by the planning inspector. Why the council is proposing it again makes little sense considering the history of this site.
Potash Road is notoriously poorly suited to accommodate development.
This area is especially important for endangered Dormice.
Potash Road itself is unsuitable for more traffic especially at the eastern narrow section approaching Goatsmoor Lane and Heath Road/Norsey Road. Traffic is likely to rat run through the Bridles and adjoining estates (Mercer Road). Road safety from more housing in this area is a concern.
Quiet Goatsmoor Lane, which links to Stock and elsewhere, is a hugely valuable recreation resource for walkers, runners, horse riders and cyclists. It is designated as part of the National Cycle Network. Any development near Potash Road would lead to more traffic on the road, undermining its role as a recreational resource.
This area is especially important for endangered Dormice.
Potash Road itself is unsuitable for more traffic especially at the eastern narrow section approaching Goatsmoor Lane and Heath Road/Norsey Road. Traffic is likely to rat run through the Bridles and adjoining estates (Mercer Road). Road safety from more housing in this area is a concern.
Quiet Goatsmoor Lane, which links to Stock and elsewhere, is a hugely valuable recreation resource for walkers, runners, horse riders and cyclists. It is designated as part of the National Cycle Network. Any development near Potash Road would lead to more traffic on the road, undermining its role as a recreational resource.
South of the Crouch - Dunton Road, Steeple View & Noak Bridge
Development in E2, H12 and H22 should avoid coalescence between Basildon and the following:
- Dunton Wayletts
- Green Lane Plotlands
- Noak Hill
E2 - Dunton Boot Sale Site
- This is being proposed as an employment site (the only one remotely close to Billericay) but with an option to consider it for additional housing.
H12 - Land Adjacent to Dunton Road
- This includes the appeal approved development south of Dunton Road (20/00911/FULL) and west of Steeple View.
- Additionally includes development north of Dunton Road extending west of Rectory Road to the Dunton Boot location, and east to Noak Hill Road.
H22 - North of Wash Road
- This is a large area north of Wash Road between Noak Hill Road and Barleylands Road.
- A planning application for 300 houses is imminent on part of the land nearest to Barleylands Road.
H26 - East of Noak Bridge
- This is an area already subject to a planning application (23/01551/OUT) for 400 houses east of Noak Bridge village and south of Wash Road. The application has yet to be decided (as of November 2024).
- Any development should deliver an extension to the existing Noak Bridge Nature Reserve.
