Core Strategy Preferred Options document - Amazon Web Services

Strategies, Activities and Actions – Housing
H2 – Alternative Options
Option Why is it not preferred?
Greater
number of
dwellings to be
accommodated
in and around
Rayleigh.
Less
development
within smaller
settlements –
focus more on
District’s towns.
North Rayleigh
as alternative
to other
Rayleigh
locations
Additional
housing to
South West
Rayleigh as
alternative to
other Rayleigh
locations
East Rayleigh
as alternative
to other
Rayleigh
locations
South / South
East Rayleigh
as alternative
to other
Rayleigh
locations
South Rochford
as alternative
to other
Rochford
locations
Continued
Although the largest settlement in the District with
the best access to services, we have had regard to
recent levels of development within Rayleigh and
the location of significant proposed employment
growth and town centre enhancement elsewhere in
the District in determining the figure for Rayleigh.
We believe it is important to provide housing within
smaller settlements as well as the District’s towns to
ensure that village communities continue to thrive.
In addition, less development within smaller
settlements would necessitate greater development
with larger settlements to compensate. This
approach has the potential to harm the character of
towns and put undue burden on their infrastructure.
An additional release of green belt land in this area
would result in undue encroachment into open
countryside, and result in residential areas distant
from the town centre. In addition, there is a need to
avoid the coalescence of Rayleigh with Hullbridge.
This location benefits from being in relative
proximity to Rayleigh town centre. However, the
topography of the land in the location would hinder
development. In addition, a highway access to the
west is not viable, and is constrained to the east by
existing development, making greater quantities of
housing development to that proposed unviable.
Possible development to the east of Rayleigh is
constrained by special landscape areas and the
need to avoid coalescence with the neighbouring
settlement of Hockley.
In order to protect the town’s identity, there is a
need to avoid the coalescence of Rayleigh with
Southend. Development to the south of Rayleigh
has the potential to undermine this approach. In
addition, it is considered that north of London Road
is a more suitable location in terms of accessibility.
Areas of development to the south are constrained
by areas of flood risk together with the need to
avoid coalescence with Southend in order to protect
Rochford’s identity. It is considered that west
Rochford is a more suitable location given its
proximity to the train station, town centre and its
relationship with area of significant employment
growth potential at and around the airport.
29
Housing Needs
studies and other data
from sources such as
the housing waiting list
indicate that demand
for housing is focused
primarily on the
District’s larger
settlements of
Rayleigh, Hockley and
Rochford, but there is
still demand for
housing in other
settlements.
The East of England
Plan requires Rochford
District to provide an
average of 250
dwellings per year
between 2006 and
2021.
Between 2006 and
2008 the actual annual
average was 309.
However, the District’s
housing trajectory –
which projects the
future housing
completions based on
available sites – shows
that the average will
fall dramatically
without the allocation
of additional land for
housing.