Why is the site being developed?
The site is being developed following approval of planning application 20/00363/OUT via an appeal decided in March 2022. The land, referenced SER8, was allocated for residential development in the adopted Rochford District Local Development Framework Allocations Document 2014. This means that all the relevant scrutiny has been carried out to ascertain suitability of the site for residential development with appropriate open space amongst other provisions.
What does the development involve?
The development involves the demolition of two dwellings on Ashingdon Road (Nos. 148 and 150); the removal of a highway tree; formation of an access off Ashingdon Road and a secondary access off Rochford Garden Way/Percy Cottis Road; and the construction of 662 residential dwellings. The access, appearance, scale, landscaping and layout were considered at the outline stage for Phase 1 of the scheme. So far, only the access and layout have been considered for Phases 2 and 3, the appearance, landscaping and scale for these phases will be matters reserved for future applications. These applications are anticipated to be submitted late 2023 early 2024.
What was the planning process for this development?
The council, as the local planning authority, refused the application at its Development Committee on 24 June 2021 due to concerns about to the impact of additional traffic on the highway network. The applicant (Bloor Homes) appealed this decision. The Planning Inspectorate held a 6-day public inquiry in January/February 2022. In March 2022 appeal was allowed/approved subject to 45 planning conditions.
How is the site being developed?
Of the 45 planning conditions imposed on the approved scheme, some required further details to be submitted to the local planning authority for discharge before development started. Bloor Homes has submitted details for the pre-commencement conditions, and these are formerly discharged.
Works to the highway are ongoing and being carried out mainly during school holidays. Further information of highway works are provided below.
When will development start?
The development is underway with a number of properties nearing completion. First occupation is scheduled for early 2024.
Bloor Homes will need to keep to the terms of the Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) approved on application 22/00547/DOC. This sets out construction traffic access routes, details of complainant procedures, health and safety measures within the site, wheel washing and dust management, amongst other things.
Wheel washing
There is a wheel wash facility within the site combined with street cleaning on Ashingdon Road.
How will Bloor Homes ensure local people are not impacted by construction works as the development progresses?
As with any construction project, unfortunately, there is likely to be a period of disruption for residents. However, Bloor Homes and their contractors will be working to a detailed Construction and Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) during the construction phase.
The approved CEMP sets out measures that will be taken to mitigate the impacts of development, such as limited hours of construction, dust management and wheel washing, controlled delivery times and also provides contact details for points of contact.
Hours of working
Contractors have been briefed and should not be operating any machinery before 7.30am. If this happens report to the Bloor Homes comms team enquiriesrochford@oliver.agency and this will be addressed.
Why is the construction access now from Ashingdon Road and Rochford Garden Way?
Despite an indication on the planning application that construction access would be via Doggetts Chase, the Construction Traffic Management Plan prepared by TPS for the haulage routes and construction access points were approved as from Ashingdon Road and Rochford Garden Way.
Was Japanese Knotweed found on the site?
The following information has been provided by Bloor Homes:
- The initial Japanese Knotweed identification was recorded in 2019 by a fully qualified ecologist from specialists Southern Ecological Solutions Ltd (SES).
- SES was commissioned by Bloor Homes Limited to complete a survey of land east of Ashingdon Road, Rochford to assess a previously identified infestation of Japanese knotweed (JK) and to conduct a survey of the site boundary as a whole for further signs of invasive species presence.
- A follow-up survey was also conducted in October 2019 by another fully qualified member of SES Ltd, who holds a Certified Surveyor of Japanese Knotweed (CSJK) qualification issued by the Property Care Association (PCA).
The surveys, carried out to inform the planning application for development of the site at Ashingdon Road, were used to inform the recommendations for treatment contained within an Ecological Impact Assessment report produced in December 2019. The EIA was shared with Rochford District Council as part of the planning application submission.
- Once Bloor Homes owned the land, The removal and disposal of the Japanese Knotweed was undertaken in accordance with the strict regulations around the removal of an invasive species.
The transport and disposal of the invasive plant material was subcontracted to a licensed waste carrier – Morley Skips, who provided a ‘Duty of Care – Controlled Waste Transfer Note’ for each load. The waste receiver is stated as ENOVERT (Bellhouse Landfill, Heckfordbridge, Colchester, CO3 0NN) and a ticket from the weighbridge was provided for each load.
- We can also confirm the results from the Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) tests show the soils were classified as inert and non-hazardous. It is controlled waste due to the invasive material and has been disposed of in accordance with the strict regulations, as above.
Any concerns relating to the transfer of waste from the site should be directed to the Environment Agency
General enquiries
National Customer Contact Centre
PO Box 544
Rotherham
S60 1BY
Email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk
Telephone 03708 506 506
Telephone from outside the UK (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm GMT) +44 (0) 114 282 5312
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.
Removal of topsoil from the site
The developer has confirmed any surplus topsoil removed from site has undergone chemical analysis and found to be free of any harmful contaminates, all waste exemption registration is in place by the haulier and has been supplied to MACL to whom they are contracted and copies of waste transfer certification for each load leaving site is recorded on site before being sent to Andersons (as site contractors) head office.
Any concerns relating to the transfer of waste from the site should be directed to the Environment Agency
General enquiries
National Customer Contact Centre
PO Box 544
Rotherham
S60 1BY
Email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk
Telephone 03708 506 506
Telephone from outside the UK (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm GMT) +44 (0) 114 282 5312
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.
Do the adverts for the development have the required consent?
Class 3(C) of the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 2007 (as amended, which has been in force since 6 April 2007, permits firms or individuals who are carrying out building, engineering or construction work to advertise the fact at the site. This may also include on the advertisement the name of the development project, in this case Kings Hill Park. There are limits on the size, number of adverts and where they are positioned. An advert that does not meet the criteria set out in this part of the regulations will require advert consent from the Local Planning Authority at Rochford.
On the 24 January 2023 the Council refused an application (22/00962/ADV) for advert consent for a 4.25m high in total, free-standing post and panel signage, "V-Board" (chevron) style with the wording "Coming Soon". Bloor Homes appealed the decision to the Planning Inspectorate, and the appeal was allowed. The type of advert approved on appeal has not been erected. Instead Bloor Homes have erected 2 x double-sided free-standing internally illuminated monolith (totem) signs and 6 No. flagpoles and flags. The developer has submitted a retrospective application for these adverts (23/00901/ADV) which the Local Planning Authority at Rochford are currently considering.
Directional adverts located off site on main routes to developments require the consent of the Highway Authority and not the Local Planning Authority.
What is happening to residential property at 146 Ashingdon Road?
This property is currently owned by Bloor Homes. The developer has advised the property is due to be renovated and sold in the future. Part of the works to this property involve realigning the driveway into the property. This realignment/new access is shown on Plan 3 EA-PA604-EN-300 S278. No consent from the Local Planning Authority was required for these works as the driveway does not enter onto a classified road and is associated with further development to occur as part of the renovation of the property.
Who owns the land in the vicinity of the site entrance?
Plan 1 document and Plan 2 document show the extent of the land currently owned by the Highway Authority. This includes the service road and verge to the front of 146 Ashingdon and south of this. Plan 2 shows the location of the entrance to the site following the demolition of 148 and 150 Ashingdon Road. This land is owned by Bloor Homes and will not be adopted by the Highway Authority until the requirements set out in the legal agreement for the highways works have been satisfied.
What will happen next?
The show home is complete and a sales office is open.
Works to build out the development are well underway, some plots have been reserved and first occupation is planned for early 2024.
The S278 Highway works into the development are still in progress, the access and belmouth has been formed but the remaining works to Ashingdon road will continue into 2024. The full extend of the highways works at Ashingdon Road are show on plan Plan3 EA-PA604-EN-300 S278
The school drop of spaces within the development are also being delivered.
When will the highways be adopted by the Highway Authority?
Following physical completion of all works associated within Plan 3 EA-PA604-EN-300 S278. Essex Highways will undertake a series of inspections, prior to entering into a 12 month maintenance period.
- Extract from S278 legal agreement.
For a period of twelve months from the issue of the Certificate of Completion and immediately prior to the expiration of this period the Developer shall reinstate and make good any damage or defect in the design of the Highway Works defective workmanship or the use of defective materials not in accordance with the Drawing and the Specification during the said period of twelve months (including any defect in or damage to the surface water drainage system) so as to place the highway in a condition satisfactory to the Engineer Provided that if any damage is caused to the Highway Works during the said period of twelve months by reason of fair wear and tear or by traffic accident or vandalism the County Council shall be responsible for the making good of such damage
Only once the 12 month maintenance period has been completed and any outstanding defects have been satisfied, Essex Highways will take legal ownership of the new highway. Until such time, the land to the east of current highway land remains under the current ownership – Bloor Homes.
This process will be the same for all future adopted highway roads within the development.
How much affordable housing is being built and who will receive these homes?
There will be around 220 affordable homes provided on site. This meets the council's requirement to deliver 35% of the entire housing development as affordable. The council has agreed the types of properties to be provided with Bloor Homes. This is consistent with local housing needs evidence for tenures and sizes, for example.
Bloor Homes will appoint a Housing Association to purchase the affordable properties for rent or sale. The starting point for tenures is that 80% is for affordable rent and 20% for affordable home ownership (like shared ownership products, for example). The council receives 100% of the nominations for the affordable rented properties for people who are on the Council Housing Register. For shared ownership, there would be criteria for individuals to demonstrate, such as personal needs for an affordable home and local connections."
Removal of the Highway tree outside Holt Farm School
Part of the planning consent for the development involved the removal of a large Oak tree outside Holt Farm School. Bloor Homes has paid compensation of £67,560 for the loss of the tree and a further payment of over £74,000 to enable additional tree planting around the development, with wider opportunities for improvement to existing planting in the area.
How will the new road layout affect the crossing at the junction by the school?
As part of the approved scheme the width of the existing footway/cycleway will be 3.6 metres wide over a length of about 78 metres, to allow for the provision of a right-turn lane into the site.
Of this 78 metre stretch, at its narrowest point, a section of footway/cycleway, would be reduced to c.3.25 metres for a stretch of c.15 metres. At this reduced width, the footway/cycleway exceeds the minimum technical standard for shared footways/cycleways, of 3.0 metres.
A number of safety improvements will be incorporated into the junction layout and design. These include an upgraded Toucan crossing, including a 2 metre wide refuge island to prevent overtaking in the vicinity of the schools and assist in reducing vehicle speeds and renewal of the anti-skid surfacing on the vehicle approaches to the Toucan crossing.
There will be an additional 20 meters of pedestrian guard railing, with improved visibility characteristics; upgrading of all existing guard railing to the same visibility standard; and the provision of additional road signs to alert drivers to the potential for school-children to be crossing in the area.
Plan 3 EA-PA604-EN-300 S278 provides detail of the works to the highway.
Why is the new access junction located where it is? Did the Oak tree need to be removed?
The right-turn lane provision is part of the approved scheme, which ensures no delay to traffic already on Ashingdon Road and was confirmed as necessary by Essex Highways in pre-application discussions. An alternative signal-controlled junction design was previously considered during the pre-application process; however, this was not favoured by Essex Highways given that signals would cause delay to through traffic on Ashingdon Road, would require additional carriageway widening, still requiring the Oak tree to be removed.
Keeping you up to date
Bloor Homes have created a website with up to date FAQs. Please visit https://www.bloorhomes-rochford.co.uk/
Bloor Homes is producing a regular newsletter. The newsletter can be accessed via the above website.
Any enquiries you may have relating to the development email Bloor, the developers directly at: enquiriesrochford@oliver.agency