Proposed Housing Developments In Great Horkesley Introduction Colchester Borough Council is producing a plan the purpose of which is to guide development in the Borough through to the year 2033. The Local Plan, as it is called, will set out: What types of development are needed; How much development is needed; Where development should be located; The timings of these developments. Colchester Borough Council has identified two sites in Great Horkesley as suitable for additional residential development. These are the area surrounding Great Horkesley Manor, where up to 80 houses could be built, and a smaller plot off School Lane and near to the back of the Old Village Hall where up to 13 houses could be built. No timescale was given. Proposals, for how monies contributed by the developers should be spent, have been communicated to the Planners. These proposals are to extend the New Village Hall, provide allotments, provide better facilities for the Scouts, and improve access to the Old Village Hall. It is unclear whether the facilities for the Scouts would remain near to the Old Village Hall or be relocated to the Great Horkesley Manor development. Planners were unable to say who or what organisation communicated these proposals. Colchester s Planners have suggested suitable forms of traffic management along the affected part of the A134, and crossings from the Horkesley Manor side of the road to facilitate access to and from the Bishop William Ward School. Also suggested are improvements to the A134 to facilitate cycling so that residents could access the facilities that will be developed at Chesterwell, about 0.8 of a mile from Keelers Way. Colchester Planners describe Great Horkesley as having good facilities including a Post Office and Village shop located in the main concentration of the village. Great Horkesley is also described as being on a key transport route and having a good bus service. Page 1 of 7
Purpose of This Document The planners are now seeking input from the residents of Great Horkesley because what residents think and desire for the village will inform our [Colchester s Planners] development of a final version of the document. On the 10 th August 2016 Colchester s Planners held a drop-in meeting at the New Village Hall. About fifty residents of Great Horkesley attended this meeting. This document describes what seven attendees, representing the Residents Association, learned from the consultation. Its purpose is to help other members of the Residents Association and other residents who were unable to attend to take part in the consultation by commenting on the plan on-line; something Colchester s Planners would like us all to do. Infrastructure There was no mention of objections being raised to this level of development in Great Horkesley. But developments in Colchester always raise concerns about key services and infrastructure and there is nothing in the plan to say if or how these will change to accommodate existing and future growth: not specifically in Great Horkesley nor in the Borough as a whole. Concerns about infrastructure were raised transport, housing, health, and education but there was no indication of joint plans or even engagement between those organisations responsible for these. With several thousand new homes being built at the top of the Northern Approach Road and along the Via Urbis Romanae, the Local Plan offers little hope for improved access to Colchester Station, the Town Centre, and destinations beyond. Whilst 90 new homes in Great Horkesley may appear insignificant, it is Great Horkesley residents and other users of the A134 who bear the brunt of the traffic jams and frustration at peak times. Waiting times for appointments at the Mill Road Surgery are increasing together with those for consultations and treatment at Hospitals in Clacton, Chelmsford and Basildon. Any plans for a surgery at Chesterwell were not discussed. When attending the Casualty Department at Colchester Hospital, at certain times even children have to wait several hours before they can be seen. As the population of Colchester grows, how other services like Fire, Police, and Ambulance will cope remains unanswered. Two bus routes serve Great Horkesley. The Number 84 from Sudbury is infrequent and has little or no attraction for people south of the Crescent. The Number 2, whilst much more frequent is, during busy periods occasionally late or withdrawn altogether. Waiting times of 40 minutes for a Number 2 are not uncommon. Page 2 of 7
Colchester s Park and Ride, which is a subsidised service, opened in 2015. It is designed to encourage people to leave their cars at home and travel to Colchester North Station, and Colchester Town Centre by bus. For four people (for example a family or group of friends attending a matinee performance at the Mercury) the cost is 12.00. When asked if the cost of the Park and Ride incentivised residents to use the service, the planners admitted that it did not and agreed that it was far cheaper to take the car to a town centre car park. The last Park and Ride service leaves town just before 7 pm and at 7.30 pm the car park is locked. Thus for many commuters living in Great Horkesley, the Park and Ride is unsuitable for those working in the City of London. As in other parts of the country local authorities are required to cater for people who choose walking and cycling over making a journey by car. Whilst cyclists are from time to time seen on the A134, few residents use the footpaths. Walking and cycling are dangerous activities since the A134 is heavily used and narrow, and the footpath overgrown. At a number of locations, pedestrians have to cross the road when the footpath changes sides. A wider footpath that allows cyclists to share the footpath with pedestrians (as at Chesterwell) makes sense but this doesn t mean that more people will walk and cycle, only that their journeys would be considerable safer than they are now. The Planners were unable to confirm whether improvements to the footpath would cover the whole of the village from North to South. Nor whether the frontage to Great Horkesley Manor and the footpath on the East side of the A134 would also enjoy the benefit of an upgrade. The Preferred Options Plan states that the Village Shop and Post Office are facilities at the heart of the village when actually these are located towards the north of the village, some 0.7 miles from Keelers Way. Between Ivy Lodge Road and Green Lane there are currently six road junctions at which traffic joins the A134. These junctions are a mix of Mini Roundabouts and T Junctions, some with obstructed view. Other traffic joins from homes fronting onto the A134. This is a dangerous stretch of road to which it is proposed to add a pedestrian crossing and a further junction on the East of the road to serve the proposed development. Page 3 of 7
Schooling The report states that Bishop William Ward is expected to have 18 places vacant by 2019/20. The report also states that there is physical space around the school to accommodate further expansion. The report does not say if this space is currently used for recreational or any other purposes. Planners were aware that children from Great Horkesley also attend schools elsewhere. If Bishop William Ward were unable to find extra capacity it was suggested that additional traffic movements would occur heading south towards Colchester, North towards Sudbury and via Ivy Lodge Road, towards Boxted and beyond. Planners accept that young people attending Secondary School will always need to travel either South to Colchester or North towards Sudbury. The hoped for Secondary School at Chesterwell is on hold since it was decided to reduce the number of houses on that development from 2,000 to 1,600. In spite of this reduction, the population of Myland is expected to double in the next 10 years from around 12,000 currently. The planners were asked why it is that infrastructure and key services like schools always seem to come after the developments and not before. It appears that there is no answer to this; only further questions. Narrow Streets and Parking Issues The Planners attending the meeting on the 10 th of August said that they have learned from the problems of narrow streets and inadequate parking and that future development will be different. When it was pointed out that three car families were not uncommon, that families have visitors, receive deliveries, and may require an emergency vehicle at some time, then it became unclear where the line between desirable neighbourhoods and profit had to be drawn. It was noted that at Chesterwell, the building rules are that no property with fewer than four bedrooms will enjoy the benefit of a garage. Instead these properties will access a parking area in the back garden, via a gate or archway. Page 4 of 7
Potential for The S106 Agreement The S106 Agreement is a contract between the developers and Colchester Borough Council. It ensures that developers provide the funds or the facilities that the village needs in return for the permission to carry out the proposed development. Whilst it is still early days, Colchester Planners have received proposals for how money raised by the S106 could be used. These proposals are: To fund an extension to the New Village Hall; To provide a number of allotments that have been a must have item on the agenda for many years; A new meeting place for the Scouts; Better access to the Old Village Hall. It was unclear why the New Village Hall needs to be extended and at the meeting no explanation was forthcoming. Concerning the Scouts, plans mention only a new Scout Hut and nothing about increased and secure storage, or a recreation area where outdoor activities, Scout Craft, and even Camping can be enjoyed. There is no mention of Guides and perhaps a decent venue would serve both movements and all ages. The Parish Council has been expecting closure of the Old Village Hall ever since the New Village Hall became a reality. No mention was made as to how this came onto the agenda but if S106 money is available to improve access, then the question why not give the building a decent facelift too, was unanswered. The question whether this improved access would facilitate further development wasn t answered. Money due to Great Horkesley, as a result of the developments at Tile House Farm, and earmarked by the Parish Council for the purposes of providing additional tree planting and shaded seating areas, has never been used. It is unclear where in the workings of local government the blockage has occurred and planners were, unsurprisingly, unable to comment or explain this. Page 5 of 7
Type of Housing The Local Plan says that Up to 80 (presumably 93) new dwellings of a mix and type for which there is a demonstrated need, would be provided. At the meeting no evidence of what the demonstrated need is, or means, was communicated. Next Steps Colchester Planners want and need the residents of Great Horkesley to make known their views on these two developments. This has to be done by the 16 th September, little more than three weeks from now. The process, which is for the whole of Colchester, will not be completed until the summer of next year but the window for representation from the residents of Great Horkesley definitely closes on September the 16 th. This is your chance to have a say in the future of Great Horkesley. No one can promise you that Colchester Planners will accommodate every suggestion or objection but as the saying goes if you don t ask, you don t get. Act now but certainly before September 16 th. You can do this from the Documents Page of this Web Site. Page 6 of 7
Map of Great Horkesley Showing Locations of the Proposed Developments School Lane Great Horkesley Manor Page 7 of 7