Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community Development Plan Document (DPD)

The Policies Map makes clear the boundary created by the "A120-A133 Link Road", therefore the "Link Road" must be completed from the start, enabling housing and associated development to follow. Please insert the following: [The Eastern boundary of the site is along the completed A120-A133 Link Road. This Link Road must be completed ahead of development of the site."

Without the "Link Road" completed, it fails the GC principles and impacts with great harm on existing communities and the local road network.

In their previous Section 1 Local Plan Submission, the North East Essex Authorities outlined the following when introducing the then Policies Map: Policy SP8 - Tendring/Colchester Borders Garden Community The adopted policies map identifies the broad location for the development of a new garden community of which the details and final number of homes will be set out in a Strategic Growth Development Plan Document to be prepared jointly between Colchester BC and Tendring DC and which will incorporate around 2,500 dwellings within the Plan period (as part of an overall total of between 7,000-9,000 homes) and provision for Gypsy and Travellers. The Strategic Growth DPD will set out the nature, form and boundary of the new community. The document will be produced in consultation with stakeholders and will include a concept plan showing the disposition and quantity of future land-uses, and give a three dimensional indication of the urban design and landscape parameters which will be incorporated into any future planning applications; together with a phasing and implementation strategy which sets out how the rate of development will be linked to the provision of the necessary social, physical and environmental infrastructure to ensure that the respective phases of the development do not come forward until the necessary infrastructure has been secured. The DPD will provide the framework for the subsequent development of more detailed masterplans and other design and planning guidance for the Tendring / Colchester Borders Garden Community. The DPD and any planning application will address the following principles and requirements in the design, development and delivery of the new garden community:

D. Transportation 7. A package of measures will be introduced to encourage smarter transport choices to meet the needs of the new community and maximise the opportunities for sustainable travel including the provision of a network of footpaths, cycleways and bridleways to enhance permeability within the site and to access and to access the adjoining areas; development of a public rapid transit system connecting the garden community to Essex University and Colchester town centre; park and ride facilities and other effective integrated measures to mitigate the transport impacts of the proposed development on the strategic and local road network. Longer term transport interventions will need to be carefully designed to minimise the impacts on the strategic and local road network and fully mitigate any environmental or traffic impacts arising from the development. These shall include bus (or other public transit provisions) priority measures between the site, University of Essex, Hythe station and Colchester Town Centre; 8. Foot and cycle ways shall be provided throughout the development and connecting with the surrounding urban areas and countryside, including seamlessly linking key development areas to the University of Essex, Hythe station and Colchester Town Centre; 9. Primary vehicular access to the site will be provided off the A120 and A133.

It is very clear above that vehicular access will come from the A120 and A133 and thus a Link Road must be provided. Furthermore, it say "Longer term transport interventions will need to be carefully designed to minimise the impacts on the strategic and local road network and fully mitigate any environmental or traffic impacts arising from the development." The current proposals for a phased Link Road contravene these policy statements.

This 'Policies Map' includes a clear boundary being the 'A120-A133 Link Road'. In the Garden Communities principle, the development should be infrastructure-led and not cause demonstrable impact on the existing communities. However, the 'A120-A133 Link Road' is no longer a 'Link Road' if it is not to be built out before the development begins.

See below extracts from ECC, CCC and TDC about the A120-A133 as it was gaining planning permission. On each occasion and within the planning documentation for the A120-A133 Link Road application, the strategic and local importance of this link road was explained clearly - please see below:

Remove development South of the A133, accepting the A133 as a clear border of the Garden Community settlement.

At each stage of consultation, hundreds of residents have sumitted consultations responses clearly stating "no development South of A133". This is seen to break the principle of coolescence with the Wivenhoe envelope; futhermore, the land allocation is not concordent with Garden Community principles, providing infrastructure outside of the "self-contained community", favoruing a site across a major 'A-road' (the A133). The A133 is seen as a clear boundary to the Garden Community development, yet this allocation was ade last minute upon request my the University.
Public consultation responses should not be ignored.

The A120-A133 Link Road must be completed in full prior to house-building starting. Full road completion is a requirement to carry out its strategic and directly important role for the local road network, delivering on its purpose and policy objectives.

The DPD does not require the completion of the "Link Road" prior to housing development taking place. This must be a stipluation to ensure it carries out the fuction it is there for. The consultation page outlines: "The A120-A133 Link Road... is scheduled to open in 2026. Its objective is to support growth at the Garden Community, manage congestion in this wider locality and improve connectivity. " It simply will not meet Garden Community Policy requirements or requirements outlined in the planning permission if it is built in two phases and not completed before house-building commences.

I support the net-zero carbon objectives and policy requirements.

We should go further in the following areas:
Part D - Water Conservation - I believe with the evidence of water supply and climate effects locally we must update the policy from optional water consveration to complusory greywater and rain harvesting systems.

Part J should be created to make a requirement upon the highest insulation standards to conserve energy, beyond current Building Regulation stipulations.

The 'A120-A133 Link Road' must be fully funded and completion guaranteed in advance of house-building on the site.

This statement: "Proposals will need to make financial contributions to the wider local transport infrastructure, including the A120-A133 Link Road and Rapid Transit System in accordance with the conditions of the Housing Infrastructure Fund." is the only part of the consultation that gives some acknowledgement to the fact that the 'A120-A133 Link Road' is not fully funded and cannot be completed without further contributions.
I object to the DPD progressing without the 'A120-A133 Link Road' guaranteed to be completed as per Garden Principles and the planning application, in one phase, prior to house building.