Members of Noak Bridge Parish Council will be attending the planning committee on Wednesday 29th January to strongly object to the Croudace planning application 23/01551/OUT to develop 400 homes on green belt land in Wash Road. The report recommendation from Basildon Council is for planning permission to be granted. The aim of the Parish Council attending the committee is to speak in objection to the proposal on grounds of Inappropriate Development in accordance with the very special circumstances and purposes of the green belt:

Unrestricted spraw of large built up areas; Prevent towns merging into one another; Safeguard the countryside from encroachment; Lack of vital Infrastructure; Increased demand in education where our children will have to look for places in the Laindon Area, crossing the busy A127; Put enormous pressure on our local healthcare service; Additonal pressure on the local road network.

Both educaion and healtcare have agreed S106 monies which are totally insufficient to cater for 400 additional homes housing a prospective 800 residents. The local road network which is ultra busy will take a massive hammering from additional traffic without any planned infrastructure.

Over the past six years the Parish Council have worked tirelessly with the steering committee, residents and Bluestone Planning consultants to develop a Neighbourhood Plan, Design Code, Green Space Assessment and Local Facilities Assessment for Noak Bridge. This consisted of an enorous amount of work and effort from all parties, funded by the Parish Council precept.

The draft documents were submitted to Basildon Council in July and again in September 2024 for Regulation 16 Legislative requirements to be publicised on their website and carry out a six week consultation. Basildon Council agreed to carry out the consultation in March 2025 causing a delay of 6 to 8 months. Until receipt of the planning application, there did not appear to be a valid reason for Basildon Council to delay the consultation, we can only now assume the Neighbourhood Plan was kept under wraps while this massive planning application passes through our hands and into the hands of the developer.

Whilst the Parish Council understand the need for new homes to be built, this proposed development will over populate the Parish, overwhelm the services, undermine the semi rural nature of the Parish causing it to become a township.  

The Parish Council encourage residents to attend the planning committee on 29th January and put the case for the refusal of the application 

Cllr Terri Sargent, Lead Member Neighbourhood Plan