Yesterday we had some excellent news, we finally learnt plans to build on Coombes Farm have been turned down by the Government. I've been involved in a residents group, Residents Against Coombes Expansion, for the past 12 months, campaigning for this outcome. I got a call early Friday morning from one of the fellow campaigners, saying he'd received a copy of the Govt Inspector's decision in the post. Like a child waiting for the postman on his birthday I kept vigil at the front window anxiously waiting for my own copy to be delivered. After just a few minutes we couldn't contain our patience any longer (Julia, my partner, being equally ecstatic about the news) & she set off on her bike to raid the sorting office for our mail, and one item in particular!
24 hours later (and a sore head, owing to a few too many celebrating in the Cherry Tree) it still hasn't quite sunk in. There is a very small chance Colonnade, the Developer, may appeal to the High Court but I think it unlikely. They have 6 weeks to do so, so we're hopefully almost at the end of a very emotional rollercoaster of a year.
Overall coordinating the Residents Group has been an extremely rewarding experience. When we moved to our present address just over a year ago we didn't know anyone in the locality. So when we, within days of moving in, learnt about the Coombes Farm plans I was determined to do something about it but didn't quite know what, or where to start.
I started by writing a newsletter, highlighting what could be about to happen on our doorsteps and saying we could do something about it if we pulled together. Delivering this to many of the roads nearby I soon got some very positive feedback and within days the Residents Group was formed.
12 months has passed, during which time we've held residents meetings at Rochford Methodist Church, produced newsletters, managed the campaign website, arranged publicity, including a extremely successful and well attended photo shoot at the entrance to Coombes Farm on 13th March. We attended and presented at two planning meetings - the first in November 2009 when the plans were unanimously rejected Rochford District Council, and then in April 2010 when we participated in a gruelling 4 day Government Inquiry in Rayleigh.
One of the most pleasing and tangible results of our efforts has been the posters. At peak, I reckon 80% + of properties were displaying our brightly coloured "Save Coombes Farm" or "Fight The Appeal" sheets.
At one stage we also put boards and posters up on street lights and pylons throughout the District, soon attracting the attention of the police! (I was also quite impressed that remarkably few got vandalised!) Threats of a substantial fine per poster displayed were sufficient to ensure that most were removed, though a number we happened to forget about and, on reflection, those ones were the responsibility of an unindentifiable third party.
I knew the posters were working when, one evening midway through the campaign, we were sitting in an Indian Restaurant in Rochford next to a couple vociferously moaning about the abundance of posters displayed across the town. "What chance do I have of selling my house with all these bloody posters everywhere!!" I hope that lady has now sold, and benefited from the added value of having preserved green belt on her doorstep.
But none of this would have worked if the strength of feeling from the Rochford and Stambridge community had not been there in the first place. I am proud to live amongst people who care so passionately about our beautiful semi rural neighbourhood. I have met many fantastic people I would not otherwise have done so, which also helps you to feel very much at home. And of course I am so very grateful for the support, which has taken many different forms - helping with leaflet deliveries, a verbal slap on the back, giving lifts to people so they could attend the planning meetings.
We've had 99.9% support all the way. As a sensitive chap, the somewhat negative and blatantly derogatory remarks from a few along the way did make an impact; it made us all more determined that we succeed. After all if you do nothing, nothing, generally, will happen, and I am convinced that we made a difference. After all it was the Residents Group that knew the area most intimately. This was made obvious when we joined Colonade and Rochford District Council on a site visit with the Inspector towards the end of the Inquiry - despite having maps in hand, neither Colonnade or the Council really knew where to walk or which paths to take!
And so, fingers crossed, Coombes Farm is protected for the forseeable future. Maybe we now need to look at how the path and environs can be better looked after. After all, the poo and the litter is still very much in place! I feel an open day litter pick could be the way forward !....
But many changes are taking place in sleepy Rochford. A planning application will shortly be submitted to redevelop Stambridge Mills - 200 houses, an application has just gone in for 150 houses in Brays Lane. A decision on that will be made in August. But the biggest potential fly in the ointment is proposals to blight Hall Road with 600 houses on prime, beautiful green belt. This is likely to be decided in early 2011. With the new Government's proposed changes to the planning regime it seems likely that District Councillors will assume greater powers as they could be the final arbiters of huge planning proposals, such as Hall Road. There are 39 District Councillors so I hope the lobbying has already begun !! More, no doubt, to follow.
