411 Homes On Green Belt Land: Rainham Councillor Calls In Major Housing Proposal.
Residents in Rainham are facing the prospect of up to 411 new homes being built off Upminster Road North, with Ward Councillor Sue Ospreay formally calling in the application for consideration by the Planning Committee.
The outline application, P0810.26, proposes the erection of up to 411 dwellings together with associated public open space, landscaping, sustainable drainage and the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of Upminster Road North and Berwick Pond Road.
All matters are reserved except for access.
The proposal has already caused concern among local residents, with questions being raised over the scale of the development, its location and the potential impact on the surrounding area.
HRA Councillor Sue Ospreay, Ward Councillor for Rainham & Wennington, has now formally requested that the application is referred to the Planning Committee rather than being determined under delegated powers.
Councillor Ospreay told the Havering Daily:
“This is green belt land and I cannot stand by and watch this development taking place. Residents have made it clear this will not be the best location for a development of this size. I am expecting officers to agree with my concerns and for the outline application to be refused.”
In her formal request to the Council, Councillor Ospreay said the proposal raises significant planning issues which she believes warrant consideration by elected Members in a public forum.
She highlighted the substantial scale of the development and the level of public interest surrounding the proposal, while also raising questions about its compliance with the National Planning Policy Framework and Green Belt policies within Havering’s Local Plan.
She also pointed to the borough’s wider strategic planning objectives, spatial strategy, infrastructure planning and the principle of sustainable development.
Highways are another major concern.
The proposed development could generate additional traffic on the surrounding road network, with Councillor Ospreay highlighting potential issues around traffic congestion, highway safety and the adequacy of the proposed access arrangements.
The plans include a new roundabout at the junction of Upminster Road North and Berwick Pond Road, but concerns remain over the wider impact of hundreds of additional homes on the local road network.
Infrastructure capacity has also been raised.
Councillor Ospreay has questioned whether local services would be able to accommodate a development of this scale, specifically identifying education, healthcare, drainage, utilities and wider community services.
Environmental concerns also form part of the call-in request.
The application raises questions around landscape character, biodiversity, public open space, environmental impacts and the Metropolitan Green Belt.
Councillor Ospreay said:
“Given the scale, strategic importance and range of policy considerations involved, I consider it appropriate that the planning balance is assessed by elected Members in a public forum.”
She has formally requested that application P0810.26 be referred to the Planning Committee for determination and has asked the Council to confirm that the request has been received and that the application will be referred in accordance with the Council’s Constitution.
For residents in Rainham and Wennington, the prospect of another 411 homes has raised questions about whether the local roads, services and infrastructure can cope — and whether development on land identified by Councillor Ospreay as Green Belt is appropriate.
The proposal comes at a time when development and housing targets remain highly contentious issues across Havering, with communities repeatedly raising concerns about the pressure placed on roads, schools, healthcare, drainage and local services.
Now residents will be watching closely as the planning process progresses.
Up to 411 homes are being proposed.
The councillor has called it in.
And the battle over the future of this Rainham land is only just beginning.
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We were in need of new homes for our own children and families for years. Funny how all of a sudden the government are building everywhere. Is this to create for the needs of asylum seekers, I wonder.