Lewis & Scott have lodged a planning application for 29 new ‘retirement’ dwellings in the field to the north of 48 Woodrolfe Road, Tollesbury. The deadline for any comments for Maldon District Council is Thursday 30th September 2021. Comments can be either made on the MDC Planning website or via post to Maldon District Council.
Lewis & Scott met with Tollesbury Parish Council on Monday 20th September and the application was discussed at the PC meeting on Tuesday 21st September, where it was deferred awaiting further information from the developer. Once that information is returned then Tollesbury Parish Council will decide whether to accept or reject the application. At both of these meetings, members of the public as well as Parish Councillors and District Councillors were present.
The planning application by Lewis & Scott is very detailed and comprehensive. Their market research has used social media to gauge interest, which they believe to be strong. According to Lewis & Scott this is a new type of development based around a ‘social heart’.
We at HART have reviewed the planning application documents in detail and have our reservations regarding the development. The location isn’t great, and is away from the ‘heart’ of the village. There have been previous planning applications on that piece of land in 2013, 2014 and 2019 which have all been refused by MDC.
Lewis & Scott refuse to accept that the land floods and is susceptible to flooding. Although not in the ‘tidal flood plain’, the field does have a ‘high risk of surface water flooding’.
No reference has been made to the reports in the Maldon and Burnham Standard on the risks of flooding in the area:
https://www.maldonandburnhamstandard.co.uk/news/19362988.maldon-district-underwater-just-decade/
There are inaccuracies and omissions in their application, for instance the distance from the development site to the nearest bus stop, no mention of the nearby sewerage works or the lack of pavement between the site and the village centre or the waterfront without crossing Woodrolfe Road.
Whilst affordable housing is required in Tollesbury, the extensive social survey carried out in 2017 identified that this was required for first time buyers and the younger people in the village. Lewis & Scott state on the social media pages that they had over 150 people show interest in the development, yet in the meeting with the PC they stated 139. The PC Social Survey showed less that 30 would be interested in downsizing in retirement.
The 29 planned dwellings would have the capacity for over 90 people and 58 vehicles.