Please take this as my consultation response on the SLAA, both as a resident and as a member of the Local Plan Committee. I regard it as a key document for future development in Colchester. I have two major comments

1. Size: I’m concerned that there is no established pathway for smaller sites of 5 dwellings or less. This has come up at two recent parish Council meetings and it is clear that such organic or balanced growth is more acceptable locally than large scale developments. Smaller sites can make a very significant increase to housing supply but residents are put off by a complex and unfriendly planning system.

Please can the SLAA explain that the screening system only excludes small sites for administrative reasons and is not intended to block proposals for
* small new build sites from 1-5 dwellings
* subdivision of large underutilised residential plots
* subdivision of under occupied houses
* separate occupation of cart lodges and annexes of which there are many in the countryside
* conversion of farm buildings in line with the permitted use rules

I hope that such “windfall” will be specifically encouraged in the revised plan, and that the Council will present a more friendly face to small developers and self builders.

2. Transport networks: I’m concerned that the methodology puts insufficient weight on transport networks - roads, railways and bus routes. As argued for many years by CAUSE this should be the starting point for locating development, not an afterthought.

The proposed site evaluation system favours adjacency to existing services which in practice means existing housing. But planning transport first will lead to a very different pattern of development. Adding “another field” to existing settlements points to donut development with a failing centre - there are many who believe that is already happening to Colchester. Transport led growth would create development along each of the major routes into Colchester - slices of cake, not donuts. There would be significant benefits for both the town centre and the countryside.

The Local Plan review would ideally start with an infrastructure audit: then planning for the transport network: and only then allocate land for housing. Please can we make a start in that direction by
i) strengthening the words around transport in the SLAA assessment criteria, and
ii) completing the long-promised infrastructure audit at pace.