as previous

We regularly use this road with oversized machinery and don’t believe it is currently safe enough to drive 30mph with a tractor. We have experienced one tractor being written off in a RTA outside this site. This road becomes a rat run if there is an issue with the B1025 so to add another 25-50 cars (due to a poor bus service) is going to make our business less efficient and result in slower transport between farms in a time critical part of the year.

I object to the development on St Ives road, Pedon as there is no infrastrure to sustain this, the bus service is terrible and this an area of interest for a variety of wildlife including nightingales, lizards, buzzards, deer.

We have concerns regarding the potential allocation of this site which is located within the setting of several listed buildings, most notably the Grade I Church of St Mary the Virgin (LEN 1224702) - development here has the potential to diminish key views of the Church that contributes to its significance.

Initial assessment

Effects uncertain. Due to this sensitivity, a full Heritage Impact Assessment, rather than the Proforma HIA recommended by the Sift Report, will be required before the next draft of the Plan. This assessment should determine whether the site is suitable from a historic environment perspective and identify any mitigation measures or opportunities for enhancement to be incorporated into criterion ‘h’.

We have many concerns about the site.like.
Sewage.Waste water as we have had new pits put in this year.2025 by Anglian water.Road is to narrow,with farm machinery going into Hoseplant.No regular Bus service.No Doctors.Dentist.School.
Shops. Electricity cuts out with overload .No pathway to get to facilities.to name but a few concerns

St Ives Road narrows to single file, no pavements. Tractors and buses use the hill, I have had to back out up the hill onto the main road to allow them to pass. For better integration rather than an estate there should be pockets of 4 or 5 houses. Mersea doctors are not taking on new patients. More executive houses unnecessary, bungalows and terraces for OAPs wishing to stay in the village and first time buyers. Can we have a shop?
I object to a hedge already having been cut down before the plan is passed.

Site I’d 10621. Not acceptable block development village has always had ribbon development.Road totally
In adequate for additional traffic.entrance to site near road junction,bus stop,site access to industrial units
Opposite.Green hart of the village would be destroyed for no good reason as their are alternative sites around the village that would be in keeping with previous village developments.village has no facilities for more housing
No shops ,schools,no doctors taking on new patients,no footpaths on st Ives road,or street lighting.

Ref PP49 PELDON

The site is totally unsuitable for building 25 new homes due to unsafe access, lack of facilities and infrastructure. Namely no pavements on St Ives Road , and few in the village. There are no street lights and visability exiting the site would be dangerous for cars and pedestrians.

The bus service is irregular and unreliable, there are no local doctors or dentists who can take on new patients. Where is the evidence that the new housing will 'provide opportunites to sustain and enhance facilities and infrastructure' . Development would fundamentally change the intrinsic character of Peldon

While I understand the need for housing, this particular proposal is disproportionate for a village of our size and fails to account for the practical realities of living in this location.
1. Highway Safety and Traffic
My primary concern involves the suitability of our local roads. St Ives Road is a narrow, rural lane that is simply not designed to handle the volume of traffic 25 new households would generate.
• Narrow Lanes: Much of the road is single-track or has very narrow passing points. Adding dozens of additional car journeys every day will lead to congestion and safety issues, particularly when meeting farm machinery or the local bus.
• Pedestrian Safety: There are no pavements or streetlights in this part of the village. Residents—including children and the elderly—must walk directly on the road. Increasing traffic in an area with no safe pedestrian walkway is a serious safety risk.
• Dangerous Junction: The junction of St Ives Road and Church Road already suffers from poor visibility. Forcing more vehicles through this point is an accident waiting to happen.
2. Lack of Essential Services and Car Dependency
Peldon is a "Small Settlement" with almost no internal infrastructure. This development would create an isolated "commuter estate" rather than a sustainable community.
• No Basic Facilities: We have no village shop, no post office, no primary school, and no medical facilities. This means every new resident will be entirely dependent on a car for every daily need, from buying a loaf of bread to taking children to school.
• Overstretched Resources: Local GP surgeries and schools in nearby villages are already at capacity. Adding 25 family homes without any new services will place an unfair burden on the wider area.
3. Environmental Impact and Light Pollution
The proposed site is located in a sensitive rural area near the Abberton Reservoir. Building here would have a significant negative impact on our local ecosystem and the character of the village.
• Preserving Dark Skies: Peldon is one of the few remaining areas with truly "dark skies," which is a highly valued characteristic of our village. The introduction of 25 homes—with their associated security lights, interior lighting, and potential streetlights—will cause significant light pollution.
• National Policy on Light: This proposal conflicts with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF 2024). Specifically, Paragraph 191(c) states that planning decisions should limit the impact of light pollution from artificial light on "intrinsically dark landscapes" and "nature conservation." Peldon fits both these descriptions perfectly.
• Wildlife Habitats: Bright artificial light is documented to be harmful to nocturnal wildlife, such as the bats and owls that frequent this site. The site and its surrounding hedgerows also provide a home for red-listed species like nightingales. Replacing this green space with an urban-style cul-de-sac will permanently disrupt these habitats and the wildlife corridors connected to the reservoir.
4. Loss of Amenity
Light pollution would result in a significant loss of amenity. As a long standing amateur astronomer, chairperson of North Essex Astronomical Society, and Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, once of the principal reasons for living in Peldon is the absence of local street lighting. I have constructed a small astronomical observatory in my garden which would be directly impacted by any increase in light pollution from this proposed site. Should a development proceed despite my objections, planning conditions should be imposed to prevent the installation of street lighting or excessive/intrusive external lighting on new properties.
Conclusion
In summary, 25 houses is too many for a village with no services and such limited road access. This plan would lead to dangerous road conditions and the loss of the "dark sky" environment that national policy is designed to protect with consequent loss of amenity due to the impact of additional light pollution.
I urge the Council to remove Site PP49 from the Local Plan and instead consider much smaller-scale developments that are better suited to the village's actual needs and infrastructure.

25 houses in one block is not in keeping with the current structure of the village. Why can't 25 houses be shared between the parishes?
The current owners have sought to make this land more appealing to planners, by removing the established hedgerow and scrub which has been home to nightingales for the past three years, which we feel is unacceptable behaviour. See attached photos.
We own the adjoining land with hedgerow and trees abutting the site and want it noted that at no time, should planning be granted, are the trees and hedgerow to be touched.

While I understand the pressure to meet housing targets, this specific allocation is fundamentally unsuitable for our village.

1. Disproportionate Scale and Lack of Facilities
Peldon is designated as a “Small Settlement” under Policy ST3 of the Local Plan. We are a village of roughly 220 homes; adding 25 houses in a single estate represents a 15% increase in the main settlement. This scale is entirely inappropriate for a location with:

Zero Local Services: We have no shop, no primary school, and no GP surgery.

Total Car Dependency: Any new resident will be forced to drive for every basic need. This contradicts national policy (NPPF Paragraph 109), which directs development to areas well-served by sustainable transport.

Sustainability: Expecting a small village to absorb an estate-style development without any supporting infrastructure is not "sustainable development."

2. Highway Safety and Substandard Access
As someone who uses St Ives Road daily, I am deeply concerned about the traffic impact. The road is a narrow, rural lane that is partially single-track and frequently used by heavy agricultural machinery.

Unsafe Access: The junction at Church Road has substandard visibility splays. Forcing 25 households to use this junction daily creates a significant safety risk.

Pedestrian Risk: With no pavements or street lighting, the "residual cumulative impact" of increased vehicle movements on pedestrians and cyclists will be severe. Residents in the development will have to no way to safely walk to the rest of the village as there are no pavements on St Ives. They will be isolated from the rest of the village. St Ives itself will become a no go zone for the villagers who currently walk or ride along the road due to the increase in traffic.

3. Light Pollution and the "Intrinsically Dark Landscape"
One of the most valuable aspects of Peldon is its dark skies. Our village currently measures a 4 on the Bortle Scale (a technical measure of night sky brightness), whereas Colchester city centre is a 6. This difference is significant for both residents and local wildlife.

NPPF Compliance: Paragraph 191(c) of the December 2024 NPPF explicitly states that planning decisions should “limit the impact of light pollution from artificial light on local amenity, intrinsically dark landscapes and nature conservation.”

As a keen amateur astronomer (I am both Secretary for North Essex Astronomical Society and President of the Federation of Astronomical Societies) the darks skies which the village enjoys was one of the main reason my husband and I move to the village over 25 years ago. Losing the dark skies would be a significant loss of amenity.

4. Conclusion
The proposal for Site PP49 is, in planning terms, "unsound." It fails to address the severe constraints of the local highway and ignores the total lack of village services. Most importantly, it threatens the unique rural character and dark skies that national policy is supposed to protect.

I’m not against any building at all, but 25 houses is just too much for a village that has no shops, no schools, and tiny roads. It feels like this plan is being pushed through without thinking about how people here actually live.

1. Introduction
This representation is submitted on behalf of Winstred Hundred Parish Council (WHPC) following an extensive consultation process with local residents, particularly those living in Peldon.
WHPC notes that Colchester City Council (CCC) has proposed an allocation of 25 dwellings in Peldon and has indicated Site PP49 (Land at St Ives Road) as its preferred location.

Overwhelmingly, Peldon residents oppose a 25-house development in the village.
WHPC considers this allocation to be unsound and inconsistent with national and local policy for the following reasons, as tested against the requirements of Paragraph 36 of the December 2024 issue of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF 36):

• Procedurally Unsound (Not Justified): CCC has failed the 'justified' test (NPPF 36b). There is no robust evidence base demonstrating this is the most appropriate and proportionate strategy when considered against reasonable alternatives, particularly in the absence of a proven, locally defined housing need for open-market housing.
• Fundamentally Unsound (Not Effective/Deliverable): The site faces severe, unmitigated constraints related to infrastructure capacity (water/sewage), highway safety (NPPF 115), accessibility, and cumulative impacts that render the site undeliverable and ineffective within the plan period (NPPF 36c).

• Not Consistent with National Policy – The allocation conflicts fundamentally with core NPPF principles of sustainable development (NPPF 7, 8 & 12), protecting sensitive landscapes (NPPF 20d,156, 187, 189 - 193), minimising flood risk (NPPF 170), and the requirement to direct housing to locations well-served by sustainable transport (NPPF 89, 109).

2. Planning Policy Context

2.1 Settlement Hierarchy
Under the adopted Colchester Local Plan (Section 2, 2022), Peldon is designated as a “small settlement” under Policy ST3.
Such settlements are expected to accommodate only very limited growth, and mainly through:
• small infill development,
• rural exception sites,
• housing that demonstrably meets local need.
A 25-unit estate-style allocation is incompatible with the role a settlement and contradicts CCC’s settlement hierarchy under Policies ST3 & ST4, which direct growth to sustainable settlements with services such as Colchester, Tiptree, and Wivenhoe.

2.2 Scale of Change

Peldon comprises approximately 220 dwellings, of which around 50 lie outside the main settlement.
A 25-house development would therefore represent:
• 11% growth across the entire village;
• 15% growth within the main settlement.
For a small rural village with no services, no pavements, no lighting, limited public transport, and limited infrastructure, this scale of development is disproportionate and inappropriate.
The WHPC’s 2024 Housing Needs Survey provides robust, up-to-date evidence of local sentiment and actual need:
• Residents support small-scale development (4-8 homes) only if it is primarily affordable housing for local people.
• Crucially, the majority of respondents (57%) opposed the further development of houses for sale on the open market.

The proposed 25 open-market units on Site PP49 thus fundamentally fail the 'justified' test of soundness; they do not address a locally defined need and ignore the clear preference for smaller, affordable rural exception sites. Such smaller sites are actively encouraged by NPPF 83, 73d & 76.

2.3 Village Character

Peldon’s distinctive form is ribbon development around the Peldon Triangle.
A cul-de-sac estate would significantly and adversely alter the settlement character, contrary to:
• NPPF 133 (local character and distinctiveness),
• Local Plan Policies EN1 – EN4 (landscape protection), and
• Policy ST3 (small-scale, appropriate growth).

3. Key Objections Summary

WHPC maintains that the PP49 allocation is unsound due to a failure to address fundamental, unmitigated constraints that render the site unsustainable and incompatible with both the NPPF and the Local Plan.
a. Highway and Accessibility Constraints
St Ives Road and its connecting network are:
• narrow,
• partially single-track,
• lacking continuous pavements,
• poorly lit (in fact unlit),
• possessing substandard visibility splays at the Church Road junction,
• used heavily by farm traffic, delivery vehicles, school traffic, and buses.

The proposed allocation is Unsound as the evidence required to demonstrate safe and suitable access (NPPF 96b & 115) has not been provided, and the projected impact would trigger the national test for refusal (NPPF 116) on both grounds.

• Failure to Satisfy NPPF 115b: …it should be ensured that "safe and suitable access […] for all users." The Council has failed to secure a Transport Assessment (TA) or a formal Road Safety Audit (RSA) from the developer, which are prerequisite steps taken for comparable allocated sites in the Local Plan (e.g., Abberton/Langenhoe).

• Failure of the "Significant/unacceptable Impact" Test (NPPF 115d & 116): The projected volume of vehicle movements from 25 dwellings accessing St Ives Road and its junction with Church Road, combined with existing agricultural and commuter traffic, will result in substantial residual cumulative impacts on highway safety. In the absence of a TA, the Council cannot substantiate that the residual impact is not severe.

• Citable Evidence Challenge: WHPC requests that the Council formally publish the data from the Essex Highways Collision Data Map (TraffWeb) for the St Ives Road/Church Road junction and 0.75km along each direction of both roads. The lack of prior fatal or serious injury accidents does not negate the requirement for a new TA to assess the future risk posed by the intensification of use on substandard roads.
• Car Dependency: The site is wholly car-dependent, conflicting with NPPF 109 (directing development to sustainable locations).

b. Infrastructure Capacity
The village has:
• no primary school,
• no shop,
• no GP or dentist,
• limited foul drainage and surface water capacity,
• poor broadband choice,
• no sustainable transport options.
Local services already experience high demand, oversubscription, or inaccessibility.
Residents report recurrent wastewater issues and Anglian Water outages during heavy rainfall.
The allocation is therefore not effective under NPPF 35, as infrastructure capacity cannot support this level of development.

c. Environmental and Landscape Impact
The site forms part of open countryside and contributes to Peldon’s rural landscape setting. Development would:
• erode the open character of the Peldon Triangle,
• harm views across the Mersea Flats,
• disrupt habitats for priority species (nightingales, bats, raptors, songbirds), and therefore should not be supported according to Policy EN1
• remove or damage mature hedgerows and wildlife corridors.

The site lies within the Coastal Protection Belt, where Policy LC3 seeks to restrict development that harms sensitive landscapes. In particular, paragraph 6.11 of the consultation document states that development (with the exception of householder applications) will only be supported where it can be demonstrated that it requires a coastal location due to the nature of the use and is located within the developed area of the coast.

Crucially, the site is within the zone of influence for the internationally designated Abberton Reservoir SPA/Ramsar/SSSI. All development in this zone is subject to the Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) process regarding potential recreational disturbance, water quality impacts, and nutrient neutrality.
CCC has failed to provide a robust HRA screening or assessment demonstrating that this allocation will not have an Adverse Effect on Integrity (AEoI) of the protected site. This omission renders the plan unsound as it breaches the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2019 (as amended).

d. Flood Risk and Drainage
Environment Agency mapping shows:
• surface-water flow paths through the site,
• localised ponding,
• runoff flowing downslope toward St Ives Road.
The site is not sequentially preferable (NPPF 172–177).
Anglian Water’s local networks are already under strain.

e. Unsustainable Settlement Role
Peldon has:
• no services (shops, medical facilities, schools)
• limited employment areas,
• no safe pedestrian network,
• poor transport,
• no capacity for additional school or medical demand.

A development of this scale would create an unsustainable commuter settlement, contrary to:
• NPPF 7 (Sustainable development) summarised as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs,
• NPPF 110 (directing development to sustainable locations),
• Local Plan Policies ST3, ST4.

4. Heritage Considerations

The wider setting of Peldon includes heritage assets such as St Mary’s Church (listed) and traditional rural lanes. The open countryside around the village contributes to their setting.
Even though PP49 is outside the immediate vicinity of listed buildings, the landscape setting forms an important component of local heritage.
Under NPPF 207–210, harm to a heritage setting must be given great weight, even if less than substantial.

5. Ecological and Habitat Impacts

The Peldon Triangle and surrounding hedgerows are habitats for:
• red-listed nightingales,
• owls, buzzards, kestrels,
• bats,
• badgers, foxes, deer,
• a wide range of songbirds.

The open countryside around Peldon also forms part of the ecological zone connected to Abberton Reservoir SPA/Ramsar, meaning:
• any development must be screened for HRA,
• recreational disturbance contributions would be required,
• cumulative effects must be assessed.
No such assessment has been provided.

6. Cumulative Impact

Substantial development is already taking place in:
• Abberton,
• Mersea Island,
• Tiptree
• nearby villages.

Key cumulative issues include:
• oversubscribed GP and dental practices,
• reduced school PAN at Langenhoe Primary,
• rising wastewater failures exacerbating tide-locked flood risk,
• congested roads frequently blocked during high tides.

CCC has not demonstrated a cumulative impact assessment for this allocation.
This failure renders PP49 not justified or effective under NPPF 27 & 35.

7. Deliverability and Viability Concerns (NPPF 36c & 69)

Site PP49 requires:
• drainage upgrades,
• foul water infrastructure improvements,
• road safety interventions,
• biodiversity mitigation,
• transport enhancements.

Since February 2024, reaffirmed in Policy EN2, Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) of 10% is a mandatory statutory requirement for new developments. WHPC challenge CCC to demonstrate how they can achieve 10% BNG on-site given the density of 25 homes. Often, developers cannot fit 25 homes and the required 10% habitat improvement on small sites without buying off-site credits. Off-site credits are not sustainable.
No evidence has been provided that any of these measures are viable, funded, or deliverable within the plan period (NPPF 69).

The site's retention fails the deliverability (NPPF 69) and effectiveness (NPPF 36c) tests because the Council has not demonstrated that the mandatory mitigation requirements are viable or funded.

• Viability Challenge: The "Colchester Whole Plan Viability Appendices" (October 2025) and associated evidence must be publicly used to demonstrate that the site can financially support both the costly infrastructure mitigation (drainage, highway safety) and the required 30% Affordable Housing target (Policy H1). In the absence of this proof, the WHPC asserts that the costs of mitigation render the site unviable for allocation.

• Uncertainty of Delivery: The allocation is being progressed without confirmed funding or a timeline for the essential Anglian Water upgrades and the delivery of the required 10% Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG), meaning the site is not capable of being "met over the plan period" (NPPF 69).


8. Infrastructure and Mitigation Requirements (If Allocation Were to Proceed)
Without prejudice to its position that PP49 should be removed, WHPC sets out required mitigation if CCC chooses to retain the allocation.

• A maximum of 25 houses.
Reason - any more would adversely affect the nature of the village.
• 2 and 3 bedroom houses to be included in the development.
Reason - to provide affordable housing for both younger and older people wishing to remain in or return to the village.
• Affordable Housing Requirement – in line with Colchester Local Plan Policy H2, at least 30 % of new dwellings on this site should be provided as affordable housing, consistent with the rural village threshold of more than 5 dwellings.
In the event the site is retained, the resulting 30% Affordable Housing units must be delivered through a Section 106 Agreement that prioritises applicants with a verifiable "local connection" to the Parish of Peldon. This connection must be defined as:
o Applicants currently residing in Peldon for a minimum of five years.
o Applicants who have previously resided in Peldon for a minimum of ten consecutive years.
o Applicants whose immediate family (parents, siblings, adult children) currently reside in Peldon and have done so for a minimum of five years.

Any reduction below the 30% must be justified by viability evidence.
• Off street parking for at least two cars per property.
Reason - WHPC is aware of local developments with insufficient off-road parking causing on street parking which impedes access by emergency vehicles.
• The roof line of the houses should not block views from the house on Church Road.
Reason - WHPC recognises there is no legal right to a view, removing the view that exists would be a significant loss of amenity for the residents of those properties.
• The houses should not overlook the houses on either Lower Road or Church Road
Reason - Loss of privacy
• Houses should be in keeping with the character of the area in terms of both size and height.
• The houses should not overlook the playing field and children’s playground in Moss Hay
Reason - Private sightlines into a recreation area used by children and young people should be avoided.
• No street lighting or intrusive external lighting attached to the properties
Reason - To avoid light pollution. Peldon does not have any streetlights and it would be out of keep with the character of the village to have any. NPPF 198 states c) limit the impact of light pollution from artificial light on local amenity, intrinsically dark landscapes and nature conservation.
Peldon still has reasonably dark skies, measuring 4 on the Bortle scale. The centre of Colchester is Bortle 6. The difference in what you can see in the night sky is significant. Additionally, the detrimental impact on nature of the overall increase in light pollution is well documented.
• Houses should have the necessary infrastructure for highspeed broadband.
Reason – the only full fibre internet in the village is provided by County Broadband (recently merged with TrueSpeed) via infrastructure they installed. They have sole use of it. The only other option is the copper wire connection maintained by Openreach and the speed of connection is slow. People moving into the houses should not have to wait for months for a proper connection to be installed.
• The design of the roofs of the houses should be such to maximise the opportunity to generate solar energy.
Reason – Solar Panels and Heat Source Pumps should be installed for all the houses. Both are greener sources of power and heating. Having solar panels helps to offset the cost of running a heat source pump
• Improved public transport running more reliably and frequently direct to the city centre, train station and hospital.
Reason – To reduce car journey and make the village more connected.
• Ensure access to the site is safe and adequate for the users.
• Improve road safety and congestion factors on St Ives Road, in particular for the safety of users including pedestrians.
• Green space allocation within the site.
• Keep and maintain mature hedges and trees
Reason - to preserve the wildlife habitat as far as possible.
• Require Anglian Water to upgrade surface and foul water services.
 

9. Profile of Peldon

Peldon is a small rural village of approx. 220 dwellings, mostly in ribbon formation around the Peldon Triangle, with:
• no local services (shops, schools, medical facilities),
• no pavements for most of the village,
• no street lighting (a valued characteristic),
• limited bus service, often unreliable,
• limited broadband options, with only one full-fibre provider (County Broadband/TrueSpeed).
The community includes:
• a significant older population,
• families who rely on car travel for all work, school and daily needs,
• residents who grew up here but cannot afford to live locally due to lack of small, suitable housing.
This demographic evidence underscores Peldon’s classification as a “Small Settlement” suitable only for small-scale and locally justified development.

10. Summary and Conclusion

For all the reasons detailed above, Site PP49 – Land at St Ives Road, Peldon is unsound and legally non-compliant when assessed against the NPPF tests of soundness (NPPF 36):

1. Not Justified: No demonstrable, locally defined need for 25 open-market dwellings (Housing Needs Survey).
2. Not Effective/Deliverable: Severe, unmitigated constraints regarding highway safety (NPPF 116) , infrastructure (NPPF 7 & 20b), and viability.
3. Not Consistent with National Policy: Breach of the Habitats Regulations (HRA) regarding the Abberton Reservoir SPA/Ramsar site and conflict with the settlement hierarchy (Policy ST1).
The scale, location, and nature of development proposed are incompatible with Peldon’s setting, infrastructure, services, accessibility and character, and would result in an unsustainable pattern of growth.

WHPC therefore formally requests that Site PP49 be removed from the Preferred Options and not taken forward into the Regulation 19 Local Plan. Should the site be retained at Regulation 19, WHPC reserves the right to appear at the Examination in Public.
 

11. Appendices

Appendix A – Detailed Objections

This appendix provides detailed evidence supporting WHPC’s objection to large-scale development in Peldon. Unless otherwise stated, distances refer to road distances from a central point in the village. Due to the presence of Abberton Reservoir, road distances give a more realistic representation of daily life in Peldon than straight-line measurements.

The objections below apply to large-scale development in Peldon generally, including Site PP49 (Land at St Ives Road).

A1. Public Transport
A1.1 Limited and unreliable bus services
Peldon is served by an extremely limited public transport network. The reality of provision is poorly reflected in published timetables.
• The timetables refer to “The Peldon Rose” as a bus stop; however, this stop lies at least one mile from the main settlement, along a busy, unlit road with no pavements.
• The only bus service passing through the main settlement is Route 63, which operates infrequently.
• The service is not reliable: during high tides, drivers often terminate early in Abberton, leaving residents stranded. At other times, buses fail to appear either in the village or at Colchester stops, despite repeated complaints by residents and representations by WHPC.
• No improvement has occurred despite long-standing concerns.
Public transport is crucial for older residents, many of whom do not drive, yet the current service cannot be described as adequate.
A1.2 Inability to access education for 16–18 year-olds
There is no bus service enabling students aged 16+ to reach Colchester education providers (Sixth Form College, Colchester Institute, etc.) for 09:00 starts.
Although young people must remain in education or training until age 18, local authorities are not required to provide transport beyond age 16, creating major practical burdens for families.
Where children attend grammar schools, independent schools, or alternative secondary schools, the situation is even more difficult.
A1.3 Unsuitability for sustainable travel
Peldon:
• is not within reasonable proximity to a railway station,
• has no cycle routes connecting to employment centres,
• is therefore wholly reliant on car-based transport.
Consequently, Peldon is not suited to large-scale new housing under the sustainable transport requirements of the NPPF.

A2. Medical Services
A2.1 Lack of local provision
Peldon has no GP surgery and no dental practice.
A2.2 Nearest practices are oversubscribed or inaccessible
• The West Mersea GP practice (3.3 miles away) is oversubscribed with closed lists, and capacity has not increased alongside significant housing growth on Mersea Island. Many residents report being unable to register, and it is occasionally tide-locked from Peldon.
• The West Mersea dental practice is also closed to new NHS patients.
• Travel by bus is extremely limited; high tides frequently sever access.
The next-nearest medical practices offer no better prospects:
• Winstree Medical Practice, Layer-de-la-Haye:
o Base site: 4.9 miles away
o Main branch: 8 miles away
o No public transport to either location.
• Tollesbury Practice, 6.6 miles away:
o No public transport available.
The NHS website confirms that Peldon’s central postcode falls only within these three catchment areas, all suffering capacity, access, or transport constraints.
Large-scale development in Peldon would significantly worsen the situation.

A3. Schools
A3.1 No primary school in Peldon
The nearest primary school is Langenhoe Primary School, located in Abberton, 2.1 miles away.
• The school reduced its Planned Admissions Number (PAN) from 22 to 15 in September 2024.
• Significant new housebuilding in Abberton is already increasing demand on available school places.
• The Local Plan allocates a further 50 houses at Abberton, which will intensify pressure.
Even before considering the PP49 allocation, local families in Peldon report concern about access to school places.
A3.2 Secondary school access
Peldon has no secondary school. The village lies within the catchment for:
• The Thomas Lord Audley School (Colchester)
• Thurstable School (Tiptree)
School transport is provided only until age 16.
Families where children attend grammar schools, out-of-catchment schools, or fee-paying schools receive no transport, placing a heavy reliance on car travel.
As noted earlier, without viable public transport for 16+ students, a parent or guardian must be available for all school–college travel after GCSE age.

A4. Shops and Local Amenities
Peldon has no shop.
Nearby options include:
• Langenhoe Community Shop (2.2 miles) – limited stock, not a weekly shopping option.
• Bonners Barn Farm Shop (1.4 miles) – also unsuitable for full weekly shopping.
Buses are infrequent, poorly reliable, and walking is unsafe due to:
• lack of pavements,
• unlit roads,
• fast-moving traffic.
Everyday essentials require car travel.

A5. Roads and Highway Safety
A5.1 St Ives Road is already inadequate
St Ives Road is a primary route through Peldon for residents of:
• Lower Road,
• part of Mersea Road,
• surrounding lanes feeding into the village.
Existing issues include:
• Narrow carriageway, including sections too narrow for two cars to pass.
• The junction with Church Road has poor visibility, requiring drivers to pull into the carriageway before they can see approaching traffic.
• Heavy use by buses, farm vehicles, delivery vans, and commuters.
• Increased traffic during high tides, when congestion around the Peldon Rose forces more vehicles via St Ives Road.
These constraints are not apparent from maps but are part of daily lived experience for residents.
A5.2 Expected traffic generation
Most Peldon households have two cars. Households with older children often have more.
A 25-house development would therefore likely generate:
• More than50 cars,
• Increased peak-time movements,
• Pressure on an already constrained road network.
This would materially worsen safety on St Ives Road and surrounding lanes.
The residual cumulative impacts on the road network would be severe.
No recent traffic survey has been conducted to validate the capacity of St Ives Road.

A6. Water Supply and Wastewater
Residents express serious concerns about:
• Anglian Water’s ability to maintain fresh water supply given wider regional growth,
• the capacity of the foul water system,
• surface water drainage issues.

Local evidence includes:
• Regular attendance by Anglian Water at the Mersea Road pumping station during heavy rainfall, indicating capacity stress.
• Surface water flow paths across PP49 (confirmed by Environment Agency mapping).
• Existing minor flooding events in the village.
Any development would require significant upgrades, none of which have been demonstrated as viable or deliverable.

A7. Summary of Appendix A
Peldon’s infrastructure, transport, services, road network, and environmental constraints are fundamentally incompatible with large-scale housing growth. The reality on the ground is one of limited services, insufficient capacity and poor connectivity — conditions that cannot support a 25-house development without substantial and unjustified intervention.

Appendix B – Resident Opinion Summary

WHPC undertook extensive consultation with local residents and this response reflects the opinions and evidence gathered from the consultation process.
Summary of Opinions by Site.
As well as gathering opinions on the St Ives site, WHPC collated residents’ views on the other sites which had made it to Stage 2 of the Local Plan process.

10177 – Gt Wigborough
This has been discounted by CCC as being “detached from the settlement and facilities when compared to other sites”. The site is close to housing in the School Lane area. Great Wigborough does not have any significant amenities and facilities. This site may offer suitable vehicle access on to a suitably wide road.

10621 Land at St Ives Road
Wide opposition was expressed to the use of this site. Infrastructure, road usage and road safety, the creation of an estate which would not be in keeping with the village, lack of any amenities and infrastructure concerns were all cited as reasons for opposition. In addition, the loss of a natural habitat was also put forward in opposition. There are established hedges and mature trees bounding the site which should be preserved to protect the habit for the wildlife.

A small number of respondents considered St Ives Road could be used, if concerns on traffic congestion, road safety, public transport and infrastructure and amenity, affordable housing and biodiversity are addressed. There was considerable concern that if development were permitted on this site, it would lead to further development incursions into the Peldon Triangle in the future.

10179 Sawdon - Kemps Farm.
Some respondents expressed the view that this could be a suitable site. The stated reason to discount is, “the site is considered detached from the settlement and facilities, when compared against alternatives. A large proportion of the site is also located in Flood Zones 2 and 3.” The site suffers from the same lack of infrastructure as the St Ives site. The flood risk can be managed by suitable drainage systems. There are many examples of developments on flood zones in Colchester for example, Meander Mews on Cowdray Avenue.

10181 Peldon Hall Farm.
Some respondents supported this site for a small number of houses which may blend in with the houses previously built on Church Road and Maltings Road.

10228 Land adjacent to Lower Road.
No respondents supported this site.

10663 Land off Newpots Lane.
Concerns were expressed developing here might lend approval to the adjacent field south of Mersea Road, which would be inappropriate.

10673 Land South of Mersea Road.
Discounted by CCC saying, “Development of this scale would harm the character of the village”. The respondents agreed that a development of the scale of the proposed site would adversely affect the character of the village. Additionally, it was felt by many that allowing a small development on this site could be the start of the whole site being built on. There was very strong opposition to this.

Several respondents expressed the view that any additional housing could be spread across several small sites across the villages (Peldon and Wigborough) rather than one estate of 25 houses.

Appendix C – Photographic Evidence
o Photo 1: View looking up St Ives Road
o Photo 2: View showing limited visibility at Church Road junction

Appendix D – Housing Need Survey
Winstred Hundred HNS Report March 2024.pdf

Infrastructure inadequate already, sewage plant often needs tanker assistance.
St Ives Road very narrow especially at the top of the hill, more traffic would create a dangerous junction.
No pavements and no room to put one.
Hedges already illegally removed by developer before planning permission granted. They must be reinstated or allowed to regrow.
Long-standing presumption that the green triangular centre of Peldon should be preserved.
Sites alongside Lower or Mersea roads more appropriate & safer for increased traffic.

The site is totally unsuitable for building 25 new homes. No safe access, lack of facilities and infrastructure. There are no pavements on St Ives Road , and few in the village. There are no street lights at this site and visability exiting the site would be dangerous for cars and pedestrians. The bus service is irregular and unreliable. There are no spaces on waiting lists for local doctors or dentists. Lack of real evidence that the new housing will 'provide opportunites to sustain and enhance facilities and infrastructure' . Any development would massively change the character of Peldon.

Access is atrocious off St Ives Hill. It is bad enough now, without the disruption and chaos caused by 25 new homes there. It will ruin the area as is a lovely green lung within the village. Whoever thought this up obviously doesn't live in this area.

Our client objects to the draft allocation for approximately 25 dwellings at land at St Ives Road on the basis that Peldon is significantly smaller and less sustainable than Layer de la Haye, with very limited existing services and facilities. Paragraph 4.193 of CCC’s Sustainability Appraisal (February 2025) acknowledges that Peldon has no school or local shops. As a result Policy PP49 is likely to increase dependence on the private car and contribute towards unsustainable patterns of development.

This is contrary to the objectives set out in paragraph 11(a) and 110 of the NPPF, which expect local plans to promote sustainable patterns of development and significant development to be focussed on locations which are or can be made sustainable, through limiting the need to travel and offering a genuine choice of transport modes.

In summary our client requests that the draft allocation at land at St Ives Road, Peldon, is removed from the emerging Local Plan and replaced with more sustainable alternatives, including their land adjacent to Nightingale Corner at The Folley, Layer de la Haye. Doing so will ensure that the emerging Local Plan passes the ‘justified’ test of soundness (i.e. it comprises an appropriate strategy taking into account the reasonable alternatives) at paragraph 36 of the NPPF.

Though the site at St Ives Road could accommodate 25 house, the village itself and the infrastructure cannot. The road system in Peldon is rural. It already becomes gridlocked when there is a high tide on the Stroud. The top of St Ives Road is very narrow and has poor sightline when driving into Church Road, which is very dangerous. The present drainage system cannot cope with sewage & surface water outputs. There are no amenities, the local schools, GP practices and dental practices are closed to new admissions. Infrastructure and amenities must be resolved first before a new development.

I live on St Ives Road, a narrow single-track lane with limited safe passing places; vehicles regularly use private driveways to pass. The addition of 25 largely car-dependent dwellings would significantly increase traffic and exacerbate existing highway safety issues, contrary to policies requiring safe and suitable access. The site is not sustainably located, with minimal public transport, no local amenities, and no footpaths or street lighting, leaving residents reliant on private cars. I am also concerned about biodiversity impacts, as trees and hedgerows appear to have been removed prior to determination, indicating potential habitat loss.

The development of 25 houses in Peldon is likely to place further demand on the infrastructure of the village. I would expect, therefore, that measures are included in the development to address the problems with the infrastructure. This would include, but not limited to:-
1. Highways,
2. Sewers & surface water drainage,
3. Extension of the public footway and bridleway networks to allow access to the rural environment,
4. Improved public transport facilities.

Strong indication to include equestrians due to the semi-rural and rural location of this site. Pete Tye Equestrian is based on Peldon Road, with multiple horses and liveries stabled there. There is extensive access to the Abberton reservoir permissive tracks for horses, cyclists and walkers. Horses are being ridden around the village on a circular route; contractors should be aware of the increased risk. Peldon Road is a national speed limit road with an unlevel camber. It poses a safety hazard, and the speed limit should be reduced if more vehicles are added to the area. Horses also use this road to access riding opportunities at Fingringhoe and Abberton. The policy promises to provide safe pedestrian access, ensuring connectivity within and throughout the site to existing footways and any public rights of way. Ensure provision of green infrastructure connections and recreational access to the countryside, also securing active travel links and connections to the settlement;
'Enhanced Open Space' as shown on the Policies Map must provide, in total, more than 10% of the allocation area as open space. This should include a minimum of 0.6ha of open space within the site. There is a strong need and clear indication to support equestrian inclusion, given the number of nearby national speed limit roads and the lack of a bridleway network. Any new green infrastructure should focus on enhancing route cohesion and reducing network fragmentation, particularly for routes to neighbouring villages and the Abberton reservoir permissive routes. Bridleways are not just for horses and do not require any additional infrastructure beyond that of a cycleway. They do not cost more money. A lack of knowledge about equestrian user groups is not a sufficient basis for discrimination. A safety evening was held here due to the interests of horse riders and carriage drivers and the dangerous nature of the surrounding roads.

Peldon doesn’t have the infrastructure to accommodate 25 houses and lacks any amenities or health services such as doctors, dentist, shop or anywhere one could buy a pint of milk or a loaf of bread without hopping into their car to the nearest town.
There is already a serious problem with drainage and water ingress in the village.
There could be up 50 or more vehicles using St Ives Road which narrows to a single lane at the top at a very dangerous junction with Church Road. Sight lines would also be an issue with heavy vehicles using the road.

Rural village with poor facilities, no shop, almost non existent public transport, no local employment, no street lighting, a limited road footpath. Access from site via narrow road on hill. Crazy planning.

I am concerned about the proposed build in peldon.
The plan said all established trees would be maintained, however most at the site have already been removed losing wildlife habitat, there is an area between the site and the park with trees if these are lost too it will be too the detriment of the local areas.
Also Anglia water already have issues removing water from the area with the bottom of the field flooding regularly. this is likely to get worse if more houses are built in that area.

Site 10181 in Peldon should be included in the settlement boundary as a sustainable, deliverable growth opportunity. The site offers strong physical and functional links to village services, aligns with draft policies ST3 and ST4, and respects historic road frontage development. Ecological assessments confirm no Priority Habitat woodland, with potential for Biodiversity Net Gain. Compared to the preferred St Ives Road allocation, Site 10181 avoids coalescence, supports rural character, and benefits from proximity to the B1025 transport corridor. The representation hereto attached argues that overdue growth for Peldon should include this site at Regulation 19 stage.

Site 10179 in Peldon, should be seen as a sustainable extension to the village. The representation attached hereto argues that the site aligns with Colchester’s draft Local Plan policies by supporting rural character, providing physical and functional connectivity, and enabling Biodiversity Net Gain through natural flood zone management. Compared to the preferred St Ives Road allocation, Site 10179 avoids significant biodiversity and landscape harm, respects historic road frontage patterns, and offers safe access and proximity to facilities and transport. It is recommended for inclusion within the settlement boundary to deliver modest, policy-compliant growth.

The site is a longstanding area of wildlife in the centre of the village. As such, developing it will significantly change the character of the village.
Given the proximity of this wildlife site to Middlewick woods which a recent survey has established have the second largest population of Nightingales in the country, it is important that an ecological survey be conducted before this area is included as a housing site in the local plan.
St Ives Road is a narrow rural road which is NOT suitable for two-way traffic, nor is it wide enough to accommodate a footpath.
Concerns have been expressed to me in the past that there is significant sub soil drainage of water from the woodland which is proposed to be developed down which is adversely affecting some houses on Wigborough Road, Peldon downslope of the proposed site including some on the south side of the road which are of timber construction – and therefore causing structural problems. This situation could be worsened by development. As such, if development goes ahead specific requirements to prevent downslope drainage should be imposed.
Whilst the edge of Peldon village can just be seen from locations to the south such as Mersea, as the proposed site is on the south facing hillside it would be visible from Mersea Island and the coast along the Blackwater estuary and so detract from the landscape character.

The site is a longstanding area of wildlife in the centre of the village. As such, developing it will significantly change the character of the village.
Given the proximity of this wildlife site to Middlewick woods which a recent survey has established have the second largest population of Nightingales in the country, it is important that an ecological survey be conducted before this area is included as a housing site in the local plan.
St Ives Road is a narrow rural road which is NOT suitable for two-way traffic, nor is it wide enough to accommodate a footpath.
Concerns have been expressed to me in the past that there is significant sub soil drainage of water from the woodland which is proposed to be developed down which is adversely affecting some houses on Wigborough Road, Peldon downslope of the proposed site including some on the south side of the road which are of timber construction – and therefore causing structural problems. This situation could be worsened by development. As such, if development goes ahead specific requirements to prevent downslope drainage should be imposed.
Whilst the edge of Peldon village can just be seen from locations to the south such as Mersea, as the proposed site is on the south facing hillside it would be visible from Mersea Island and the coast along the Blackwater estuary and so detract from the landscape character.

Policy PP49: Land at St Ives Road, Peldon
25 houses
The site is a longstanding area of wildlife in the centre of the village. As such, developing it will significantly change the character of the village.
Given the proximity of this wildlife site to Middlewick woods which a recent survey has established have the second largest population of Nightingales in the country, it is important that an ecological survey be conducted before this area is included as a housing site in the local plan.
St Ives Road is a narrow rural road which is NOT suitable for two-way traffic, nor is it wide enough to accommodate a footpath.
Concerns have been expressed to me in the past that there is significant sub soil drainage of water from the woodland which is proposed to be developed down which is adversely affecting some houses on Wigborough Road, Peldon downslope of the proposed site including some on the south side of the road which are of timber construction – and therefore causing structural problems. This situation could be worsened by development. As such, if development goes ahead specific requirements to prevent downslope drainage should be imposed.
Whilst the edge of Peldon village can just be seen from locations to the south such as Mersea, as the proposed site is on the south facing hillside it would be visible from Mersea Island and the coast along the Blackwater estuary and so detract from the landscape character.
Summary
The site is a longstanding area of wildlife in the centre of the village. As such, developing it will significantly change the character of the village.
St Ives Road is a narrow rural road which is NOT suitable for two-way traffic, nor is it wide enough to accommodate a footpath.
Land drainage issues from the site – which are currently affecting some houses on Wigborough Road must be addressed.

Site wholly unsuitable
Access: St Ives Hill very narrow, single pass in places, no widening options. Junction with Church rd has restricted visibility, large vehicles cannot turn down easily. Wall at top been demolished by lorries three times in 6 years
No pavement so pedestrians need to walk in road
It is the lungs of the village and this would choke it, causing noise and pollution, spoiling the nature of the village
Appalled they have already ripped out most trees and hedgerows - violation
No amenities, poor bus service, little job opportunities,
Other site more suitable and less negative impact

This plot is not suitable due to the lack of public walkways as St. Ives Rd Goes down to a single track at certain points and cannot be widened Due to surrounding housing. from an environmental aspect there are Nightingale's and common lizards living there and their Habitat would be destroyed further. This Area acts as the lungs of the village which If built on would lower the air quality for everybody and as the population is quite elderly would affect them negatively. there are zero job opportunities in village