Opposing 1,300 New Homes

PLANS for a major housing scheme between Rayleigh and Wickford could lead to a 953 per cent rise in 999 emergency callouts, an ambulance trust has warned.
The East of England Ambulance Service says proposals by Bloor Homes to build 1,300 homes at Dollymans Farm would place additional pressure on already stretched emergency services.
In a letter submitted as part of the planning process, the trust said the development is forecast to generate an additional 658 emergency calls a year, on top of the 1,606 callouts recorded in the postcode area between April 1, 2024 and March 31, 2025.
The trust has requested £442,000 in funding to support ambulance services, alongside provision for a helicopter emergency medical services landing area, public access defibrillators, and flood and transport mitigation measures.
The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust said: “The proposed development would therefore add demand to an already capacity-constrained facility.
“Without mitigation, the estate deficit will be further exasperated, reducing operational resilience and increasing the risk of compromised response performance.
“Section 106/CIL funding is therefore the only mechanism available to mitigate the capital infrastructure impacts arising from this development and ensure emergency ambulance services can maintain safe operational capacity.”
The trust has also requested Rochford Council secures public access defibrillators through the Section 106 agreement, including devices, outdoor-rated heated cabinets, consumables and 10 years of maintenance.
The plans have already attracted more than 100 objections from residents, many raising concerns about the impact the development would have on local infrastructure.
The MP for Rayleigh and Wickford, Mark Francois, has also criticised the proposals as part of his campaign against the development.
Mr Francois commented: “This letter from EEAST is yet another example of why the proposed development at Dollymans Farm in the greenbelt, is completely unsustainable.
“The NHS works on a standard metric of 2.4 new patients per dwelling, so the minimum of 1300 proposed at Dollymans would mean over 3000 extra NHS patients, which our local hospitals cannot deal with, let alone our ambulance service.
“The whole thing is a complete mess.”
Bloor Homes said the application had been submitted following a thorough consultation process and it would consider the concerns raised by the ambulance trust.
A Bloor Homes spokesperson said: “Bloor Homes will, as always, review our consultation responses carefully.”
Picture: opposed to the plans. Pic: MP Mark Francois
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