The WLRA regularly monitors planning applications which fall within the West Leigh area or which affect local residents. The Association strenuously objects to specific applications when it considers these would damage the area's character or have an adverse effect on neighbours. If members have issues relating to planning applications in the local area, please contact the WLRA who can then make representation to Leigh and Southend Councils' Planning Committees on their behalf - click here for contact details

A report by the Town Clerk to Leigh Town Council's Planning Committee provides statistics on flat developments in the Leigh area between 2002 and 2006.
170 new flats have been granted planning permission over the five years
456 new flats were applied in the same period.

Although the report states that the increase in new flats built is in proportion to Leigh's population, the report also highlights two other important issues:
1) that the annual average of 34 new flats represents 27% of the entire intensification dwelling increase target for the Borough and
2) that the annual average number of applications (91 flats) represents 71% of the intensification target and 30% of the total annual target for the Borough!

The important message here is that residents must continue to monitor planning applications for Leigh and lodge their objections to schemes which threaten the quality of our environment by over-development, the loss of open space and overloading of our roads, schools, doctors and other services. If we don't, all these flats will be built.

	Leigh Town Council: Flats Report January 2007
	Leigh Town Council: Flats Analysis January 2007

Southend Council is in the process of recompiling the guidelines which are to apply to future planning applications in the Borough. These guidelines consist of a number of Local Development Documents which together comprise the town's Local Development Framework (LDF) and will eventually supercede the current Borough Local Plan. For information on all this visit the Council's website.

Local Development Framework

Under the terms of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 councils are required to consult local community groups and residents during the formulation of these planning documents and to be responsive to their views. West Leigh Residents' Association is registered as a recognised body under the Act and is an active participant in this consultation.

WLRA has so far contributed to The Core Strategy, the Statement of Community Involvement, the Design and Townscape Guide, the Planning Obligations and Vehicle Parking Standards and the Area Action Plans.

See panel on the right for WLRA's responses so far.

WLRA has major concerns with the whole Framework process; these are:

• The process itself is very long drawn-out and iterative and has already taken many, many months just to get the first document to the point where it can be assessed by the Government's planning inspector.
• The documents are very wordy, run to many pages and lack the accessibility of the current Borough Local Plan.
• The documents are written in fashionable jargon, lack substance and comprise of sweeping generalisations.
• Instead of producing strong guidelines to effectively manage future development schemes, it looks as if the "flexibility" of the LDF will mean that it will end up as a developer's charter.
• The LDF should include specific reference to protecting the seashore from development.
• The documents and the compilation process seem deliberately designed to exclude the very people who will have to live with the consequences - i.e the people of Southend. The sheer volume of the paperwork inhibits public involvement. This is exacerbated by the language used and the style of the "consultation". The documents are written by planners for planners and whilst developers can employ specialists to ensure they get their way, the people of Southend can't.
• Even the documents coming from the Public Inspector's office are written in the same jargon. It is also interesting to note that the Inspector has in the main invited only professionals and developers to the Examination. WLRA is the only voice for the residents which will be heard.
• The Council's consultation process is deeply flawed. They may have intended to allow the people of Southend to have their say but the way it has been carried out shows up the fallacy in this and effectively excludes the people from involvement.
• Not only is all this compilation process undemocratic, but its implementation will also be undemocratic. At the moment a lay person only has to read a relatively thin Borough Local Plan to determine whether they have legitimate reasons to object to a planning application. In the future the vast array of "Planning Documents" that make up the Local Development Framework will need to be studied. The lay person will simply give up and the developers will be left to get on with whatever they want. Will the members of the Council's Development Control (planning) Committee also be cognisant of the new planning guidelines?
  

An Independent Examination into the "Soundness" of Southend Council's Core Strategy Development Plan Document took place in March. WLRA attended the examination and emphasised our concerns (above) to the examiner. The results of the examination will be published later in the year.

The Leigh Town Council is compiling a list of historic buildings in Leigh to try to protect them from future demolition and development.

The criteria for National (Grade I or Grade II) listing are very strict:
Buildings built before 1700 in anything like original condition
Selected buildings between 1700 and 1840
Buildings of real character or built by principal architects between 1840 and 1914
After 1914 there must be some architectural, historic or social significance to justify listing.
Listing is done by English Heritage and further information is available in the Town Council office.

For local listing, the criteria are less strict and most properties suitable for listing in Leigh will come into this category. We suggest you look at:
· Whether the building is of architectural or historic interest
· How much of the building is original (both exterior and interior, if known)
· Whether the building has real local significance
· The condition of the building

If you know of any suitable buildings, please contact the Town Council, giving details of why you think they should be protected.

Southend Council's Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) has recently been assessed by the Planning Inspectorate. The SCI determines how the Council engages local residents and groups in the planning process. West Leigh Residents Association was involved in the consultation on this policy and are pleased to say that some of our recommendations were incorporated into the final document.
One key issue was repesentation at Council planning meetings. Whilst the Council has conceded that local groups and organisations may speak at planning meetings on behalf of neighbours, they may only voice the neighbours' concerns and may not raise the concerns of their membership in general. Leigh Town Council in particular felt that they should be able to address planning meetings on applications of particular local impact.
Despite recognising the "poor level of customer satisfaction with [Southend's] planning service", the Inspector thought that allowing local organisations to address the Committee would "increase the time taken to consider each application.......and unbalance the views for and against...". WLRA is disappointed with this judgement and feels once again that central government is acting against the interests of local people on planning matters.

	Planning Inspectorate's report on the Statement of Community Involvement
	WLRA's response to the consultation

 

We are however pleased to hear that in future Southend Council will take on board the concerns of local people when planning applications are being considered. Councillor Anna Waite, Executive Councillor for Planning and Transport, says: "The SCI will strengthen the Council’s approach to public participation and it reflects our commitment to community engagement. It’s very important that residents know they will be consulted and that their comments will be taken into account.”.

Southend Council's commitment

WLRA will monitor how this commitment turns out in practice.
We do not want it to be just another case of the Council "ticking the box" .

For full details, visit (find Development Control

For full details of Leigh's Planning meetings