100 signatures reached
To: Essex County Council, Colchester Borough Council
Build Council Houses on Colchester's publicly owned land
Change your plans to build 120 luxury homes and just 4 “affordable” homes on publicly owned land at the former site of the Essex County Hospital (ECH).This land should be used to benefit Colchester residents and used for 100% social housing.
Why is this important?
The land on the former Essex County Hospital site was given to Colchester by wealthy benefactors for the benefit of the town. The current plans for this site will not provide any significant benefits to the town or meet the current and future needs of Colchester residents.
With just under 3000 households on the council’s housing register the pressing need for Colchester is the provision of homes for the most deprived members of our community; young families, unable to get on to the housing ladder, key workers like nurses and other NHS staff and elderly residents, often isolated and living in family homes, with little prospect of moving into smaller, town centre located houses because of a shortage of secure rented accommodation.
The current plans are also likely to significantly increase the number of cars in the area, as high value properties tend to attract two or even more cars per dwelling. Despite plans for 149 parking spaces it is highly likely there will be overspill parking in the already congested local streets.
Our town centre is already blighted with congestion and serious air pollution. Given the school traffic in this area, there will be dispersal problems for pollution of morning and evening rush hour traffic with such tightly packed houses. A more open design of social housing would avoid such problems, especially if targeted towards the elderly or young families who often have fewer vehicles.
The County Council and NHS Hospital Trust are being irresponsible in the design and target market of £500,000 plus homes for the wealthy. The land was originally given to the town to benefit the people of Colchester, not so that future councils could play at property speculation.
This publicly owned land should be used to benefit Colchester residents and used for 100% social housing, not the derisory 4 units of unaffordable ‘affordable’ homes you are currently proposing.
On behalf of Colchester People's Assembly Against Austerity
With just under 3000 households on the council’s housing register the pressing need for Colchester is the provision of homes for the most deprived members of our community; young families, unable to get on to the housing ladder, key workers like nurses and other NHS staff and elderly residents, often isolated and living in family homes, with little prospect of moving into smaller, town centre located houses because of a shortage of secure rented accommodation.
The current plans are also likely to significantly increase the number of cars in the area, as high value properties tend to attract two or even more cars per dwelling. Despite plans for 149 parking spaces it is highly likely there will be overspill parking in the already congested local streets.
Our town centre is already blighted with congestion and serious air pollution. Given the school traffic in this area, there will be dispersal problems for pollution of morning and evening rush hour traffic with such tightly packed houses. A more open design of social housing would avoid such problems, especially if targeted towards the elderly or young families who often have fewer vehicles.
The County Council and NHS Hospital Trust are being irresponsible in the design and target market of £500,000 plus homes for the wealthy. The land was originally given to the town to benefit the people of Colchester, not so that future councils could play at property speculation.
This publicly owned land should be used to benefit Colchester residents and used for 100% social housing, not the derisory 4 units of unaffordable ‘affordable’ homes you are currently proposing.
On behalf of Colchester People's Assembly Against Austerity
How it will be delivered
We will email and hand deliver the petition to Essex County councillors.
