At Rochford District Council’s Development Committee (21 January) – where one of the agenda items was Pond Chase Nursery (Hockley) – the development will go ahead. However, one of the conditions was for a plot of land 2,520m to set aside for allotments. Hockley Parish Council will be contacted with a view to running them.

‘Councillors were minded to approve the application for 70 dwellings at Pond Chase Nursery at a committee meeting last week but the decision still needs to be issued and the legal agreement signed. It is not a formal decision until this takes place. With a development of this scale, drafting the conditions and a legal agreement between the parties can take a bit of time; it may be a couple of months before a decision is finally issued although I am hopeful that this might be by the end of February. One of the conditions of the decision will relate to the need to agree details of the allotments before development commences.

Once a decision is issued it is then in the hands of the developer as to when they decide they wish to submit the details to address the conditions that will be attached to their decision notice. They will generally only submit these details when they feel they are ready to look to build out the site. Once the decision notice is issued, a developer has 3 years to commence development so they could submit details any time within 3 years for consideration. However, I am hopeful that Permission Homes are looking to progress the site swiftly.’

If you are keen to pursue the opportunity of a brand new site for Hockley, please contact the Parish Clerk to register your name with full contact details:
clerk@hockley-essex.gov.uk – copying in caroleshorney@hotmail.com, for which very many thanks!

New allotment sites have been built with S106 money: examples include Market Harborough (2004); Basingstoke (Chineham Parish Council) (2008); Salisbury (Durrington); and Wirral MBC, which was specifically advised that it should include allotment provision in its S106 Policy (2008). However, it is by no means compulsory and a complex subject.

Information kindly provided by The National Allotment Society:

http://www.nsalg.org.uk/about-us/