Your help is needed to raise funds to fight for a fair infrastructure deal for South Woodham Ferrer’s and the Dengie Peninsula.
TO DONATE go to: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/support-w-i-g
or scroll down to QR code – or simply take your donation to Mr Gee’s Charity shop
The Woodham Infrastructure Group was set up to ensure that the infrastructure keeps up with the new developments in South Woodham Ferrers & The Dengie. The main threat is that the road that gives access to both (Burnham Rd/B1012) is already groaning under the strain – and things will get MUCH worse as a result of new development in SWF and The Dengie.
Story
There are planned new housing developments in South Woodham Ferrers and out on The Dengie peninsula. However instead of widening the road or building a bypass the proposal is to place obstructions along the existing road (B1012) in the form of pedestrian crossings and roundabouts between the B1012/Ferrers Road roundabout and Willow Grove (by the BP Garage).
Any driver who regularly uses the Burnham Road from South Woodham Ferrers to the Rettendon Turnpike (A132) during the morning peak period will know just how difficult it is to join it from Ferrers Road, Hamberts Road or Hullbridge Road. The current proposals will likely result in Ferrers Road becoming a “Rat run” through the centre of South Woodham as drivers from North Fambridge and beyond try to avoid this section. This will add to the current queues and is predicted to substantially increase the town’s traffic pollution, reduce air quality and thus affect schools and residences for the elderly.
Without outside pressure from everybody impacted by this decision Essex County Council is expected to pass the much criticised plans for the local highways. After all, it stands to profit substantially from the new development (see article in the 10 Feb Advertiser – https://www.yellowad.co.uk/county-council-would-seek-guarantees-over-a-south-woodham[1]ferrers-housing-development/ ) seemingly more so if the necessary infrastructure improvements are ignored – so there is clearly a conflict of interests.
Since all previous representations pointing out the deficiencies in the proposed plans have been totally disregarded by the decision-makers in Chelmsford, the Infrastructure Group is left with no viable option other than to seek professional advice in order to take this further and is asking for your help. Encouraged by the fact that serious errors (including the withholding of important data) appear to have been made by those responsible for the project thus far, an appeal has been set up to provide the necessary funds to obtain advice on the present position and to commission a report from a specialist transportation planning/highway and infrastructure consultancy as a first step in the process. This will help us and those representing the areas that will be adversely affected including the Town and Parish Councils (which, as we say, have already raised objections which have been ignored) to argue our case more strongly.
We are attempting to raise six thousand two hundred and fifty pounds in order to obtain professional advice and commission an independent report from a specialist transportation planning/highway and infrastructure consultancy. If every household gives just £1 (i.e. less than a cup of Costa coffee or a single KFC chicken piece) we’ll have more than enough to take the fight forward – and bear in mind that this is far less than the cost of the extra fuel that will be wasted each year by drivers trying to join the Burnham Road from the town (or to get past SWF from the Dengie) if the Ferrers Road becomes a “rat run”, as it surely will without a viable ring road. We ask those who can afford more to do so as to compensate for those who have been hit hard by the pandemic. We also ask businesses which are dependent on traffic flowing freely (and for which the proposals in their present form could have hefty financial implications) to donate larger sums in order to reflect this.
An account of the funds raised and outgoings will be published – all proceeds will go towards obtaining professional advice, raising awareness, and obtaining a fair and satisfactory solution for SWF and The Dengie. None of those involved in the organisation of this initiative will be claiming any fees or personal expenses (i.e. they will be giving their time free of charge.) Apart from the usual card processing charges made by Just Giving there will be no further expenses deducted from your donation by the crowd-funding site.
There may be technical glitches with the Crowd-funding appeal – teething problems, given that, as far as we know, this is the first time this sort of thing has been tried in this area. Rest assured, however, that this will not affect your donation which will be put to good use!
Mister Gees Foundation, a UK Registered charity based in South Woodham Ferrers (which has an excellent reputation for probity and has supported numerous local good causes) has kindly offered to provide a platform for handling donations via Just Giving. In the unlikely event that there is anything left over when all the bills have been settled any surplus moneys raised will be used by the charity to support local causes.
PLEASE HELP US TO MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD BY SUPPORTING THE INFRASTRUCTURE GROUP AND ITS APPEAL.
TO DONATE go to: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/support-w-i-g
