a day ago
Flat-pack houses made from hemp spark outcry in Essex
Plans for thousands of flat-pack 'eco-homes' built with hemp have sparked a backlash from local residents in Essex.
Net zero construction company Hemspan has put forward proposals for a 2,000-home new town on 320 acres of green belt land in Rochford, promising the world's first large-scale 'climate-positive' neighbourhood.
Homes would be built with modular panels made from hemp mixed with structural timber, produced by a factory on the same land. Production would also require 5,000 hectares of land in Essex or nearby counties to grow hemp on.
The developer said these homes would have net zero carbon emissions as well as remove additional carbon dioxide from the atmosphere because CO2 is absorbed by hemp as it grows.
Called Rochford Park, the project would also include a swanky four-star spa hotel, a school for children with special educational needs and a supermarket built with the same materials.
Matt Belcher, founder of Hemspan, said the plans had a 'natural alignment' with Labour's housing development drive, which involves freeing up lower-quality green belt land for developments and setting compulsory housing targets for councils.
Labour has increased Essex's housebuilding target by 37pc to 14,088 homes a year.
'They're taking their chances'
However, some locals have objected to the plans, raising concerns about a lack of critical infrastructure for the thousands of homes proposed.
Lee Ellis, a resident launching a campaign against the proposal called Stop Rochford Overdevelopment, said that 'everyone is viewing this project as a direct threat to the way they live their lives'.
He said: 'We simply don't have the infrastructure for it. How would this area, the roads and even the sewage system cope with an additional 2,000 homes? It's unthinkable.'
He added: 'This is all a function of Labour's new policies – it's very clear. I think developers are smelling a bit of blood in the water in regards to what can be done, and they're taking their chances.'
Judy Hathaway, who lives in nearby Ashingdon, said the plans would 'obliterate the green belt'.
She said: 'Rochford is a historic town, with a protected greenbelt that is being disregarded in favour of big housing companies.'
Ms Hathaway added there was a 'saturation point' at 'which the quality of life for existing residents is negatively impacted by more housing'.
She said: 'Doctors are full, dentists can't take on any more NHS patients. If you have an accident, make sure you time it right, because Southend A&E is always full and overflowing.'
Mr Belcher said he was engaging with landowners to explore the creation of a 'new north-south connection' to prevent negative impacts on the town, and vowed to 'deliver the community infrastructure that's required'.
He said there was a 'deep history of hemp farming in Rochford and in the South East', adding that the landowner was the biggest grower and processor of hemp in the 1990s and 2000s.
Mr Belcher added that local opposition had been overplayed on social media and said even some opposing the project had told him that if homes had to be built there, they would rather have his team build them 'instead of the PLC housebuilders'.
The developer intends to file a formal planning application early next year.
