FAQ

The Salvation Army recognises the Hadleigh Farm Estate as an important area of natural beauty, public amenity and biodiversity. Throughout this process, we have remained committed to ensuring that any future use of the land supports the best interests of the whole community.

As part of the Local Plan evidence gathering stage, we submitted some parcels of land within the Estate for consideration in Castle Point Borough Council’s emerging Local Plan. This submission did not commit us to developing or selling the land; instead, it formed part of our broader vision to enhance community facilities, protect and improve the natural environment, create training and employment opportunities for vulnerable people, and support local tourism.

There has been some concern that we have not been clear about our intentions for the Hadleigh Farm land. We hope that relaying what has happened so far will offer some reassurance.

The first point to make is that nothing has been decided. Our plans are draft and follow the format required by the Local Plan processes which are being led by Castle Point Borough Council.

As part of that process, we submitted initial consultation documents in September 2024 which stated that around 1000 new homes could be accommodated on the site, while still ensuring the majority of the site remains as green, open space. (This stage is known as Reg 18) This is available here

At the next stage of the council’s consultation process (known as Reg 19) we submitted some further evidence outlining how the Estate could help address the borough’s significant housing shortfall. Here we stated that based on the environmental and heritage surveys conducted, 900 homes could be developed while still maintaining a strong focus on preserving important green space features. This also included some transportation feasibility information and an indicative layout. These documents are available below:

• Supporting Evidence 1 of 8
• Supporting Evidence 2 of 8
• Supporting Evidence 3 of 8
• Supporting Evidence 4 of 8
• Supporting Evidence 5 of 8
• Supporting Evidence 6 of 8
• Supporting Evidence 7 of 8
• Supporting Evidence 8 of 8

These documents are comprehensive, but they are still draft. The council rightly expects everyone submitting plans to go into great level of detail so they can properly consider what they choose to take forward.

The Council has submitted the Local Plan to Secretary of State for independent examination now and so we cannot progress any further until we know the outcome of that process.

No planning application has been submitted to Castle Point Borough Council for development on the Hadleigh Farm Estate.
Castle Point Borough Council made a “Call for sites,” and The Salvation Army engaged and put forward some parcels of land for consideration, which is a transparent and ongoing part of the plan-making process.

We will continue to review our position and should plans progress, The Salvation Army will engage fully with the local community.

Emails and feedback received from the local community is being shared with the project team and Salvation Army senior leadership are aware of the concerns expressed by the local community.

As we review our position, residents and the local community can get in touch with any questions to our inbox [email protected]

If plans progress, further details on consultation with the local community will be shared.

Our engagement with the Local Plan process is based around using funding generated from potential new homes to invest in the community facilities at Hadleigh Farm to create sustainable training opportunities for vulnerable people as well as protecting the local environment.

Castle Point Borough Council has a significant identified housing shortfall, including a pressing need for new homes to meet the needs of its existing residents. There are not enough brownfield sites to meet this need within the borough which means that some development may need to take place on Green Belt sites.

Ultimately, the council submitted their draft Local Plan which did not include the release of any Green Belt sites for housing development. Our initial submission and subsequent response to the Regulation 19 Consultation aims to balance the need for more local homes with returning other land back to natural habitat, increasing biodiversity and protecting public spaces.

Our aim was for parts of the site to be included within the Draft Local Plan to secure many local community benefits including much needed affordable housing for local people.

At this stage of the process, without a draft allocation or a planning application, the number of affordable homes that could come forward remains uncertain.

Should proposals for the site move forward, The Salvation Army would make land available for new homes and affordable housing in line with requirements set out by Castle Point Borough Council’s Planning Policy.[

Should plans for the site progress, The Salvation Army would be required to undertake rigorous assessments and demonstrate its viability as a site which would include local infrastructure contributions such as highways improvements.

If we are able to move forward with our proposals, jobs will be created in our training centre. We also hope that we could improve our camping facilities, modernise the tea rooms and expand our rare breeds farm, which will provide new opportunities and increase tourism to the local area, benefitting the local community.

We believe that if we can invest in our site, we can make it better and more sustainable as we seek to support the community in the long term.

Farming is no longer viable on this land. The soil contains high amounts of clay and chalk which results in a low crop yield each year. This is not a recent issue, and the land has historically been known as the “Badlands” due to the poor soil conditions.

We strongly feel the land could provide more and better value for the community with affordable housing and additional infrastructure.

As part of our commitment to maintaining the green space and the biodiversity of the Estate, some of our arable farming fields would be used for an arable reversion scheme to create new wild marshes to increase biodiversity in the area.

Preserving the natural beauty of the Hadleigh Farm Estate is of paramount importance to us. The proposed pockets of land will only take away a small portion of The Salvation Army’s land, leaving plenty of natural landscapes for the community to enjoy. On the remaining land we plan to maximise its potential as a site of natural beauty and wildlife sanctuary by working with Natural England to create new wildlife habitats by reverting cultivated land to its natural habitat.

Should plans progress, it will be necessary to undertake biodiversity studies to ensure proper account is given to the environment.