Christmas has come early, and it will be a Happy New Year, for all those living in or near:
FENNELLS
JOCELYNS/BROADWAY AVENUE
DEER PARK
RADBURN CLOSE
MAPLES/MILWARDS
ST ANDREWS MEADOW
BARN MEAD/FIVE ACRES
The announcement by the Government appointed Inspector on 19 December that Harlow District Council (HDC) will need to make changes to it’s Local Plan has been welcomed by The Harlow Alliance Party (HAP) as well as hundreds of residents living in homes that have effectively been blighted by the proposals to build on fields near them. An early Christmas present and one that will last for many years.
Readers will recall that the Labour Party’s Harlow Local Plan put forward 21 sites on which it proposed to allow homes to be built in the next 10 years or so. HAP held five public meetings early in 2019 to see what residents thought of these plans and as a result they were the only Party to raise objection, noting that little if any consultation with residents had taken place by HDC.
Many of these sites are green field sites and HAP made it’s objections about eight of these sites known to the Inspector. By objecting, HAP were able to participate at the five day examination of the Plan (the Conservative Party did not make any formal objection thus could not participate in the Examination).
Of the eight sites, the Inspector has said that six sites should be removed from the Local Plan, with a seventh, adjacent to The Maples being deleted as well. The inspector suggested amongst others things that the Fennells site be included as a small area in the Green Belt, the land at Deer Park and St Andrews Meadow be retained as green wedge and that the case for new homes at Barn Mead had not been clearly established.
Despite not winning any seats at last May’s Local Elections, what HAP have been able to achieve in getting these sites removed just shows what can be done when a political Party engages with residents.
GET THINGS DONE ….. VOTE HAP AT NEXT MAY’S ELECTIONS