The Local Plan of Epping Forest District Council will as it stands allow thousands of homes to be built to the south and south west of Harlow.
You may well be forgiven for thinking that everyone in Harlow supports this Plan, which also involves building thousands of homes to the east of Harlow both within Harlow’s border and in the Epping Forest area.
Well the fact is, The Harlow Alliance Party believe that destroying the Green Belt and building homes costing upwards of £400,000 will do nothing to ease the problem faced by many individuals and families in finding a home that is really affordable. Collectively both council’s have something like 6000 applicants waiting for a council home, few if any such homes will be built as a result of these proposals.
The proposals were agreed by the Conservative majority administration at a meeting in December 2018, where it was suggested by a Councillor for the Loughton area that less homes should be built where he lives but the council should allow even more homes to be built in the Roydon area!
Since the beginning of 2019 the Planning Inspector appointed by the government has been assessing the Local Plan and spent many weeks holding examination hearings at the Civic Offices in Epping. The Harlow Alliance Party were the only Party to voice objections to this Plan and have continued to do so since then.
Just a few weeks ago The Office for National Statistics produced new information which predicts that far less homes need to be built than previously thought. Despite this Epping Forest D C still intend to allow the Green Belt to be turned into what are being called new villages on Harlow’s borders.
Maps highlighting the targeted areas can be seen by clicking below:
Land adjacent to Broadley Common
Land adjacent to Old House Lane
Our latest submission to the Planning Inspector points out that new developments in and around Harlow’s town centre and on other sites will mean that 3000 more homes will be built in Harlow than the number required by the government.
Just at at a time that this country needs to increase food production, EFDC seem happy to see many acres of greenhouses destroyed and valuable arable land turned into housing estates.
Join The Harlow Alliance Party and help us continue the fight against these proposals.