Update on the play area between Bushey Croft and Rushes Mead

In 2018 both Labour and Conservative Councillors agreed to build 16 houses on the area between these two estates despite objections from nearly 200 residents and The Harlow Alliance Party.

Since then, residents have been wondering why there has been a delay in constructing these homes, which was due to be commenced in the summer of 2019.

This land was never intended for homes to be built on and the Council needed to get this change of use for the land agreed by The Secretary of State.  As a prelude to using the legislation required to make this change the council needed to show that they had consulted with residents. It transpires that they did, commencing on 9 January 2020, with a closing date for responses of 7 February.

It is clear that knowing residents would object to this change the Council decided not write to residents living nearby but instead gave notice of the proposed change by:

  • Putting a notice up in the Civic Offices for two weeks.
  • Putting a notice on it’s website.
  • Advertising it in the Epping Forest Guardian for two weeks.
  • Advising the Harlow Allotment Society.

HAP do not think this is good enough, as it is not likely that any of the residents affected by this change would have seen such publicity and therefore never had an opportunity to voice their views.

No wonder the Council never received any objections!