New Homes for Uttlesford - It's Time For A Fresh Start

9.32.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Sun 27th Apr 2008

Uttlesford Conservatives' proposed new town in Elsenham and Henham.

At the meeting of Uttlesford District Council on Tuesday, 22nd April, the Liberal Democrats proposed the following motion: 'This Council is totally opposed to the development of Eco Towns, both north east of Elsenham and at Hanley Grange as proposed in the Department of Communities and Local Government's (DCLG) consultative paper, "Eco-Towns - Living a greener future" published on Thursday 3 April and will campaign to have these proposals removed from the short list. Furthermore the Council recognises that Option 4 of the Core Strategy consultation, which places 3,000 houses in the same locality, would be less sustainable than the DCLG eco-town proposal, but equally as damaging to the area, and so resolves to withdraw that option from further consideration for its Core Strategy and to restart the LDF options preparation and consultation.'

The Liberal Democrats believe that the original Tory motion (similar to the first paragraph above) lacks sincerity, especially given the public statement last September by Cllr Jim Ketteridge, leader of the council, in which he tied the Option 4 new town at Elsenham closely with government policy on eco-towns.

"It is not credible to attack one and support the other," said Lib Dem leader, Cllr Peter Wilcock. "The Tories are trying to shut the stable door after the horse has bolted. The Government has stated that the Council's endorsement of the Elsenham scheme as its preferred option was a key factor in their decision to include it on their list of eco-towns. By putting forward Option 4 the Tories have put the whole district at more risk of over-development than it would have been if they had opted for a dispersed housing solution. Now all our communities are likely to have to take even more housing."

"This will leave the council facing in opposite directions and lacking credibility with regional and central government as well as with the local community," added Peter Wilcock.

"We have striven for the past week to hold cross-party discussions to achieve a consensual way forward on the eco-town but have found it impossible to get any concessions from the Tories to back away from their Option 4 new town at Elsenham. The present housing options have been rejected by the public. Uttlesford must urgently take control of the situation and not allow planning policy to drift."

"Those councillors, who accepted the invitation from the community to tour the site, could only be impressed by the sheer destruction that this proposal would bring to the area. A blot on the landscape that would grow in time to a massive carbuncle as set out in the proposals that Fairfield wish to see on this 256-acre site. Indeed any number of houses allowed here would only be the start of years of attrition by the developer as it would push to use the whole of the site. Shame on those who did not give local residents the respect they deserve."

"This motion allows the council to "think again", take on board the outcome from the meeting organised by Sir Alan Haselhurst, and remove the threat to this area. The people of Henham and Elsenham deserve nothing less. I hope that this council supports this motion and gives a unanimous "NO" to an eco-settlement in this location"

A packed public gallery heard the Conservatives defeat the Lib Dem amendment.