Uttlesford District Council To Discuss Eco-Town On 17 March

10.42.00am GMT Sat 14th Mar 2009

Uttlesford Conservatives' proposed new town in Elsenham and Henham.

Uttlesford District Council's environment committee is to address the government's present consultation on eco-towns at its meeting at 7.30 p.m. next Tuesday, March 17th. You can find the agenda and paper for item 7 at:

http://ggpweb.uttlesford.gov.uk/CMISWebPublic/Meeting.aspx?meetingID=8771

There would have been no agenda item on this most crucial and controversial subject had one not been requested by Elsenham and Henham councillor Catherine Dean. The council's Conservative adminstration was apparently content to let the whole consultation (which was about to close but has now been extended to 30 April) to pass by with only the procedural comment it made last year - that it was content that any planning decision will have to be handled by UDC (if it gets so far).

The report to be found at the above link cannot be described as an analytical response to the government's proposal for a 5000-home eco-town at NE Elsenham. It concentrates on procedural matters and issues of general principle for any eco-town. Most of the report simply repeats what has been said in the government's own financial viability report; that the eco-town MIGHT be able to pay for itself and some local infrastructure improvements. There is nothing to say whether the eco-town makes sense for Uttlesford people at the proposed location or any rebuttal of the developer's and the government's proposals beyond some questions about renewable energy and whether the plan really is to pump water all the way from Colchester. The report is the equivalent of UDC responding to the second runway proposal at Stansted by saying only that the government should review its policy on aircraft engine design.

So whereas local residents have been commenting on the realities of the eco-town for this area, Uttlesford District Council, which is the official planning body for this area, seems to be content to stay largely silent rather than to act as a democratic voice for local people.

Cllr Alan Dean comments: "I have written to complain about the apparent lack of objectivity by Uttlesford's planning department. I am sure that silence by UDC on this crucial issue will be interpreted by the developer and the government as acceptance by the council of an eco-town at Elsenham".

Residents are urged to attend Tuesday's meeting.