Harlow Council to launch legal fight against Gilden Way development

HARLOW Council is preparing to mount a legal challenge against controversial plans to build 1,200 new homes on fields bordering Old Harlow.

It will act after developers behind proposals for the 62-hectare site off Gilden Way appealed to the Planning Inspectorate following the council’s failure to determine their application – originally submitted in February last year – within the statutory 16-week period.

The proposed development site north of Gilden Way

The move means the council has lost its authority to approve or reject the plans, with the ultimate decision now resting on the outcome of an external planning inquiry.

And at last night’s development management committee meeting, members unanimously agreed the council should fight the appeal on the grounds the submitted plans were "premature" in advance of an impending Governmental review of local planning blueprints

Other arguments for objection included the scheme’s potential to encroach onto Green Belt land, the applicants’ failure to demonstrate that adequate educational and healthcare resources would be provided on site and concerns over increased flooding risks and the impact of extra traffic.

Although representatives from the development consortium of Persimmon, Taylor Wimpey and Barratt were invited to speak in favour of the proposals, the meeting heard their agent had declined the offer.

In response to the no-show, Councillor Guy Mitchinson (Conservative) told members: "Their non-attendance is hugely disrespectful to this committee.

"I have no doubt whatsoever that this is a daft proposal, and if the consortium retains their current agent we shouldn't have much difficulty in winning this appeal."

Cllr Jean Clark (Labour) said she was surprised the applicants had decided to appeal before the council had even debated the proposals.

"I was shocked to read that they were appealing before we've even discussed let alone rejected the application," she told the meeting.

"We do desperately need new housing but it is absolutely clear from the excellent officer's report that this is the wrong site for such a development."

The proposals had already provoked a public outcry from residents living in Old Harlow and Churchgate Street, and representations were made by three members of the public in opposition to the plans.

They argued that the development would cause traffic chaos, increase the risk of local flooding,destroy an area of natural beauty, encroach on neighbouring sites of historical interest and put additional pressure on overstretched health facilities.

The meeting also heard that a 3,557 name petition opposing the plans and 739 letters of objection have been sent to the council.

Harlow Civic society chairman Stan Newens, who has helped co-ordinate public protests against the scheme and also spoke against the application, told the Star local residents were prepared to fight "tooth and nail" to quash the proposals.

Speaking before the meeting he said: "I’m encouraged by the fact it now seems likely we’ll have Harlow Council on our side in fighting this unsustainable development.

"What we are trying to do has nothing to do with NIMBYism – it’s about protecting important historical sites, saving an area of natural beauty from being bulldozed and preventing even more strain on our congested road network and overstretched health facilities.

"We’re not opposed to new homes being built in Harlow, but this is clearly the wrong site and we’ll fight tooth and nail to stop it from happening."

More information on the proposals and appeal can be found online at www.consultation-online.co.uk/harlow.