Dear Editor,

THE designs for the new link road have been approved ! But I wondered if the residents of Gilden Way estate and the people of Churchgate Street are aware that once the link road is built there will no longer be an adequate footpath that they can use to walk to Mayfield Farm bakery and other businesses.

The designs have only allowed for a 90 cm pathway which will not accommodate buggies wheelchairs mobility scooters and it will be accessed along a fast moving dual carriageway with no barriers .

Essex councillors have agreed this in the planning application .

Surely when we live in an age that we are expected to walk not use our cars and even dear Boris told us to get  on our bikes it is a shame that pedestrians we will no longer be able to do this safely and those with mobility issues are excluded.

This road that is good for Harlow commerce will impact a number of small successful businesses that have supported so many especially in lockdown.

Local people should be made aware of this fundamental planning error!

Betsy Hester 
Resident 

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Comments

Novoman

Far better had the entire development were cycle and pedestrian friendly and the dual carriageway to no where had never been built.  It’s clear that the new road will generate congestion and pollution levels far in excess of environmental standards as it becomes yet another slow moving car park from the M11 into town where it will grind to a halt. Notable that none of the developments since the duelling of the A414 from J7 Hastingwood have taken the opportunity to build lots of new cycle tracks and so disregard the vision of the Gibbard town plan to include a comprehensive network of cycle tracks.  Things certainly have gone backwards.