Dear Editor,

WITH regards to your article of 26th July, “Protecting the character and look of Harlow’s oldest neighbourhood”.

As there seems to be very little attention or none at all being paid to what could be very significant changes to the residents of these areas, especially privately own properties , I urge everyone to take a look at the link www.harlow.gov.uk/conservation-areas     This is a very detailed and I presume very expensive document that should have been produced back in the 1970s or at very least when the right to buy came into effect.

To try and preserve this area now is a total waste of time as the proverbial horse bolted decades ago and it is no good trying to shut the stable door now.

Bringing in extra layers of bureaucracy through requiring planning permission for virtually everything you wish to do to your property is not the way forward, the current conservation area legislation is all that is needed. It’s not 1951 anymore and as fantastic as it was then for the people moving to Harlow, my family included, times have moved on and not many householders want to live on a 50s council estate anymore , Gibberd’s fantastic vision and estates are long gone. By all means the Town Park, Museum and other green areas must be looked after.

A lot of examples of new windows, gardens, Porches etc shown in the report, in my view actually enhanced the area, the days of looking down a road to see acres of green front gardens have gone Its now like the Earls Court motor show.

Please urge your readers to make representation to the council asap over this matter as moaning 18 months down the line will be too late.

In the letter sent to residents it states ” Well -preserved conservation areas can increase the value of houses” It should also say “dealing with planning departments for every little alteration may cause prospective House Buyers not wanting to come to the area and therefore decrease the value of your house”.

Dealing with planning is long winded and if you are lucky, you may be able to understand all the jargon and terminology, its not fun or easy.

We all ignored or were ignorant of the planning and meetings about the Stort Crossing, Don’t let this happen again with this matter.

Its a bit rich coming from councils who are systematically destroying the Stort Valley and imposing God knows how much more traffic and congestion on us, ironically right next to the conservation area and Old Harlow which by the way was also destroyed by the council in the 60s and 70s. 

They now want to tell me what colour window frames I can have!!!

As I said the old legislation is enough, this is nothing but a vanity project from someone at the council, Cllr Swords I presume.

Stop this expensive waste of time now its too late and not needed, give it a home behind glass in the Museum.

Regards

Name and address suppled