SIX new housing estates/villages on the outskirts of Harlow have been given the go-ahead, despite fears 8,500 new homes will “do nothing” for the town’s existing residents reports the Local Democracy Reporter.

At a meeting which lasted more than seven hours, East Herts District Council’s planning committee greenlit the proposals, which form part of the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town project.

Councillors heard on Tuesday, February 28 that the project should ease pressure on the housing market in Essex and Hertfordshire, and unlock new education, employment, leisure and health opportunities along the River Stort.

It is the largest planning application the district council has considered since it was formed in 1974.

The plans which the council approved means a minimum 23 per cent of the new homes must be affordable, far less than the 40 per cent target for large developments set out in an East Herts District Council policy.

This reduction is the result of an independent audit which found the scheme would be financially “unviable” if it was to feature so many affordable units.

Harlow resident Yasmin Gregory questioned whether residents of the town who are not already on the housing ladder will be able to afford new homes on former green belt.

She said: “I just don’t understand how building these homes on such beautiful woodland [is] going to help people.

“We talk about a homelessness crisis but 8,500 homes here is not going to put a dent in the housing waiting lists.

“We talk about affordable housing but that’s been reduced.”

In a 12-minute speech, Anthony Bickmore of the Hunsdon, Eastwick and Gilston Neighbourhood Plan Group said: “Housing and affordable housing provision was a core part of your case for the release of green belt in the ‘exceptional circumstances’ case made … in 2017.”

He warned 1,500 families which the council said needed affordable housing in 2017 will no longer have access to proposed homes in Gilston.

Mr Bickmore asked: “Why not explore cost savings now, especially given the escalating costs of heavy and unnecessary road infrastructure?

“Where will you find the affordable housing which you persuaded the inspector was such a strong local need that the largest release of English green belt had to be made?

“We recommend that affordable housing is prioritised over the construction of unaffordable roads.”

Labour councillor Carolyn Redfern (Hertford Sele) was one of two councillors who voted against the plans and said the reduction in affordable housing requirement is a “travesty”.

She said: “I’m very disappointed about the affordable housing and about the way wildlife has been an afterthought.

“The original Garden City Principles were built on creating green space for residents.

“This doesn’t do that, and it’s not fair to call these neighbourhoods villages when they will exist almost as an extension of Harlow.”

Alongside the 8,500 new homes, councillors have said land should be set aside for six primary schools and two secondary schools, up to 25,100 square metres of retail and leisure floorspace, up to 29,200 square metres of business or commercial floorspace, and new open spaces.

The final plan is set to include a seventh village, bringing the total number of new homes at Gilston to 10,000.

Councillors are set to consider this village separately and council officers faced questions about whether separating the application into “salami slices” could lead to a lack of joined-up thinking around what developers should contribute to the community.

Green Party councillor Ben Crystall (Hertford Bengeo) also voted against approving the plans at this stage.

He said: “We do need housing and elements of the design are good, such as aspirations to include sustainable transport corridors.

“But the Garden City Principles mean the town must be built around the people who are going to live there.

“It feels like this is driven by finance rather than community need.”

According to the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town vision, the project is a “major opportunity” to provide new shopping and workspace experiences for existing and future Essex and Hertfordshire residents.

Conservative councillor Ian Kemp (Ware St Mary’s) said the injection of homes into the market should ease pressure on a strained market, which he hopes could benefit residents.

“We have got some very difficult trade-offs to consider here,” he said.

“We would love to see 40 per cent affordable housing but an independent report says that is unviable if we are to get all of the other houses and infrastructure.”

Cllr Kemp added: “Look, if you have got 10 people competing for nine houses, the nine people with the most money will get houses and the poorest one is left out.

“If you build 10 houses, then everybody gets one and there is less tendency for people to miss out.”

A developer spokesperson told the meeting: “This is a forward-thinking, bold approach for the delivery of much-needed housing and improved infrastructure, continuing Hertfordshire’s long tradition of embracing Garden City principles.

“Just as the original garden cities were designed to bind the most important aspects of town and country, Gilston Park Estate is a unique opportunity to marry the two once more.

“Gilston Park Estate is landscape-led, which means each village is carefully sited and integrated to its surroundings having regard to existing biodiversity and heritage assets in nearby existing villages.”

He promised the development would be “sustainable” and will “deliver better outcomes for people in East Herts, Harlow and further afield”.

The exact design and layout for each new village will need to be considered by East Herts District Council at a later stage.