Letter to Editor: More smoke and mirrors from Harlow Council

Politics / Sun 22nd Sep 2019 at 08:01am

Dear Editor,

MORE smoke and mirrors from Labour councillors over a number of planning issues. So for the benefit of readers here are the facts:

1 Harlow’s Labour administration have been working very closely with nearby Councils including Epping Forest DC (EFDC) for at least 3 years to produce their Local Plans and that of The Harlow and Gilston Garden town. A previous Leader of the Council signed a memorandum of Understanding, a legal term with these Councils and since then documents with thousands of pages in total have been produced. A small traveller site to the East of Harlow’s boundary is being proposed.

2 Whilst EFDC and others made great efforts to involve residents in creating these Plans, for instance they wrote to every household in their area and held public exhibitions following which they received a huge response. Harlow District Council (HDC) made very little effort to involve residents, relying almost entirely on the internet.

3 HOWEVER, despite the fact that in some cases where the EFDC Plan proposes that homes are built on the other side of a ditch from Harlow’s boundary, (such as at Katherines and Sumners), EFDC has no LEGAL responsibility to consult with any residents in Harlow (and HDC chose not to advise residents of these plans either).
4 So the simple fact is residents of HARLOW, will not be consulted about plans to create another travellers site on the borders of Harlow because EFDC do not have to.

I wonder if any Labour Councillor can advise readers of the following:

1 In view of what has been said, will HDC consult with residents in Harlow about the plan to create a travellers site just over Harlow’s boundary?

2 HDC have still not published a consultation document about the transport corridors proposed for Harlow. In March I understand they said they would do so after the elections (I wonder why?). When is this going to take place?

3 When the results of the Examination of Harlow’s Local Plan are made public by the Government appointed Inspector in the Autumn how will Harlow residents will be consulted by HDC during the legally required 6 week consultation period?

4 Have any lessons been learnt from the failed attempts to engage with residents in the past?

Nicholas Taylor
Leader of the Harlow Alliance Party

2 Comments for Letter to Editor: More smoke and mirrors from Harlow Council:

TiredofFailedpolitcalnorms

2019-09-22 15:13:44

Well at least someone is thinking of the people of Harlow. I noted the smug response Danny Purton gave to Your Harlow the other day regarding the Traveller site. Almost taking glee that it was nothing to do with Harlow Council. Well for the record Purton ... anything .. I said ANYTHING that impacts Harlow and it’s residents SHOULD be your concern ... and if you cannot influence it .. then by god man you should MAKE IT YOUR PRIORITY to makit you business and for Harlow to have a voice on the matter, rather than rolling over to score a chap political point. As ever exasperated from Harlow..

tenpin

2019-09-24 21:31:30

Despite posting comments on other articles, readers will note that no-one from the Labour Party has yet responded to the questions HAP have raised. It's a shame they shy away from dealing with facts rather than just slagging off the other main Party. This town really needs a Party for local residents by local residents and not ones which are tied to Westminster politics. Nationally, both Parties are upping the number of homes they say will be built if they are voted in, Labour now saying over 3 million .... but they do not say how much green belt and other public spaces need to be covered over to meet these targets. In Harlow's case, the town will be circled by private housing estates (being called villages to make them sound more acceptable), if neighbouring Council's Local Plan's are given the go ahead, which can only mean that in the long term more playing fields and other open spaces within the town will be lost to new developments.