Harlow residents encouraged to have their say on Gilston’s strategic landscape masterplan
Communities / Sun 14th Jul 2024 at 08:56am
THE developers bringing forward plans for 10,000 homes at Gilston are holding two community sessions to showcase the emerging masterplans for the site’s strategic landscaping, (the areas around each of the seven villages).
Hosted by Places for People and Taylor Wimpey, the two drop-in sessions on Saturday 20th July 2024 will be held at:
- Harvey Centre – 09.30AM – 1.00PM (Harvey Centre Approach, Harlow CM20 1XR)
- Hunsdon Village Hall – 2.00PM – 6.00PM (SG12 8NJ)
The Gilston Strategic Landscape Masterplan (SLMP) presented at these events will give attendees an overview of the public open space, sports and play areas, spaces for ecology, green and blue infrastructure, planting and buffers, as well as landscape character areas which are due to come forward surrounding the villages that make up the Gilston area.
The design of the emerging masterplan and landscape areas have taken into account feedback received through previous local community working group events.
Outlined in Gilston’s social impact statement, the delivery of the strategic landscape areas outside the villages, will see the developers bring forward:
- 5 major new parks
- New hedgerow connections
- Species rich grassland
- New woodland pasture
- Plantation of broadleaved woodland
- New allotments and community orchards
- Contribution to Stort Valley Improvements
- 10% minimum biodiversity net gain across the site as a whole
Sammie Steele, Managing Director Placemaking and Regeneration at Places for People, said: “The masterplan unveiled at the events is the culmination of years of close engagement with the local community to deliver on the ambitions for Gilston, set out in the Council’s local plan, the Parish’s neighbourhood plan and the outline planning applications for the Gilston area.
“Over half of the Gilston area will be made up of public open and natural green space, making this masterplan fundamental as we also look to deliver the village masterplans for the development parcels within the new community.
“We would encourage members of the community from across the local area to come to the events, share their views and learn more about the exciting developments coming forward as part of Gilston.”
Jonathan Locke, Senior Planning Manager at Taylor Wimpey, said:
“Taylor Wimpey are looking forward to see the exciting vision for the Gilston Area become reality. The strategic landscape masterplan is a key element in ensuring the innovative, sustainable and landscape led plans for the Gilston Area are realised.
“The landscape areas around Village 7 will be delivered early in the Gilston Area, alongside those around Village 1, and so will play an important role in ensuring the emerging Gilston development is set in an attractive and functional landscape which brings communities together, whilst providing enhancements for wildlife.
“We look forward to continuing the discussion with members of the community about how we can work together to ensure the strategic landscape areas around Village 7 are a resounding success.”
Places for People and Taylor Wimpey want Gilston Park Estate to reflect the best of sustainable community life – healthy, active, connected, and welcoming. A place for all ages bound together by spaces to live, learn, work, and relax. The vision is to create a beautiful, connected vibrant place for everyone to enjoy.
The development will deliver a significant number of benefits and opportunities for the local community from job creation, school places, leisure and sport opportunities, significant open space including play areas and parks.
For more information on Gilston, please visit: https://www.gilstonparkestate.com and www.village7.co.uk
For more information on the events, please email: [email protected]
old harlow vigilante
2024-07-14 10:23:24
we may air our views but the developers do not listen
Pat Roberts
2024-07-14 10:52:45
Ridiculously narrow time frames to see such important plans. Should be a number of times and dates.
David
2024-07-14 11:27:04
It's going to be a housing estate like any other housing estate. It will be built by the usual suspects. It will be like Gilden Park only bigger and will probably have a local centre with a Coop and a McDonalds Drive-Thru - Maybe there will be a Travelodge if we are lucky. No need for drop-in session, we know what's coming.
Sawbo Herts Resident grandadclive
2024-07-14 11:38:18
It’s all very well having ten thousand new houses built in Gilston Herts But what about upgrading the infrastructure to meet todays requirements, before work starts on this project Doctors, schools, Hospitals and utilities
Nostradamus
2024-07-14 12:59:58
We aren't fooled, this is simply a PR exercise. The whole project is one of, if not the largest grab of greenbelt in the uk. It's not green for many reasons mainly because it reduces the floodplain, will decimate the ecology of the Stort River Valley and, as pointed out by it's own consultants in the planning application will increase flooding and sewage discharges that will flood Harlow homes. In addition the associated transport infrastructure plans, despite promising a modal shift to sustainable travel is already creating more congestion. Harlow gains nothing but trouble from the hggt pfp development, no affordable housing, lots of overloading traffic and certainly no additional trade in the town centre. Had the development been properly devised to meet ultra green development standards it would be more acceptable, however they can't even guarantee the proposed SUDs scheme and the obvious alternatives to the Eastern Crossing ( a raised road and culverted barrier across the bottom of the Stort Valley) and the loss of floodplain at the Central Crossing would have been included and central to the plan.
Sly
2024-07-14 13:40:35
Above comment I absolutely agree with, destroying huge wildlife area, replace with few hedges, massive roads, I assume traffic nightmare near Harlow station is part of this plan?
Resident
2024-07-14 13:51:57
This is just a box ticking exercise like everything else HGGT are involved in. Harlow has been ridden over roughshod and no one in a position to do so is standing up to protect the town
Ian McNaught
2024-07-14 13:53:03
All the comments already stated, are exactly what we would have said . Again not enough of thoughtful planning and why is it only two drop in sessions ? More time is needed or am I being clinical.
Nicholas Taylor
2024-07-14 15:29:16
Just like the similar sessions held about Latton Priory last year, a complete waste of time. These sessions are all about what will happen on site, those attending from HGGT will not be interested in any of the concerns being expressed by residents on issues such as the trashing of the River Stort valley, or that with so few jobs on site so most working adults will be communters, adding more congestion on the A414 because there will be no other exits from the development. Only our elected residents support these plans, but whilst people still vote Conservative or Labour nothing will change.
Jeannette Morley
2024-07-14 16:33:06
Stop patronising us: not everyone in the town is dense enough to believe that there will be a consultation process.
Seamus
2024-07-14 17:10:14
10,000 homes warrants 3 doctors surgeries, 1 hospital, an infant/junior and senior school, a shopping centre, two pubs and an explanation of how 20,000 extra cars will impact Harlow where most of the roads are single lane's ? We know the developer will lie on the amount homes to be built for social housing and will provide none of the facilities for a development of this magnitude. Why are Harlow council continually supporting this when they know it will continue the downward slide for services in Harlow
Geoff Turner
2024-07-14 20:23:35
This is whole scheme is a disaster for the environment and local residents.As for these so called public consultations the conclusions of these have already been completed.We need new houses but 10000 will be a catastrophe for this area and the local population.
Mr Andrew D Filler
2024-07-14 21:08:01
Like many others have said, there needs to be some commitment to improving the infrastructure in and around Harlow. Traffic at peak times is a joke, what happened to the new PAH we were promised. Secondary schools are already close to capacity. We've been promised this time and time again. I would welcome more homes in the area, we desperately need them, but we don't seem to be able to tie everything together to support new home.
Dan
2024-07-14 21:34:51
Harlow will not be a garden town, it will be a city by the time this development is complete. Redraw the county borders, make Harlow a unitary authority so it can have total control over what happens on this land. Otherwise we are getting something the size of Hertford (only 11,000 homes) dumped on our doorstep to meet Herts housing targets. Based on how local developers have performed recently we can expect no facilities as mentioned above, just acres of dormitory houses.
Martin
2024-07-15 01:56:05
I thought there'd been an intense effort for the public to give their opinions and thoughts and on this matter via the "SaveOurStort" campaign and, probably, others. But the project is going ahead despite opinion seeming to be against it. What's the point of having further 'consultations' at this stage - we all know all objections will be brushed aside and the powers-that-be will decide what's best for them, their companies and their bank balances.
Martin
2024-07-15 02:02:30
BTW, the map accompanying this article is TERRIBLE!!
Bernadette Riddle
2024-07-15 08:44:59
This development is going ahead regardless of what any members of the public say !! It doesn’t affect just Harlow residents as you are taking the development to Widford You also won’t give a toss about wildlife either !!!!! All of this is just a PR stunt. !!
Fred
2024-07-15 08:51:16
This is just the thin end of the wedge. Say goodbye to most of our surrounding countryside as this development is added to and expanded to increase returns for investors and developers. They will claim 'demand' as the reason for this. No local infrastructure exists. No suitable roads exist. The claim that residents will walk or cycle about is an insult to the intelligence. It will destroy a rural area. They don't give a damn. They did the same with other new local estates. They will do the same with this.
Mark M
2024-07-15 09:14:16
It did not take long Taylor Wimpy promised shops, school, a pavilion and have not delivered now the Labour Council are in wr will never get it
Simon
2024-07-15 14:11:25
Agree, this is a PR exercise, makes you feel like you have a say and choice. It's all been decided already folks!
AB
2024-07-15 14:17:42
HGGT keep 'consulting' on landscape, they never get down to the detail of proposed developments on Harlow. It's just a numbers game, they certainly font want to hear the crysbof 'shame' regarding the planned destruction of the Story Valley. Now that's a piece of landscape worth saving, which they refuse to acknowledge.
Je
2024-07-15 14:44:20
Shocking map, hospital first as we were promised. 10,000 homes omg get the infrastructure sorted first. Money making builders
New Town Dreaming
2024-07-15 15:15:06
What’s the point? We have been ignored at every turn so far. The only way Harlow is involved with this is carrying the burden of the people who live next door - all downside, no benefits. Calling it Harlow and Gilston Garden Town is an insult to Harlow. How about we stop people who will never live here treating our town as a never ending social experiment before we lose all of our cultural identity, which is just about clinging on.
Pedro
2024-07-15 15:21:38
Who will benefit from the Council Tax on these 10,000 plus properties, as it's in Hertfordshire, I would hazard a guess it's not going to be Harlow or Essex!
Resident
2024-07-15 15:57:58
I'm convinced harlow is going to fall victim to the doughnut effect of development. Money will be poured into developing areas on the boundary with no investment in the infrastructure. The burden will fall on harlow but nothing will happen to support it. Harlow will continue to rot from the inside out. It's very sad. There seems to be no interest in protecting harlow or ensuring adequate services and infrastructure are provided. Yes homes are needed, but surely there's better ways to provide them, plenty of areas that are derelict. Yes the town centre could be turned over to housing and probably should, but it should be affordable housing and suitable for young families so young people here have some incentive to do well and hope for the future. I really do fear for the future, it's not looking good at all, especially if you need to access healthcare. And sadly this seems to be the same story everywhere. I'm sure people will start blaming labour, but tories have been doing this for 14 years. Something has got to change before it all implodes
Mags
2024-07-15 20:40:04
The residents and farmers of Gilston, Eastwick & Hunsdon have been fighting plans for housing (up to 25,000!!) for decades! Because it will destroy our existing villages + Green Belt + good farmland + so much more in the area. Basic infrastucture like water and sewage plants need upgrading; the shortage of essential services & infrastructure like schools, the hospital, local roads, GP surgeries, & dentists needs to be addresses NOW! And as for the nonsense promises of "affordable" housing... We need social housing to rent, not ticky tacky boxes to buy! Gilston Garden Town will destroy the area completely. If I could, I'd move away!
charlie
2024-07-15 20:49:47
The powers that be from HGGT should hang their heads in shame. There will be no consultation, only a public relations exercise so they can make us believe we were consulted. From day 1 the whole development of the Garden Town has been a total farce. Can't they see that without the promised new hospital in place, PAH will just collapse under the strain of all the extra people coming into the area. If people think our roads are gridlocked now, it will be nothing compared to the chaos that is coming with all the new developments planned. As for our countryside, that will soon be a thing of the past as everything will be concreted over. As for the problems with our water supplies, that is another issue that they have completely ignored.
Lesley Galloway
2024-07-16 14:47:14
Unfortunately, no one will listen about anybody’s concerns. It’s a tick box exercise as it’s a done deal. All traffic for this “village”is going to go in & out via the A414 roundabout. This is going to just make the peak time traffic totally impossible. It takes 50 minutes to get from Stansted Abbott’s to Old Harlow in the mornings now (a 15 minute journey normally).The people that plan and agree these things don’t live in the area and don’t give a monkeys. As long as they get their bonus or a pat on the back. They couldn’t give a flying pig!!!!
James Skiffins
2024-07-17 08:59:02
I find it amazing, this project is more than 20 years in the making and yet still not enough time! So much money has be wasted already and silly little improvements made around the site or at least that what has been sold to us. When are the planners and the local community going to except the needs and think bigger and better. Little villages, the spaces between will be filled in anyway. Any please remember whilst Harlow (Essex) will be effected, remember those of us over the boarder Hertfordshire where the building will actually happen will be effect much greater as we only have small school and doctors places!
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