Wickford North Green Action Group (WNGAG) think
local democracy is important and that the views of local
people matter.
WNGAG object to Gleeson Homes Ltd and Gladedale Group Ltd
attempting to build on these open fields - contrary to
Basildon Council’s plans for the overall development of
Wickford, as detailed in its 1998 Local Plan and now being
taken forward under its Local Development Framework (LDF).
Gleesons and Gladedale show a total disregard for the
democratic wishes of the local community and its elected
representatives.
The two particular fields at Barn Hall, which are the
subject of this outline planning application and appeal,
are currently classified as Special Reserve under the 1998
Local Plan, the lifespan of which was extended by the
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in
2007. Basildon Council has repeatedly stated that its
policy is to return them to Green Belt and the Secretary of
State considered that this should be reviewed as part of
the LDF process.
In any event, even as Special Reserve, Barn Hall should
only be available to be built on after all other land zoned
for development within Basildon District has been
exhausted. As of now, it has not been exhausted. The
adjacent fields at Barn Hall, which are also owned by
Gleesons and Gladedale and which they have stated publicly
it is their intention to go on to develop if this initial
application succeeds at appeal, are within the boundaries
of Chelmsford Borough Council. They are now within the
Green Belt (ie. they are not Special Reserve). Basildon and
Chelmsford Councils stand ‘shoulder to shoulder’ in their
desire to protect this countryside and oppose plans to
build on it - as do the MPs for the two constituencies,
John Baron and Mark Francois.
Both Basildon and Chelmsford Councils are able to meet
their housing needs, including targets set by central
government, without granting this application. Both
Councils are following central government policies to
preserve Green Belt, use ‘brownfield’ sites, and intensify
urban areas. Only after those avenues have been exhausted
would there be any need to consider allowing building
elsewhere. So, following public consultations, many
thousands of new homes have already been built or are
planned at the Wick, Shotgate, within Wickford town centre
under the Masterplan, in Basildon town centre, at Pitsea,
by ‘infilling’ within Billericay, at Runwell Hospital and
north of Chelmsford.
WNGAG considers it important to emphasise the strength of
feeling in the local community against developing Barn
Hall. As an initial indicator, when it first became
apparent in November and December 2006 that Gleesons and
Gladedale were drawing up their plans, we canvassed
residents - collecting statements of protest and organising
a petition. We collected 679 statements of protest and a
total of 1,297 signatures against their proposals and
presented these to Basildon Council on 10 January 2007.
That night over 300 residents attended a Community Forum on
the issue and another 200 plus attended a second Community
Forum on 13 August 2007. Then 328 householders sent formal
letters and e-mails to Basildon Council specifically in
response to the developers’ Outline Planning Application
Ref. 07/00801/OUT. On 12 February 2008, over 200 residents
attended the Planning Hearing, which was held in public by
Basildon Council at Bromfords School, and joyously greeted
the Council’s rejection of that application.
Finally, a total of 3,521 people signed WNGAG’s second
petition which, together with our MP, John Baron, we
presented on 23 June 2008 to the Secretary of State for
Communities and Local Government, Hazel Blears, before she
made her decision to ignore the Planning Inspector’s
recommendation after the June 2008 public inquiry and allow
building to start at Barn Hall. WNGAG had previously
written to Hazel Blears, urging her to respect these views
of the local community, help its councils to preserve the
rapidly diminishing green areas of natural beauty, and
ensure that developments are only allowed when they
contribute to a sustainable future for all of Wickford and
to Basildon Council’s plans for the whole district. She
ignored us and, unlike the Planning Inspector, she never
visited Wickford and, even worse, refused to meet both
WNGAG and John Baron MP to discuss her decision.
Basildon Council appealed Hazel Blears’ decision to the
High Court. Unfortunately, in February 2009, that appeal
failed. The High Court judgement was that the Secretary of
State can always have the ‘last word’. Yes, that’s not
local democracy. But it is the reality of the planning laws
in modern Britain.
