The Council is challenging the Government’s decision on the grounds that it has been made prematurely and without regard to work currently underway to complete its Local Development Framework (LDF) - which, as the Planning Inspector accepted, will be the planning document guiding all future decisions about where homes will, and will not, be built in Wickford and the whole Basildon District. The Council will also argue in the High Court that central Government failed to declare an interest in the land. When it was originally sold to the developers, Gleeson and Gladedale, there was a provision that, if and when any planning permission was granted and its value increased considerably, some of that increase would be paid to central Government.

Councillor Tony Ball, the Basildon Cabinet member for planning, said “This land is highly valued by the community and they don’t want to see it built on. We will do everything we can to try to get the Secretary of State’s decision overturned”. WNGAG applaud this resolute action by Council leaders. We’re equally determined to see local democracy win in the end. It may take up to six months or a year for the High Court to hear the case. We’ll keep you posted.

The Planning Inspector recommended in favour of Basildon Council and the Wickford North Green Action Group. In his report dated 23 July 2008, he considered that the most important factor was not to build on the former Green Belt land, now in Special Reserve, at Barn Hall until the Basildon Local Development Plan 1998 had been reviewed; and until the suitability for housing of Barn Hall and all other sites had been tested through the Local Development Framework (LDF) process - in short, accepting the Council’s main argument to the public inquiry last June.

BUT, sadly (for democracy and fair play), the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Hazel Blears, over-ruled the Planning Inspector’s recommendation and made the decision dated 16 October 2008 to allow building at Barn Hall, subject to certain conditions. It appears that her sole reason was to meet central government’s desire to build more houses nationally.

Basildon councillors are meeting immediately to consider this decision and whether a further appeal to the High Court is possible. A further News Update will be posted soon on this website.

You can read the Planning Inspector’s recommendation and the Secretary of State’s decision in full here.

Following the appeal by Gleeson Homes Ltd and Gladedale Group Ltd against Basildon Council’s rejection of their planning application to build at Barn Hall, the Planning Inspector conducted a public inquiry lasting four days at the end of June in the Council’s offices in the Basildon Centre. He also made a site visit to the two fields that Gleesons and Gladedale wish to build on first, plus the other land that they own up to and beyond Waverley Crescent; and saw urban regeneration projects underway in Wickford town centre under the Masterplan and in Basildon town centre. Evidence was given to the public inquiry by the consultants acting for the appellants (Gleesons & Gladedale) and by Basildon Council, defending their refusal of planning permission - both of whom were represented by barristers; and, also, by WNGAG and other local residents - all of whom spoke strongly against allowing any development on the green fields of Barn Hall.

The appellants’ main arguments for development were:

• housing delivery in Basildon district is falling short of housing needs - in particular, an up-to-date 5-year supply of deliverable sites cannot be demonstrated;
• a steady supply of housing needs a steady supply of land and this cannot be met without using some greenfield sites;
• Barn Hall is not good quality agricultural land;
• neither are there any special traffic, ecological, flooding or drainage reasons to save it;
• the development will supply sustainable, family homes - including 35% affordable housing - which will not compete with the apartments being built in Wickford town centre, and whose residents will use nearby train and bus services to work, and cycle or walk to the shops, rather than use cars;
• financial contributions, which the developers will make, will lead to improvements to the Station Avenue/High Street junction and ease traffic congestion in Station Avenue and Wickford town centre;
• too much weight should not be attached to the Council’s legal argument that, before development at Barn Hall can take place, a review of saved policy BAS 3 in the Basildon Local Plan 1998 is required - particularly given the delay in reviewing that Plan - and that the Council’s argument is outweighed by National Planning Policy in PPS 3.

The Council’s main arguments against any development at Barn Hall were:

• it would be in breach of saved policy BAS 3 in the Basildon Local Development Plan 1998 in that, as an area of Special Reserve, it should not be brought forward for development until that Plan has been reviewed and Barn Hall (and other sites) have had their suitability for housing tested through the Local Development Framework (LDF) process - a position which is re-inforced by national policy advice in PPG 2;
• until that happens, policy BAS 3 means that “there will be a presumption against development other than that normally allowed in the Green Belt”;
• the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has recently confirmed that it is appropriate to test the suitability of areas of Special Reserve for future housing as part of the Local Development Framework process;
• the Council is not solely to blame for the delay in reviewing its 1998 Local Development Plan. The Planning Inspectorate could not supply an Inspector for the necessary inquiry in 2006; policy and regulatory requirements have changed; and 80% of local authorities - not just Basildon Council - have not met the LDF timescale;
• there is a shortfall of something less than a year in the 5-year housing supply as Basildon Council has an identified supply of 4.17 years - more than ample to allow house builders to bring forward completions at the reduced rates that they themselves are choosing to do in the light of the downturn in the housing market and the economy generally;
• allowing this appeal would only increase supply from 4.17 to 4.36 years - effectively about 3 months - and does not justify over-riding the legal requirements in the above policies and it would also set a precedent that other developers could exploit to, again, overcome those planning policies;
• the main engine for the delivery of increased housing in the district is via urban renewal/regeneration, eg. Wickford and Basildon town centres;
• expanding Wickford into the surrounding countryside on a greenfield site at Barn Hall will not support urban regeneration;
• Barn Hall is an area of accessible countryside, enjoyed by local residents, and has a potential food production role as agricultural land; and should not be built upon until there has been a full comparison of all alternative sites and full community involvement under the LDF process.

That’s it! There are strong, legal arguments on both sides and it would not be sensible to give a view on the likely outcome. WNGAG and Basildon Council have both done all they can to defend Barn Hall from development by Gleeson Homes Ltd and Gladedale Group Ltd (or whoever they sell the land on to, at considerable profit, if they win). We must now all wait for the Planning Inspector’s recommendation and Hazel Blear’s decision as the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government - expected by the end of October 2008.

The traffic survey done by the developers as part of their Barn Hall planning application found that there was an average of only one vehicle waiting on Station Avenue at the junction with the High Street. Many local residents have made it clear that their own experience is very different to this, as at peak times this junction is gridlocked with traffic trying to exit the station and pass through the High Street and The Broadway. Photos taken by a WNGAG member on Friday, 2nd May 2008 between 17:00 and 18:30 show a very different story to the traffic survey - up to 20 cars queuing down Station Avenue with more cars waiting to exit the Station entrance - and it wasn't even raining!

The Planning Inspectorate have announced the date of their Public Inquiry into Gleesons Homes Ltd and Gladedale Group Ltd’s appeal against Basildon Council’s rejection of their Outline Planning Application Ref. 07/00801/OUT to build at Barn Hall. It will be held on 24 June 2008, beginning at 10.00am, in Meeting Room 1 at the Council’s offices in the Basildon Centre in St. Martin’s Square, Basildon. It may last more than one day. WNGAG encourage as many residents as possible to attend the inquiry and make their views known - loud and clear! For more information on what happens at a public inquiry and how the decision will be made afterwards by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Hazel Blears, see Leaflet 7 - April 2008.

On 12 February 2008, at a Hearing held in public in the Main Hall at Bromfords School, Grange Avenue, Wickford, Basildon Council’s Planning Committee rejected the Outline Planning Application Ref. 07/00801/OUT by Gleeson Homes Ltd and Gladedale Group Ltd to build up to 200 flats and houses in the two fields at the end of Station Avenue in North Wickford. The main reasons were that this is open countryside, outside the urban area of Wickford, and that the development would result in urban sprawl.

You can view the papers prepared by the Council’s planning officers for this Hearing, together with the minutes of the Hearing and the reasons for the decision, on Basildon Council’s website here.

This was a significant victory BUT the fight to save Barn Hall permanently from development continues. The developers have appealed to the Planning Inspectorate (central government), who will make the final decision. Their inquiry will be held on 24 June at the Basildon Centre. Basildon Council will defend their rejection of this planning application 100% at the appeal. So will Wickford North Green Action Group (WNGAG).

Although letters opposing this development, already submitted to Basildon Council, were forwarded to the Planning Inspectorate, local residents had until 10 March 2008 to submit further comments direct to:- The Planning Inspectorate, 3/16 Eagle Wing, Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Temple Quay, Bristol, BS1 6PN. You were asked to give your full name and address, send 3 copies of your letter; and quote the appeal reference no. APP/V1505/A/08/2063131/NWF, the Appellant’s Name, Gleeson Homes Ltd and Gladedale Ltd, and the address of the proposed development, which is Land at North of Station Avenue, Wickford, Essex, SS11 7AY. Comments could also be made on-line and by e-mail; and, as the appeal progresses, it should be possible to see relevant documents on the Planning Inspectorate’s website here.

Basildon Council’s Planning Committee will consider the building application for Barn Hall at a Hearing, being held in public in the Main Hall at Bromfords School, Grange Avenue, Wickford on Tuesday, 12 February 2008 at 7.30pm. Wickford North Green Action Group (WNGAG) considers that it is vitally important that the people of Wickford continue to demonstrate their strong objections to any building and their determination to see Barn Hall returned permanently to Green Belt. You can do this by attending the Planning Hearing.

What happens at a Planning Hearing? It’s a council meeting held in public, not a public meeting. Normally it’s at the Council’s headquarters in Basildon but this application is so important to Wickford people that it’s being held at Bromfords School. It will begin with a presentation by the planning officer. There will then be an opportunity for WNGAG and members of the public to give their views - limited to 3 minutes each! If you wish to speak, you should arrive about 10 minutes before the start and make yourself known to a council officer. Committee members - that is, councillors - will then give their opinions and discuss the issues; after which, the chairperson will sum up and a vote will be taken. The options are to allow, allow with conditions, defer, or reject.

An Outline Planning Application, Ref. 07/00801/OUT, was submitted to Basildon District Council on 26 June 2007 by Andrew Martin Associates, acting for Gleeson Homes Ltd and Gladedale Group Ltd. For more information, see Development Threat. WNGAG is urging as many people as possible to object to the planning application by writing to Basildon Council before the deadline of 31 August 2007 (extended from the previous 25 July deadline).

Andrew Martin Associates, the planning consultants acting for developers, Gleeson Homes Ltd and Gladedale Group Ltd, held three public exhibitions on 09, 13 and 14 December in the Wickford Centre, Alderney Gardens. They presented two options for development - one reflecting previous development plans which they proposed in the 1990s and an alternative configuration with development concentrated towards the southern end of the area. Details were initially published on their website but have now been removed:

http://www.amaplanning.com/publicconsultation/introduction.htm

Andrew Martin Associates claimed that the district was failing to provide the new homes required by central government - a claim they were not entitled to make because it is the responsibility of Basildon Council to meet government housing targets for the district and they are currently doing just that, primarily by allowing developments on 'brown-field' sites. They asked for feedback from those attending the exhibitions, including which architectural styles would people prefer to see on the development and what additional neighbourhood, leisure or sporting facilities did people think the area needed. The overwhelming majority of those attending were not interested in architectural styles nor did they feel they needed additional facilities. They simply wanted.......no development at all on Barn Hall and the beautiful countryside to remain exactly as it is now!