NPG submits Neighbourhood Plan to East Herts Council

The Hunsdon Eastwick and Gilston Neighbourhood Plan Group (NPG) has submitted its draft Neighbourhood Plan to East Herts Council.

It has been submitted under the statutory procedures, principally Regulation 15.

The submission was accompanied by a map of the area, consultation statement, consultation comments log, and a statement of basic conditions.

We are satisfied that the draft Plan complies with all the relevant statutory requirements and is ready to be submitted for examination by an independent Inspector.

The Neighbourhood Plan builds on the strong foundations provided by the Concept Framework and reflects three years of collaborative working in the Gilston Area between the community, East Herts Council and the landowners/developers.

The NPG has worked intensively over the past 18 months to prepare the draft Plan going beyond the statutory consultation requirements to discuss drafting changes with the Council and landowners/ developers and the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town Quality Review Panel since the Reg 14 consultation in September 2019. 

We have valued the advice and input provided by East Herts and have amended the draft Plan to reflect the comments received at each stage of the process.

This has helped to make the draft Plan a stronger document and to ensure it is positive and consistent with strategic policies. Full details are provided in the Consultation Statement.   

We look forward to confirmation from the Council that the relevant statutory requirements have been met and to discussing details of the timescale going forward for publicising the draft Plan under Regulation 16 and the appointment of the Independent Examiner.

NPG publishes 2019-2020 report and accounts

Hunsdon, Eastwick and Gilston Neighbourhood Plan Group have included a summary below of our income and expenditure for 2019/2020.

NPG 2019-20 financials

If you would like to read a more detailed version of the accounts, these can be found in our documents library here.

The remaining balance of £24,115 will be spent on similar activities during 2020/2021.

We will also seek to further fundraise during this period to be able to continue to ensure that all future development considers the needs of the existing community.

In addition to the income and expenditure a significant number of hours have been invested to support the activity of the Group by local residents and I would like to thank them for their ongoing commitment.

Anthony Bickmore, Chairman HEGNPG

1st May 2020

NPG responds to HGGT Transport Strategy Consultation

The Hunsdon, Eastwick and Gilston Neighbourhood Plan Group (NPG) has issued its response to the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town Transport Strategy consultation.

The NPG states in its conclusions:

  • Overall the M11 growth corridor has always had a lack of sustainable transport and investment. The strategy does not make reference to this wider context of movement; surely it should?
  • The strategy does not reference the things that are not working well in Harlow and so the need for an approach to fix the deficits. Our concern is that without that analysis the existing failings will be repeated.
  • The strategy assumes that the new developments will achieve the modal shift without providing the connecting ‘link’ to how developments will be delivered by developers to achieve this ambition.
  • The strategy contains proposals that will greatly harm this community without any analysis of the options or environmental assessments of the consequences of these proposals; we fail to understand how these omissions can be tolerated by the HGGTB.
  • The strategy requires significant further work and following that a fresh consultation.

You can read the response in full here.

NPG responds to the Village 7 application

The Hunsdon, Eastwick and Gilston Neighbourhood Plan Group (NPG) has issued its response to the Village 7 Outline Planning Application from City and Provincial Properties.

The NPG has objected to the application, stating:

While the community recognises that the OPA includes some positive proposals, such a safer junction on the A414, and shops and possible health services in the village, local people also raise a number of very strong concerns about the proposed development.

For this reason, the Parish Councils and their communities feel it necessary to express its overall objection to this outline planning application for Village 7 of the Gilston Area as presented in the application.

You can read the response in full here.

NPG responds to the Eastern and Central Crossing detailed applications

The Hunsdon, Eastwick and Gilston Neighbourhood Plan Group (NPG) has issued its response to the detailed planning applications for the Eastern and Central Crossings of the Stort Valley from Places for People.

The NPG has objected to the applications, stating:

The Detailed Applications for the Central and Eastern Crossings are, in our assessment, incomplete and need to be reviewed and better integrated with each other and with proposals in the OPA and wider Gilston Area before being considered again by the community.

The NPG, Parish Councils and their communities feel it necessary to express its overall objection to both detailed applications for the Central and Eastern Crossings of the Stort Valley, as currently submitted.

You can read the response in full here.