Chairman’s Report 2013-14
Knolly’s Nursery October 2013
This time last year we were concerned about the Knolly’s Nursery site that went back for a second application, we wrote a strong objection letter and attended the council meeting that decided by a very narrow majority of (1) to reject the scheme. It appears from our intelligence sources that they are about to submit yet another application.
Picks Farm, Sewardstone Road development Nov 2013
This was a massive scheme based on green belt and with a very difficult entry from Sewardstone Road on a hill. We wrote an objection letter to the proposals and with good sense the council rejected the proposal but if the developers are about to enter yet another scheme that on principal we must object to, we will wait and see.
Pickfield Nursery December 2013
We were notified of yet another scheme in Pick Hill, this time Pickfield Nursery and were invited to visit the site for an overview of the plan. Three of us went and met developers (Crest Nicholson) on site with the owner. They gave us a run down on their proposals and asked for our support for the scheme. We were non committal at this stage and they promised to keep us informed of developments to their plans. Sometime later they asked to meet us again and we arranged a meeting with available members at this venue, where they informed us amongst other things that they intended to defer submitting their application as they expected the site to be included in the New Town Plan, that they understood would be announced in September of this year.
As a consequence of the application G.W and I met with the L.V.G.A who gave us some telling information regarding nursery sites that could prove helpful to us in the future.
At a meeting we had with the EFDC planners in October that I will mention later, the date for the Local Plan initial draft was revised to next May/July but more likely even later we were told, this is as a result of several local authorities submitting draft plans that were rejected. When completed, this will then go out to consultation before being submitted to the Government for approval and is unlikely to be in force until 2017 we were told.
Town Show June 2014
We had a stall again at this year’s Town Show, where the weather was a little bit unpredictable. We purchased a gazebo and tables for the event and all agreed that this was money well spent for the future. I think we got our presence in the town noted and attracted interest from a number of potentially new members. However, this resulted I am afraid in only one new member and once again we welcome Vernon onto our committee. We were visited at the stall by several town and district councillors and asked by Mrs Stavrou if we could arrange a meeting between WARA and the town members, in order to see if we could assist each other in influencing the town plan and other outstanding issues.
Former Transport Yard in Sewardstone Road, August 2014
We visited this site which is opposite Janine’s property and although our instincts regarding brown field sites remains constant we leafleted the local community regarding the development and we considered enough response was received for us to object on behalf of the local residents, even though the site is regarded as Brown Belt land.
Meeting with Town Councillors 1th August 2014
This was arranged and we met here in August with Councillors Mrs Helen Kane and Mrs G. Shiell. Unfortunately no sign of Mrs Stavrou or apology for missing what she was instigating. It proved to an interesting meeting and we both agreed that we should keep an ongoing dialogue between Wara and the Town Councillors’.
Meeting with Planners Ian White and Epping Forest District Council Drainage Team
We had a meeting on 6th October 2014 with Mr White who asked his drainage support team to attend. It was a fact finding session resulting in the Drainage team asking us to document local trouble spots from our members that could be recorded and used in evidence in order to apply pressure on Thames Water over burst water mains or foul water flooding incidents in our area.
Loss of a Valuable Member of our Team
It is with regret that I have to mention the sad loss of Sylvia Cain a long standing member of our committee who passed away in May of this year.
Closing Comments.
I would like to thank Barbara for her stolid support as secretary, Janine for her persistence with the numerous documents that need close scrutiny and George for the tireless investigative work he puts in supporting the many causes we undertake.