Minutes
Minutes of a Special meeting of the Full Council held at 7.30pm on Wednesday 5th January 2022 via the Zoom Platform.
PRESENT Cllr M Caton (Chair), Cllrs A Barnes, J Hogg, J Hudson, J Kavanagh, A Khan, J O’Brien, L Prior, F Richards and G Sell
ATTENDING
Mrs Ruth Clifford – Parish Clerk
Mrs Emma Philbrick – Trainee Deputy Clerk
Mr Dan Schlanker – Communications Officer
District Cllr Melvin Caton
County Cllr Ray Gooding
1 member of the press
2 members of the public
This meeting took the form of a discussion and exchange of views relating to potential development sites in the village. The Parish Council is not the planning authority and as such no official decisions were taken at this meeting.
284 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies for absence were received from Cllrs G Braeckman – Potential Pecuniary Interest, A Guney – Still at work, M Jessup – Still at work and T Smith – New baby still in intensive care.
285 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Cllr O’Brien – Sites 013 and 015 – knows the landowner
286 TO CONSIDER THE COUNCIL’S POSITION WITH REGARDS TO SITES SUBMITTED IN THE UTTLESFORD LOCAL PLAN CALL FOR SITES
A Working Group of the Parish Council and Neighbourhood Development Plan Working Group had met to consider the various sites proposed in Stansted. A draft of their comments and recommendations had been circulated to all Parish Councillors for consideration prior to the meeting.
The Chair invited District Cllr Caton, a member of the Local Plan Leadership Group at Uttlesford District Council, to make a few comments.
- The list of 18 “cluster sites” has been whittled down but the two which would have an impact on Stansted still remain. These are Bollington Hall in Ugley and a group of sites to the North and East of Stansted.
- Officers at UDC are reviewing sites based on a density of 30 houses per hectare. The result of that is that some of the sites proposed could accommodate a greater number of dwellings than the numbers indicated in the submissions.
- The first draft of the Local Plan is on track for publication in April 2022.
- As a result of this, Cllr Caton suggested that the Parish Council may consider delaying the completing of its NDP and to wait to find out which sites will be proposed in the ULP.
Cllr Sell stated that he is a member of the Local Plan Scrutiny Committee and had been advised that the life of the Plan is 2020 – 2040 and UDC has to find sites for 11,600 homes during this period. This version of the Plan which is version 3 is likely to put more pressure on the key settlements of Saffron Walden, Great Dunmow, Takeley and Stansted. He recommended that the Council liaise not only with neighbouring parishes but also with District Cllr Janice Loughlin.
Cty Cllr Gooding stated the importance of requiring developers to provide adequate infrastructure to serve not only new residents but the existing population too. Cllr Khan agreed and commented that any development must bring added value. Cllr Sell stated that as members they needed to be aware of what the community needed and wanted. With the Chair’s permission, Peter Jones (Chair of the NDP Working Group) reminded everyone that the community was consulted over a prolonged period of time in the second half of 2021 on all aspects of life in Stansted. The final chapter relating to development will shortly go out to consultation.
The Chair stated that she would go through the table of proposed sites and asked members to restrict their comments to new points/opinions to those already stated.
001 RES – ALSA LODGE – 100 HOUSES
Agreed to add that this development was an incursion onto open countryside and could negatively impact the Aubrey Buxton Nature Reserve.
003 RES – PINES HILL – 31 HOUSES
No further comment from members
006 EMP – M11 BUSINESS LINK
Cllr O’Brien considered that for any extension of the Business Park to be successful it should have a direct link to the M11. Dist. Cllr Caton believes that the UDC group may not be keen on development in the Green Belt although may accept small scales business development.
007 EMP – LAND SOUTH OF ALSA BUSINESS PARK
Cllr Sell raised his concern that the exit is onto Alsa Street which is a narrow country road. He urged members to be consistent in its approach to the various sites and having objected to 001 RES, believed that this site should be treated the same way. Cllr Kavanagh took the view that 001 and 007 are very different types of development and far less traffic would be generated from this proposal than from 100 homes further up the lane. Cllr Sell commented that 007 would double in size and Cllr Prior stated that she would not support it. Cllr Hogg took the view that as some of the sites are connected, it may be possible to alleviate some of the Highways issues.
008 RES – ELSENHAM ROAD – 20 HOUSES
Cllr O’Brien stated that the Airport fuel line goes under this site.
009 RES – WEST OF STANSTED – 870 HOUSES
No further comments from members
010 RES – SOUTH OF BENTFIELD CAUSEWAY – 130 HOUSES
No further comments from members
011 RES – WEST OF PENNINGTON LANE – 168 HOUSES
No further comments from members
012 RES – WEST OF PENNINGTON LANE – 334 HOUSES
No amendments to comments already put forward
013 RES – EAST OF HIGH LANE – 66 HOUSES
Cllr O’Brien commented that development at this location could deliver Natural Flood Management Schemes including a wetland.
014 RES – SNAKES LANE – 5 HOUSES
Cllr Sell asked for additional comment that there is poor highway infrastructure and the area is prone to flooding.
015 RES – NORTH OF WALPOLE MEADOWS – 250 HOUSES
Cllr Hogg stated that one the density of 30 houses per hectare, this site could accommodate closer to 700 homes. Cty Cllr Gooding stated that 700 would be the minimum number required for a new primary school and anything less than that would create significant problems for existing primary school capacity. Cllr O’Brien stated that flood prevention measures would also be required. Cllr Khan considered it was important that on any site approved by the Council, the delivery of properly affordable housing was essential. Cllr Hogg urged early discussions with the developer to try and secure substantial community and sporting benefits.
016 RES – EASTFIELD STABLES, ELSENHAM ROAD – 99 HOUSES
No further comments from members
017 RES – ELSENHAM ROAD – 105 HOUSES
No further comments from members
018 RES – ELMS FARM, CHURCH ROAD – 135 HOUSES
Prior to the meeting, the developers had submitted a detailed plan for this site detailing a number of community benefits. Various members agreed that it might be possible to enter into a covenant with the landowner to restrict the density of housing.
020 COM – STANSTED YOUTH CENTRE
Cllr O’Brien asked about the future of the Youth Centre if this site was redeveloped. Cty Cllr Gooding stated that plans are in hand at Essex County Council to redevelop the Peter Kirk site in St John’s Road and relocate both the Youth Centre and Spangles Children’s Centre. It was agreed that reprovision of both facilities in the village should be a condition.
021 RES – REAR OF BENTFIELD CAUSEWAY – 6 HOUSES
No further comments from members
022 RES – SOUTH OF ELSENHAM ROAD – 150 HOUSES
No further comments from members
023 RES AND 024 RES – EAST OF HIGH LANE – 023 IS 5 HOUSES AND 024 IS 25 HOUSES
The Clerk explained that on the UDC map, there was no boundary shown between these two adjacent sites so members need to consider them separately.
023 – It was agreed to support this site
024 – Members agreed to object to this site due to the loss of established trees.
025 EMP – STANSTED NORTH SITE
Cllr Prior stressed the need to include nursery provision as one of the community gains if this development proceeds and this was agreed.
In response to comments made earlier in the meeting, Peter Jones confirmed that together with the Chair he had met with representatives of neighbouring parishes to discuss sites which may impact Stansted. Cllr Sell suggested again to keep District Councillor Janice Loughlin in the loop.
In closing the meeting, the Chair confirmed that the Clerk would update the document circulated with the agenda and this would be considered formally at the next Full Council meeting on 19th January 2022.
Meeting closed at 9.20pm
Agenda
NOTICE OF MEETING A Special Meeting of the COUNCIL will be held on Wednesday 5th January 2022 at 7.30pm in the Day Centre, Crafton Green, 72 Chapel Hill, Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex
1 To receive apologies for absence
2 To receive declarations of interest
3 To consider the Council’s position with regard to sites submitted in the Uttlesford Local Plan Call For Sites
Ruth Clifford, Parish Clerk, 16 December 2021