Issue - meetings

The Leader of the Council presented the recommendation, which was referred to in the Executive report of 23 November 2021. She said that the strategy was part of a suite of documents that would be coming forward for the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town. The strategy was subject to extensive consultation and would help in providing a green economy and transport system for the public.

Councillor Haysey proposed that the recommendations in the Executive report be supported. Councillor Ruffles seconded the proposal.

Councillor Redfern felt that this was a difficult decision as the decision had been brought forward before the Stortford river crossing planning application had been decided. She said that if a decision had been made on the river crossing, she would have supported the recommendation as it was an excellent document. She felt that the document assumed that the second river crossing would go ahead. She believed the process was the wrong way round and did not feel she could support the recommendation ahead of a planning decision on the crossing. She proposed an amendment to the recommendation to defer the decision until after the planning application had been decided. Councillor Brady seconded the amended recommendation.

Councillor Bell said that the Liberal Democrat Group approved of the document but could not support the policy as a whole as the potential damage of the river crossings had not been explored. She said that the planning application on the council’s website had received hundreds of comments about the potential environmental damage.

Councillor Haysey felt that Councillors Redfern and Bell were getting confused between the strategy proposed and the planning application which were not directly related. The strategy was to ensure sustainable transport across the Garden Town. She said that to defer the decision would not make sense as the strategy was for the whole of the Garden Town and not just one road and could not support the proposal to defer. All five councils involved in the Garden Town were putting the strategy through their own committee system.

Councillor Curtis said that he did not understand the proposal to defer. He said he did not think it was wise to defer and lose out on an investment opportunity. He said that it was disappointing the objections had not been raised earlier.

Councillor Goodeve assured the council that Members would have the opportunity to ask questions when the application came before the Development Management Committee. She urged caution and said that Members should make sure they were not pre-determining their decision on the application.

The motion to defer a decision on the recommendation until the planning application had been determined having being proposed and seconded, was put to the meeting and a vote taken. It was declared LOST.

The meeting returned to the original motion that had been proposed and seconded.

Councillor Wilson said that the Eastern Stort crossing was mentioned in the document as a solution. He said that an inevitable result of the Garden Town would be increased congestion  ...  view the full minutes text for item 279

The Leader of the Council presented a report on the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town Transport Strategy. She said that the document was the final version for endorsement which set out a clear view on the strategy for transport expected into the Garden Town. Once adopted by Council, it would become a material planning consideration.

Councillor McAndrew added that it was a big document and thanked Officers for their time and commitment. He referred to page 224 of the report and highlighted the example of how people with restricted mobility would be able to move around in a new development and said that this was often forgotten.

The Garden Town Lead Officer said that it was a much stronger document after going through the consultation process. He said that there was a focus on consulting with an audience that are not normally reached as the Garden Town was a development for the future and the next generation so it was important to get their views.

Councillor Haysey proposed, and Councillor McAndrew seconded a motion supporting the recommendation in the report. On being put to the meeting and a vote taken, the motion was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED -  That (A) the HGGT Transport strategy be recommended to Council for adoption as a material consideration in the planning process for the preparation of masterplans, pre-application advice, assessing planning applications and any other development management purpose for sites within the Garden Town area;

(B)           delegation is given to the Head of Planning and Building Control, in consultation with the Director of the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town, to make any minor text or design amendments to the Transport Strategy prior to its publication should there be necessity for clarification or changes proposed by the respective decision makers of East Herts, Harlow and Epping Forest Districts and Essex and Hertfordshire Counties in order to ensure a consistent document; and

(C)           The Executive acknowledge that the ambition, mode share objective and principles in the Transport Strategy should help shape existing and future work programmes of the Highway Authorities across the Garden Town, and can provide supporting justification for funding submissions and spending commitments in relation to transport.