Issue - meetings

The Leader of the Council presented the Gilston Area Compulsory Purchase Order Report. The report follows the consideration of the matter by Executive and Council in October 2020, when it was decided, in principle, to proceed with a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) in the Gilston Area if it was necessary to enable essential infrastructure to be delivered to support development in the Gilston Area and wider Garden Town.

That essential infrastructure comprises the enhancement of the existing A414 River Stort crossing between the Gilston Area and Harlow, and the construction of a new eastern River Stort crossing,  together identified as ‘the Crossings’.  As indicated, the Crossings are required to enable the delivery of housing in the Gilston Area and across the wider Harlow and Gilston Garden Town.

At the meeting of the Development Management Committee of 22 February 2022, the Committee considered planning applications for the Crossings and, after very careful and lengthy consideration, determined that planning permissions be granted.  As the Crossings span the boundary between East Herts and Harlow, Harlow District Council has also considered and determined planning applications permitting the development to proceed.

The applicant for the Crossings is Places for People (PfP), the owner of the majority of the Gilston Area allocation in the District Plan and sufficient to enable 8,500 of the planned 10,000 new homes to be delivered.   PfP has also sought to acquire by agreement all the land necessary to enable the Crossings to be built.  However, despite ongoing negotiations with current landowners, it has not been possible for it to do so and, as a result, it is now necessary for the Council to determine whether or not to proceed with a CPO.

The delivery of the Crossings is essential to enable the delivery of development in the Gilston Area and the wider Garden Town.  Without their construction the Council and the wider Garden Town partners will not be able to achieve the aspirations set out in the Garden Town Vision and elsewhere.  Primary amongst these is the desire to achieve development that moves away from reliance for transport on the private vehicle and instead enables the majority of journeys to be undertaken by healthy and active transport modes – walking, cycling and public transport.

For those reasons alone, and given the ongoing inability of the applicant to secure all the land necessary to deliver the Crossings, it is now necessary to proceed with CPO action.

Executive Members will have had regard to the full details of the case, which supports the need to move ahead with a CPO, and which is set out in the report and the appendices.

Given the cross boundary nature of the Crossings, the need for CPO action has already been considered by Cabinet at Harlow DC at its meeting of 24 March 2022.  It has already resolved to proceed with a CPO.  The report seeks to delegate to Officers the authority to execute all the detailed matters and actions necessary to proceed with a CPO.  In  ...  view the full minutes text for item 416