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The Bishop’s Stortford Flyer, Thremhall Park, Start Hill, Bishop’s Stortford CM22 7WE
In the blue corner with Colin Woodward
No doubt Jonathan Swift wasn’t thinking
of our local Labour Party when he used
the phrase, “there are none so blind as
those who will not see”. But I wonder
if their eyes opened at the delightful
juxtaposition of their comments about
the Tories last month with the full page
advertisement for the Bishop’s Stortford
Neighbourhood Plan Consultation Days?
Both the original NP now in place for
Silverleys & Meads and the evolving NP2
for the rest of the Town are Conservative
initiatives led, (as they legally must be),
by the all Conservative Town Council.
Despite the statutory requirement
that NP’s are parish/town led we
have from the outset engaged with
a wide range of volunteers, residents
associations, the Civic Federation,
and special interest groups, as well as
running extensive public consultations,
issuing 23 Newsletters and using social
media: www.stortfordplan.org. For us
it has been about the Town and not
Party politics. The Labour myopia last
month didn’t end there. They even,
(deliberately?), missed the specific
reference in NP2, (not a Civic Federation
document by the way), for the Goods
Yard proposals, (not yet a Planning
Application as implied by the way),
regarding a southern access. There are
ten pages and six policies in NP2 just on
the Goods Yard. One might of hoped that
they had also been aware of the, (Tory
led), E Herts Council’s Site Development
Briefs 2004, 2007, 2011 and embedded
provisions for a Link Road through the
site.
All Saints, Central, South, Wards and part
of Thorley Parish
By the time this article appears the NP2
team will have hosted three more public
consultation days following delivery
of summary leaflets to all homes in
All Saints, Central, South, Wards and
part of Thorley Parish. By that time the
public, if not local Labour, should be
very clear that a developers proposals,
(Solum aka Network Rail & Keir in the
case of the Goods Yard), are just that.
They are not a Planning Application
and not what the Council through its
Development Management Committee
might yet approve; having heard from
any objectors or supporters on whatever
may or such as with Old River Lane, may
not, be eventually submitted.
Last month opened with TV and
radio new items on air quality. These
highlighted our own town and
particularly Hockerill crossroads. It was
a timely reminder to note that one
solution may often generate another
problem. A public petition seeking
a dedicated pedestrian phase on the
lights had been heard by the County
Highways Cabinet Panel at the 9 Feb
meeting, (see www.hertsdirect.org).
Whilst potentially desirable for improved
safety this could add to delay and
deterioration in air quality. By the way,
air quality is also specifically covered
in NP2 and in policies by both EHC and
HCC available on their websites. I have
for some time been pressing at both
councils for policies to lead to action and
I have several times engaged with the
police to secure checks on HGV’s passing
through Stortford. The focus brought by
the recent media coverage has presented
an opportunity to work with my two
County colleagues and our MP and bring
together the key people from business,
District and County Councils as well as
others, to examine the intertwined and
multi-faceted problems of congestion
and air quality that exist now and are at
risk of worsening.
Better news came in the shape of High
Sheriff Awards for two organisations
that I am pleased to be directly involved
with: HertsWatch (see www.owl.co.uk)
and Aspects through which our Family
Support Workers run the annual multiagency Crucial Crew safety awareness
week which this year has nearly 700
children scheduled to attend. That is on
top of the vital work they do working
with families across all schools in the
area www.aspects.org.uk
Colin Woodward
HCC for BS-West & EHC/BSTC All Saints
Ward colin.woodward5@btinternet.
com Twitter: CllrCWoodward Facebook:
[email protected]
Blog: colinwoodward.yourcllr.com Tel:
07919 520034
Bishop’s Stortford Good Yard re-development
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