UPDATE FROM OUR CHAIR ON THE PLANNING APPLICATION DECISION
Campaigners and Hertford residents are hugely disappointed with the decision by East Herts District Council Development Management Committee (DMC) to approve the much opposed housing development application submitted by Durkan to build an additional 118 dwellings on Bengeo Field.
Residents were shocked at the incompetence of the process, especially as the serious points raised by Save Bengeo Field representatives and Bengeo Councillors, were not given any weight or properly discussed. Both the Bengeo Neighbourhood Plan and the Planning Inspector, who rejected a quarrying application in Bengeo Field, were clear that the area has a unique landscape and views, is of special value to our community, and should therefore be protected. Much to our surprise, some of the DMC members seemed to suggest that landscape and amenity of the area were not a planning consideration! Officers tended to either second-guess some of the information (such as claiming that Bengeo residents can easily and safely cycle to Ware in 8 minutes, confusing information about bus services), or simply did not respond to the questions asked.
Unfortunately, the majority of Councillors have decided that the previous EHDC statements and reassurances to the public that no housing development would be allowed on Bengeo Field, unless it was quarried first, are no longer valid and voted in favour of the developer.
We expected this to be an impartial quasi-judicial process with officers advising EHDC Councillors on the issues to weigh up, NOT predetermining the case and ignoring the views of large numbers of residents they represent. We are taking expert advice on the next steps we can take.
We would like to thank all the residents and campaigners who provided continued support to Save Bengeo Field and joined us at the DMC meeting. We would like to thank particularly the speakers representing our views at the meeting: Veronica Fraser, John Howson, and Bengeo Councillors (Green): Ben Crystall, Alex Daar and Vicky Smith.
Aśka Pickering
Chairman, Save Bengeo Field
If you have any questions about the application please contact EHDC at; planning@eastherts.gov.uk.
In 2018 East Herts District Council (EHDC) designated part of Bengeo Field as part of the HERT4 land for housing development.
DURKAN are now proposing to develop an additional 100 houses
The developer, Durkan, have already constructed 52 homes as The Stiles (previously Bengeo Nursery). DURKAN are now proposing to develop an additional 100 houses, which will spread across part of the Bengeo Field, along Sacombe Road from the Orchard and down the Wadesmill Road.
Hundreds of people worked hard to save Bengeo Field for future generations – you will recall residents successfully campaigned to stop the proposal to extract gravel and sand from the site.
In the event that extraction should not take place, East Herts Council has been consistently clear that only the first 50 dwellings on the Bengeo Nursery site would be delivered through the HERT4 allocation.
Linda Haysey, 2019 Leader of East Herts District Council
I totally agree and support your well laid out and structured objections to the build. I totally support the objection to spoiling a large part of Bengeo’s countryside future.
Councillor John Lynch MBE JP, Chair Community Services
Since the public enquiry, and the decision of the Planning Inspector and the Secretary of State, it now looks highly unlikely that any further applications to quarry this area will be made. It will be now up to EHDC to consider if the development of houses is permitted in this area.
