Lower Thames Crossing: your chance to join renewed consultation on giant road scheme
Wednesday 29 January 2020
Consultation on the proposed Lower Thames Crossing reopens today (Wednesday, January 29) after a series of alterations to the scheme made by Highways England. Almost 29,000 responses during the second tranche of public consultation caused HE to announce a delay in its planning application for the £6.8 billion road scheme. Chris Taylor, HE director of […] Read more >
Stansted expansion plans blocked by district council
Wednesday 29 January 2020
Plans to increase the number of passengers travelling through Stansted Airport have been refused by Uttlesford District Council. Airport operator Manchester Airports Group had wanted to hike passenger numbers from 35 million to 43 million a year, but the local authority’s planning committee went against the advice of their officers and rejected the proposal, which […] Read more >
‘The government has presided over a decade of disastrous housing design and must raise standards immediately’
Wednesday 29 January 2020
The design of new housing developments in England is overwhelmingly ‘mediocre’ or ‘poor’, with less affluent communities the worst affected, according to a national audit conducted by University College London for CPRE, the countryside charity, and the Place Alliance. A housing design audit for England reveals that 75 per cent of new housing development should […] Read more >
Grey Grays? Not a bit of it as change is set to bring change to riverside town
Wednesday 22 January 2020
Our county is renowned for its glorious countryside and wonderful quality of life, which is why we at CPRE Essex do all we can to protect it, but perhaps not everywhere within our borders is quite so uplifting. Thurrock, for example, took the wholly dubious honour of finishing bottom of 2012’s Office of National Statistics […] Read more >
Verdict on Next distribution centre at Waltham Abbey deferred
Wednesday 22 January 2020
A decision on whether to approve plans for a Next distribution centre at Waltham Abbey have been deferred by Epping Forest District Council. It had been due to be referred for determination at today’s (Wednesday, January 22) district development management committee, but, “at the request of Next PLC” that won’t be happening as the council […] Read more >
Decision due on Stansted expansion this week: ‘The world has moved on’
Wednesday 22 January 2020
Are we nearing a final decision on Stansted Airport’s bid to increase passenger numbers from 35 million to 43 million a year? The plans were backed by Uttlesford District Council’s planning committee in November last year, but the full council chose to re-examine the proposals in light of UK Carbon Net Zero 2050 legislation. The […] Read more >
Garden communities project wins £550,000 from government
Monday 20 January 2020
As the three ‘garden communities’ proposed by Uttlesford District Council struggle to make progress (see here http://cpressex.org.uk/uttlesford-council-recommended-to-pull-its-local-plan-so-what-now-for-essex-garden-communities/), those included in the NEGC package put together by Braintree, Colchester and Tendring councils have been given a lift by the government. NEGC (North Essex Garden Communities) has been given £550,000 by Westminster to progress its plans for […] Read more >
Uttlesford council recommended to pull its Local Plan, so what now for Essex garden communities?
Wednesday 15 January 2020
In a huge blow to plans for so-called garden communities in north-west Essex, planning inspectors have recommended that Uttlesford District Council withdraw its Local Plan from examination. The inspectors said they could not find the document sound because of its insufficient evidence to justify the garden-communities proposals, noting that the draft Plan had not provided […] Read more >
North Essex Garden Communities: why they simply aren’t needed
Wednesday 8 January 2020
Next week (Tuesday, January 14), examination reopens into the North Essex Authorities Joint Strategic Plan. One of its principle policies comprises the building of three ‘garden communities’. Here, Michael Hand, planning adviser for CPRE Essex, explains why their development is not only damaging but unnecessary In advance of this month’s resumed Examination of the North […] Read more >
Happy New Year and let’s enjoy Essex!
Wednesday 8 January 2020
Happy New Year to you! We hope you enjoyed a relaxing and uplifting Christmas and New Year holiday – we all need to recharge the batteries every so often. And now? Well, fully refreshed, it’s back to business. We are truly blessed to live in this beautiful, extraordinary county of Essex, so our first appeal […] Read more >