Essex Plan is ‘threat to businesses’ claim

The Federation warns that if there is no policy change there will be building in the open countryside which would be much worse than limited expansion in built up areas.

And the problem is made worse by a drift of population from the north of England to popular commuting areas such as south east and south west Essex.

Examination of the structure plan began last week. The federation will tell the planning inspector that the plan must take account of the economic growth of the county, which is among the fastest in the UK.

The federation said the Thames gateway, which includes Essex, should be seen as a priority area for economic growth.

The Thames gateway is being considered at a public inquiry at Canary Wharf into regional planning guidance for the south east of England.

The federation said with the inevitable expansion of Stansted Airport and the M11 corridor in relation to Harlow, it is clear that growth needs to be properly planned to prevent ad hoc development.

The federation criticises current policies of urban regeneration which do not give local authorities, housebuilders and commercial developers enough guidance on where and how 'green field' sites can be developed after all 'brown field' land has been allocated.

A federation spokesman claimed that, unlike Hertfordshire, which has recognised the problem, Essex County Council "has seeked to duck the issue."

The federation believes Green Belt boundaries may have to be reviewed to allow new development to match government policy considerations, such as urban extensions which are being seen as environmentally sustainable.

The alternative is to leap frog the Green Belt and build in open countryside.

But this would be contrary to the principles of sustainable development and defy common sense, according to the federation's regional planner, Peter Court.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.