SUBJECT: UTTLESFORD DISTRICT COUNCILLORS AND THE LDF

As a resident of Henham, I have been following with close interest the shenanigans of our District Councillors, in whom it appears I cannot fail to be disappointed. The irony is not lost in the fact that the Officer at the Council responsible for supporting the decision of these District Councillors is now promoted to the esteemed position of Acting Chief Executive!

I was appalled when at the last minute and through the back door, without any consultation, Option 4 was introduced. The Council's own Planning Department and the people who elected the Councillors to represent them have made it very clear through surveys, campaigns, thousands of letters and many other representations that a dispersement of new housing throughout the District is the solution to the current Government housing policy. Even Essex County Council and the East of England Local Government cannot understand the logic of this group of illogical and irresponsible Councillors continuing to push for and refusing to back down on Option 4.

It should be no surprise that a Judicial Review has been lodged in the High Court and the credibility of certain Councillors is being brought into question. Even our local MP, Sir Alan Haselhurst, has made an unprecedented statement about the issue and called a meeting of all Uttlesford District Parish Councils to try and broker a solution to the mess created by his own Party members in the District. The fact that our MP is now involved must mean that these Conservative Councillors are damaging the Conservative Party. This will also mean that Conservative votes and Party funding from this wealthy area of North Essex must surely be at risk.

A survey, by the Herts and Essex Observer, confirmed that only a handful of Conservative members of Uttlesford District Councillors have actually taken the time and effort to visit the site of Option 4. The electorate should be disgusted at this scandal when we consider that for the last six months these are the Conservative Councillors who have been attempting to block vote Option 4 through the Council and continue to ignore all our protests of how ridiculous it is to have development options on land the size of Saffron Walden which can only be accessed North, through a single passing railway tunnel and South, by one of the most notorious level crossings in the country where we have had recent fatalities.

The Herts and Essex Observer must be congratulated on all its attempts to rectify all these wrongs by a few 'misguided' individuals. However, it is with much regret that I understand the latest attempt by the Observer to bring commonsense to light has been snubbed by these Conservative Councillors. The Observer, with the endorsement of our local MP, had offered on Tuesday 11 March 2008 to collect all the District Councillors from Saffron Walden and take them on a guided tour of South Uttlesford. The intension was to show those who had not visited the area how misguided the representations to support Option 4 really are and move towards the dispersement option. It is probably no surprise to most of us but certainly a nail in the coffin of democratic commonsense and process, that not one Conservative Councillor had the decency, or courtesy, to accept what would have been a most enlightening and entertaining educational experience. I believe many of them think they know best – well shame on every one of them! Sir Alan Haselhurst now has objective evidence as to why these Councillors, from his own party, should be excluded from the District Parish Councils meeting he is chairing on the 13 March 2008. I wish Sir Alan well and may commonsense at last prevail.

John Savident

11 March 2008