Developer wants HGVs allowed through Sawbridgeworth

Developer Wrenbridge is asking East Herts Council to amend a condition attached to the planning consent granted last year for its St James Park employment park in Bishop’s Stortford that attempts to stop HGVs travelling to and from the site using the A1184 London Road through Sawbridgeworth. The company bought the site with outline consent for the development already in place from developer Countryside and the approval it sought from East Herts Council last August was for ‘reserved matters’ including the layout, appearance and servicing arrangements for the proposed 12 new units off St James Way. It said it had agreed with officers wording of a condition that aimed to stop HGVs driving through Bishop’s Stortford town centre. But councillors on the development management committee were concerned at the prospect of increased traffic on the already heavily congested A1184 and asked officers to alter the proposed condition to stop vehicles using that route as well.

Wrenbridge says that it was not reasonable to have changed a condition that highways, environ- mental health and planning officers had all been content with. The effect of the change would add time and fuel costs for potential occupiers. The current condition would mean a driver looking to travel south from the site, for example to make a delivery to the industrial area north of Harlow around five miles away, having to take a contrived route of around 16 miles to avoid using the A1184. Similarly, it would prevent lorries looking to travel south towards London from joining the M11 at nearby junction 7a, instead forcing them to take the bypass round Bishop’s Stortford to the north and then joining the motorway at junction 8.

County reiterates ULEZ opposition

Hertfordshire County Council leader Richard Roberts has written to Mayor of London Sadiq Khan expressing disappointment at his plans to press ahead with the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone to cover the whole of London from 29th August.

Mr Roberts also warns that Hertfordshire does not accept that any signage or cameras for it should be based within the county. The existing ULEZ covers the area of London that falls within the North and South Circular Roads with owners of non-compliant vehicles charged £12.50 per day to drive in the capital.

Mr Khan’s plans will see the zone expanded to cover all of the GLA area, bringing it right up to the Hertfordshire border and meaning that anyone in the county needing to travel for example into neighbouring Enfield or Barnet would have to pay the fee if their vehicle is non-compliant.

Town council may buy South Mill Arts centre

Bishop’s Stortford Town Council could buy the site of South Mill Arts, the museum, theatre and community centre in South Road, and then lease it back to the trust that runs it at a peppercorn rent. The move would enable the Bishop’s Stortford Museum and Arts Charitable Incorporated Organisation to invest in the facilities. The council is set to buy the site for £2,970,000 with any deal likely to take place after the end of February 2024.

It includes the Grade2-listed Victorian building, now a museum, that was the former home of Cecil Rhodes, along with the modern theatre building and car park.

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It’s been a busy month both in and outside of Parliament

Last month in Parliament, Ukraine’s President Zelensky gave an historic address. He spoke about the unbreakable ties between our nations and our joint determination to defeat evil and invasion. It was deeply moving and very special to witness such a momentous and historic event.

Supporting businesses

In Hertford and Stortford, there were lots of other events going on too. I held a round table meeting for local businesses to discuss their challenges. I took lots of notes away from the session and have raised their concerns. I remain available to them and all other local businesses for support – please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Affinity Water update

I asked Affinity Water’s CEO and Director of Operations to meet me in Parliament over their response to burst pipes in Bishop’s Stortford at Christmas. We had a productive discussion and I emphasised the importance of compensation for affected residents, increased planning and better communication channels going forwards. I will work with them to make sure constituents receive the most reliable and best service possible.

Ware Post Office progress

There is more encouraging news on Ware High Street’s Post Office. The Post Office has one application for its new premises that they are now progressing. They will provide me with more updates in due course. I will of course share this on my Facebook page ‘Save Ware High Street’s Post Office’ as soon as I can. It has been wonderful to receive such great feedback and support from the community on this campaign so far – we’re starting to see a result. Things are looking up.

Tackling road safety

A recent incident in which a child was knocked off their bike has again highlighted the importance of road safety in Hertford Heath. Both I and David Lloyd, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire, were recently contacted by concerned residents after a series of collisions. I supported

SEND (special educational needs) provision in Hertfordshire remains historically underfunded. This is a problem lots of constituents have contacted me about over the years.

I met with the SEND Minister, Claire Coutinho MP, recently to discuss this. A range of options are now being assessed as a result and I am continuing to push for action.

Mr Lloyd’s proposal to install two new cameras and warning signs at either end of London Road in response. Over 600 warning letters have been sent since and the number of vehicles exceeding 40mph has almost halved. Though this is great progress, we must remain vigilant. David Lloyd and the rest of the team at Herts Police have my full support.

I also met with the leader and chief executive of East Herts Council. We discussed lots of local issues from funding to development. I also relay individual constituents’ casework concerns to the council during these meetings – I am pleased there were so many action points as a result. Council leader Linda Haysey and I are pictured above.

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