Action group formed to fight Little Easton development

Stop Easton Park was put together by residents of Little Easton, with their first meeting earlier this month.

The garden village development, proposed to be built on the Easton Park Estate, is not yet in the planning application phase but is one of six other sites being considered for housing including plots in North Uttlesford and Takeley.

If it goes ahead, the development will be part of Uttlesford District Council’s Local Plan and feature up to 10,000 new homes.

Councillor Andy Dodsley, who sits on Little Easton parish council and lives in Easton Lodge, is part of the group.

He said: “The proposal means the historic gardens of Easton Lodge will become an island in a sea of development. They are a Grade-II listed set of gardens and 10,000 houses will destroy the setting.”

Part of Little Easton is also a conservation area, and the group has referenced the Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Proposals from Uttlesford District Council to highlight its importance.

The appraisal, from June 2015, notes: “The historic environment cannot be replaced and is a resource that is both fragile and finite.”

It added: “Uttlesford has a particularly rich built heritage, with 36 conservation areas and approximately 3,700 listed buildings displaying a variety of styles representative of the best of architectural and historic designs from many centuries.

“This is the case at Little Easton where the historic manor house and church still sit within a closely defined space bordered to the east by a number of formally landscaped ponds and elsewhere by open fields.”

Mr Dodsley said other concerns the group has include transport infrastructure and the impact the development will have on the A120 and junction eight of the M11.

He said: “The biggest job market in our area is Cambridge. Having people moving to that development and then commuting will have an impact on our transport infrastructure.”

To get involved with the group, email stopeastonpark@gmail.com.