Residents of Little Canfield have stepped up their protest against proposals for a dustbin lorry depot in a field near their homes, which they say will also impact on The Flitch Way, a former railway line that passes through 15 miles of rural Essex between Bishop’s Stortford and Braintree.
A group of residents has been formed and banners have been put up in the area calling for people to oppose the scheme.
The families say the depot, proposed by Uttlesford District Council (UDC) will undermine their peaceful, rural way of life for their families, denying them an amenity they currently enjoy, ruin the facility of the Flitch Way and undermine the value of their homes.
Residents have until Wednesday, October 25 to comment on the plans on the UDC website.
Spokesman for the group, mother of two Nicky Bonson-Glynn who lives in Stortford Road, told the Broadcast: “They are planning to build on a green field where crops are grown.
“We are opposing this because we live here and it will devalue our houses.
“We are going to end up living on an industrial estate full of noisy, smelly dustcarts. To use this agricultural field when there are a lot of brownfield sites is just awful.”
She added: “A lot of us have young families and we chose this location to live in because it is quiet and rural.
“This development is going to change our lives. The council has given no thought to residents or the wildlife here.
“The Flitch Way will be ruined. It is a place where families walk, people ride horses and people walk their dogs. It will be destroyed as they are planning two emergency exits for vehicles from the fields onto the Flitch Way, it will ruin the whole area.”
The Flitch Way includes a visitor centre in what was once Rayne Railway Station, built in 1866.
Open to walkers, cyclists and horse riders, the Flitch Way is flat and mostly traffic free. There are several public footpaths exploring the countryside just off the route.
A UDC spokesman said: ““The council has made a planning application jointly with the landowner for a new base for its street services and housing repairs service principally to provide a vehicle workshop, maintenance facilities, parking areas for vehicles, and office accommodation for staff.
“The proposals also include an outline application for business premises. Any effects on surrounding homes in the vicinity and the Flitch Way which is next to the site have been taken into account in drawing up the scheme and it includes earth mounding and landscaping.
“There is pedestrian and cycle access to the Flitch Way providing the opportunity for staff to enjoy the countryside during their breaks and to bike to work.”
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