Schools' Relocation  Map 

Dear Councillor Beatty,

I am writing to you as leader of Hertfordshire County Council regarding the article that was published in the Bishop's Stortford Herts & Essex Observer newspaper dated the 22nd of February 2007 relating to the proposed location of two new schools on Green Belt land off Whittington Way, Thorley, Bishop's Stortford.

For your information I am a resident of Thorley Park and live close by to Whittington Way and the proposed location of the two new schools. I am sure that you are well acquainted with the Inspectors Report from the public enquiry held last year on the elements of the East Herts District local plan which apply to Thorley and Bishop's Stortford. However, I am listing below a number of important points that were highlighted at the public inquiry meeting and in the subsequent Inspectors Report on this matter.

• There was no compelling financial case for meeting the new schools requirement in this way – not least because the cost of site acquisition had not been established.
• The reserved school site at Hadham Road, already in public ownership, is considered large enough to provide a school which would meet the long term requirement for additional places.
• There would be a loss of an important Green Belt site – the only one between the existing bypass and the built up area of Bishop’s Stortford. It would be unrealistic to expect the rest of the site to be preserved from development once a large part of it had been used for schools. Since the precedent for violating the Green Belt sanctuary would already have been established.
• There would be intolerable traffic congestion across Bishop's Stortford in general and Thorley Park in particular as a result of concentrating such a large school population on a single site, to the south of the town remote from the main public transport services.
• Relocating the two existing schools at Whittington Way would put further pressure on the town’s fragile infrastructure and increase demand for school places if the Hadham Road site and those existing sites vacated by the schools then were used for additional housing. Although the local plan does not provide for using all the sites in this way, the sponsors of the proposal would no doubt argue that such use was essential to help pay for their scheme.

As I understand it the Inspector found these arguments compelling and proposes in her report to direct East Herts District Council not to alter the Green Belt designation of the site, or to release the Hadham Road site for housing unless the need for school places can be met elsewhere.

Against this background I would be grateful if you would tell me on what authority has Hertfordshire County Council made a provision to spend £200,000 of tax payers money in next years budget for consultants to carry out a series of surveys on behalf of the two schools at Whittington Way. Surely, this prejudges the outcome of where the new school should be built and totally dismisses the other viable options, specifically the Hadham Road site.

Local communities across Bishop's Stortford appreciate that the town needs a new school to cater for future requirements, especially since the volume of residential dwellings continues to increase year on year. However, determining the location of a new secondary education provision is a strategic issue for Bishop's Stortford which will have a profound effect on the physical and social fabric of the town for decades to come. Therefore, the budget provision must be used to carry out a proper comparative study which evaluates all the options, this must include an indepth survery of all aspects of sustainability and all elements that will impact on congestion and transport. A detail cost benefit analysis must also be carried out for each option. Each option must also take into account the negative impact on the whole town and its local communities with respect to additional housing, transport, congestion, etc.

In addition, it is essential that the evidence should also be taken from the primary stakeholders of the town, which should include the Chamber of Commerce and the Civic Federation. Furthermore, a thorough in depth public consulation must be carried out with existing and future parents.

Finally, in view of the forthcoming district and local elections due to take place in early May I would appreciate an early response to the above mentioned points so that local communities can be properly informed of Hertfordshire County Councils position on this important matter.

Regards,