Proposed Redevelopment of the Causeway Site - Information

I agree with Rob Drewett - we are not against development in the town but it does have to be right. Why on earth EHC approved such a large development for more shops, flats and restaurants is beyond me - when there are premises around that remain empty. (Apparently the empty shops are not the right sort of shops - what's that all about ? An underground car park which is liable to flood? I really wonder who I am voting for in the local elections. Anyone I speak to about this development is seriously against it. The development of flats and shops behind the old Sainsburys has restaurant premises that have NEVER been occupied. The Bath Store closed after a few months and remains empty. I just cannot believe that people who are supposed to be representing us and our town have agreed such a thing. And do we really need more flats? The new development will draw people into the town to spend their money? I doubt it. After a couple of years of total upheaval - where they can't even get into the town, let alone try and park - they will probably stop coming back! But whatever we say it will still go ahead - their minds have been made up regardless of what we think.

Bishop's Stortford Civic Federation confirmed has confirmed it is to seek a judicial review to overturn planning permission for Henderson Global Investors’ £105m plan to transform the Causeway.

President Michael Hurford spoke at a meeting of the Conservative-controlled town council to explain the basis for the move – and to urge members to back it – in defiance of Tory-run East Herts District Council, which in August approved the plans for retail, residential and restaurant development in the face of fierce public opposition.

A spokesman told the Observer: “The federation stated that the process applied by EHDC was fundamentally flawed and did not conform to several national and district planning policies with obligatory requirements for conservation areas.

"Furthermore, by granting permission, EHDC totally ignored the sovereignty of the Local Plan, which does not include any development in this area."

Mr Hurford made his plea during the public participation slot, so there was no discussion by members and the issue will be added to a future agenda for official consideration.

The judicial review call is the third attempt by the federation to overturn planning approval. After East Herts caused uproar by giving the scheme the green light, opponents asked Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles to ‘call in’ the council’s decision for in-depth scrutiny, but he decided it should stand.

The federation also called on EHDC development control committee chairman Cllr William Ashley to revoke the consent, but he too declined.

In addition, the federation called for Cllr Michael Tindale to be suspended after the executive member spoke in favour of Henderson’s scheme to redevelop EHDC’s former offices on the Causeway site and two adjoining car parks. He was accused of trying to intimidate members by telling them it would be “morally bankrupt” to refuse, but he strenuously denied the charge.

Opponents of Henderson’s Old River Lane scheme have slammed East Herts’ finance chief after he urged fellow councillors to give the green light as it was already a done deal.

At last week's crunch meeting, the district council’s executive member for finance Cllr Michael Tindale told colleagues they had agreed in principle to a mixed-use development at The Causeway three years ago – and because of this, they should let the plans sail through.

Shortly before the authority took that decision in 2008, it had sold the town centre site and office to Henderson for £6.25m. Professional valuations had suggested it was worth up to £9.9m.

Cllr Tindale said: "I speak as the person responsible for reaching agreement with Henderson three years ago. The details of that agreement are not relevant – the deal has been done.

"Many have commented that the assets were undersold . . . but this is not about the deal. Under discussions three years ago, the proposals went to full council and it was agreed that The Causeway would be demolished and that a mixed use development would come forward. Members spoke and voted, and the decision was made under the full glare of public debate.

"To renege on that principle now . . . would be morally bankrupt – not because it would be unfair to Henderson, but because it would undermine the authority of East Herts Council."

But this week, Bishop’s Stortford Civic Federation president Michael Hurford said Cllr Tindale’s speech was the "most disgraceful episode of the whole evening" and a "breach of the planning system".

He said: "He attempted to intimidate the whole committee – he was basically saying: ‘we agreed we would give them planning permission when we sold the land and there’s b****r all you can do about it’."

The civic federation has not yet decided its next move, but will soon be meeting to discuss the situation. Its supporters, including "appalled" former Stortford mayor Cllr Norma Symonds, are hoping it will call for a judicial review into the decision.

However, despite the controversy, Henderson remains confident its project will give Stortford’s retail scene a vital shot in the arm – and that it can be built without causing chaos on surrounding roads.

Fund manager Cameron Fraser told the Observer that underground parking would be the first phase of construction, with temporary relief bays provided elsewhere to increase the number of spaces available.

Mr Fraser said: "We haven’t just looked at our site by dumping a mixed-use scheme on the car park – it was very important to look back at the historical linkages that are part of the town, and how the scheme fits into it."

Henderson says the scheme will create about 720 permanent jobs and 300 during building. It hopes to start work next summer and open by autumn 2014.

It's crunch time for Bishop's Stortford as the future of two key development sites in the town centre hang in the balance.

A) Local Alliance - Goods Yard Proposal

That's the clarion call to residents from Mike Allen, chairman of the local alliance which was formed in opposition to massive plans for shops, homes, a hotel and leisure facilities at the Causeway, while proposals for similar-scale residential and retail construction at the railway good yards site are thrashed out.

Mr Allen, who is also chairman of the town's chamber of commerce, is speaking out on behalf of the Bishop's Stortford Civic Federation and the Bishop's Stortford Retail Community, and urging everyone with a stake in Stortford to seize the chance to influence both designs – before it is too late and avoid the mistakes of the past, like the fiercely criticised Jackson Square redevelopment.

He fears that unless a co-ordinated approach is adopted, the outcome will be disaster, with infrastructure meltdown, traffic and parking hell plus dire duplication of the wrong facilities.

"Anything that's done on the Causeway site needs to be considered alongside the goods yard – in fact, we think it would be better to sort out the goods yard first, but that's unlikely to happen," said Mr Allen.

The alliance has already formulated a tentative layout for the goods yard – widely regarded as an eyesore at the railway gateway to Stortford – and made it clear that any new hotel for the town should be there, near the railway and bus stations, not in the northern sector.

He said: "We've been given a marvellous opportunity to carve out the concept. What I want to say to people is now is our chance to really put our mark on the developments. This is a golden opportunity – it's not like Jackson Square."

B) Henderson - Causeway Proposal

Henderson Global Investors, which is behind the £105m regeneration scheme for the Causeway – to be called Old River Lane – has applied for planning permission from East Herts District Council, but Mr Allen said delays caused by the May 5 local elections and problems with the proposals meant there was still time for a rethink.

"Just to slow things down would be beneficial for all of us," he said. "If Henderson are interested in being long-term then that's in their interest, too."

He wants to meet with the developer to find a mutually agreeable solution.

Martin Perry, Henderson Global Investors' director of retail property development, said: "We have been in dialogue with the alliance members from the outset and have held informal meetings with their leadership.

"We are in the process of planning a formal meeting with them which will take place during the first or second week of April."

Proposal for the Goods Yard Site

Prepared by Brian Edwards for the Bishop's Stortford Civic Federation

This area and the surrounding land which has many derelict buildings should be the cornerstone of any major development to bring new life to the town, especially the south end.

• 40 minute rail service to the City
• Gateway to Europe through Stansted Airport
• Good schools; Primary and Secondary
• Excellent "Executive" quality housing – e.g. St Michael's Mead
• Access to the countryside for recreation, and
• Hopefully a lower rent per square foot than a City equivalent.

The building should be substantial and inspirational (not a rectangular block – think Gherkin) but shorter than the Mill and have its own underground parking for employees. There should also be a small quality hotel in the area suitable for "professional" visitors. (Note: Planning permission has already been granted for a hotel on an immediately adjacent site on the other side of the river which may well be taken up when this scheme goes ahead.) The development could possibly extend over the top of the railway to embrace the dilapidated buildings along the west side of London Road and provide pedestrian access to the whole development.

A major development at this location could have significant advantages and provide every opportunity to rejuvenate the south end of town (pedestrian access would be by the new footbridge to Triad - Currey Award 2009) and it should include the following:

• Exciting shops, hopefully a major retail outlet such as John Lewis, or Debenhams. (A retail area would probably be valuable for commuters to buy items on the way home from work in London and employees in the office block to have facilities for lunch.)
• A modern enclosed bus station/terminal so that the area becomes a high quality transport interchange.
• An attractive multi-storey car park should also be built for both rail users and shoppers.
• Improved leisure facilities.
• The whole east bank of the Stort opposite Triad should be pleasantly landscaped with moorings for canal/pleasure boats.

If additional houses are required to make the project viable, these should be quality homes, not apartments, and be sited on the east bank of the River Stort. There are already a number of unoccupied apartments off London Road on the Tanner's Wharf site to the south of the site.

All of the above should be in keeping with the historic character of the market town. No building in the development should obscure the views of St Michael's Church from the Hallingbury Road.

This development would obviously have a number of traffic implications: Station Road is already very narrow and Anchor Street a bottleneck. We would therefore request a re-run of the traffic model for the town to assess the impact of these proposals and to make appropriate recommendations.

However, the most important thing that this major development would bring in this location would be rail and bus services, which would bring visitors to the town from Cambridge, Harlow, Sawbridgeworth and elsewhere, without having to use their cars. The benefits of this would be obvious.