Say no to Hammonds Farm

The third and final consultation will start on Feb 4th

Hammonds Farm is now the preferred Option

The Policy Board of Chelmsford City Council (CCC) sat on the 14th March and approved option E as the preferred option to go forward to public consultation. Local plan can be found here

In summary, the preferred option includes 3,000 houses plus 43,0000sqm of “employment space” at Hammonds Farm within the plan period, with capacity for a further 1,500 homes beyond 2041. Formal consultation is scheduled to start at the beginning of May and run for six weeks until mid-June 2024 however the actual date is yet to be confirmed and has already been put back several times.

As soon as CCC publish the start date of the consultation, we will set a date for further Public Meeting, to be held at the Memorial hall. At this meeting the working group will propose the next steps to be taken by all in the fight to stop the proposal including providing advice on how you can respond to the consultation if you so wish. Aspirational timeline below but this is subject to CCC publishing the start date.

Option E in particular will have a devastating effect on all villages East of Chelmsford. including the Parish of Little Baddow, Sandon, Boreham, Danbury and Great Baddow.

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Save Hammonds Farm

6 days ago

Article on Essex Live about the housing plans for Chelmsford up until 2041, including the plans for the 'new village' (Hammonds Farm). A reminder of the Chelmsford City Council meeting at 7pm on Thursday 16th January regarding the 'pre-submission Local Plan'. This meeting is open to the public and we would strongly encourage as many people as possible to attend. ... See MoreSee Less

Where 26,000 homes will be built across Chelmsford with major city centre update

www.essexlive.news

A new village is also planned for the area and the council wants to hear residents thoughts on the plans

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Save Hammonds Farm

1 week ago

For all of the details about what’s next for the plans for Hammonds Farm, see below. Our campaign in saying NO to the plans continues. Next key milestones are CCC’s Policy Board meeting on Thursday 16th January and the third and final public consultation begins on 4th February for 6 weeks. We will be sure to keep you updated. ... See MoreSee Less

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Save Hammonds Farm

1 month ago

From Rosie Pearson

PRESS RELEASE

Please share this press release with your local newspaper and local radio.

Chris Packham backs community campaign to stop government building on [insert region] Green Belt

The government’s housebuilding plans have come under fire from a new report by the Community Planning Alliance, which [insert group name] in [insert region] is part of, and represents grassroots groups across the UK. The report, backed by environmental campaigner Chris Packham, argues that the countryside is at grave risk from a government “hellbent” on achieving its “sky-high” targets.

The report challenges the government’s proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), expected imminently, which would force councils to accept development on green spaces, such as [insert brief line on local example], to meet nationally-set goals, and allow objections based on protecting nature to be overruled. It would also reclassify ‘grey belt’ land within the Green Belt, such as [insert brief line on local example].

The Community Planning Alliance, drawing on analysis from leading planners, environmental scientists, and housing experts, argues that the government’s plans, taken alongside its New Towns programme, will have profoundly damaging consequences for Britain’s countryside, including [insert region] and its efforts to reach Net Zero, while doing little to lower prices or address the chronic shortage of social housing that has left 150,000 children currently living in temporary accommodation [if available, insert local/regional stats].

Building on green spaces, the report warns, such as [insert brief point on local example], would destroy vital natural defences against climate change, including carbon sinks such as trees, hedges, and soil, while directly threatening wildlife habitats. The government’s drive to sacrifice Britain’s green spaces in pursuit of its housebuilding targets would also increase pollution. Research also shows that building 300,000 homes a year, even with an energy efficiency focus, would use up the entirety of the UK’s carbon budget by 2050.

Instead, the report argues that not a single green space needs to be lost to housing, pointing to the millions of homes available on brownfield land, in empty, derelict houses and commercial buildings, and in the nation's 26 million spare bedrooms [if available, insert local/regional stats].

[insert name and organisation of local/regional leader], said: “The government is right to focus on house building, but sadly it seems they are hellbent on hitting sky-high, developer-led targets which would damage the environment. It doesn’t need to be this way. Our polling shows that the vast majority of UK voters believe it’s important to protect nature and green spaces. Our ‘Homes for Everyone’ report demonstrates how we can achieve this while still hitting the government’s new homes target.”

Chris Packham, Wildlife TV Presenter & Campaigner, said: “We have a housing crisis, there’s no doubt about that, but we have a biodiversity crisis too and that situation is critical. The Green Belt is incredibly important, it was designed to stop urban sprawl and enhance the quality of people’s lives. We need to think more creatively about how we can design and build good quality, affordable housing with communities and nature in mind.”

New polling by More in Common commissioned for this report reveals overwhelming public support for green space protection.

• 78 per cent of people believe it is important for the government’s housebuilding strategy to protect nature and green spaces, only four per cent believe it is not important.

• Support is consistent among Labour (83%), Conservative (86%), Liberal Democrat (85%), Reform (83%) and Green Party (84%) voters.

• 69 per cent support a ‘brownfield-first’ policy, with just six per cent opposing.

The CPA is proposing a six-point strategy for councils, including:

1. Update brownfield land registers and prioritise suitable sites for housing. The CPRE’s Reports suggest enough land exists for over 1.2 million homes, with additional potential for more than 100,000 homes above public car parks, according to Knight Frank

2. Bring empty homes back into use. Over 1.5m unoccupied dwellings could be retrofitted or renovated to avoid needless carbon emissions associated with new construction.

3. Review unused commercial and public buildings and convert them into residential units. Currently 165,000 privately-owned commercial and business premises remain empty.

4. Better promote its £7,500 tax-free ‘Rent a Room Scheme’. Renting out just 1.74% of 26 million empty bedrooms could see rent prices return to 2017 levels.

5. Adopt density principles in local plans. It would be possible to save 42,000 hectares, an area the size of the Isle of Wight.

6. The government must focus on the one million homes that have been granted planning permission but remain unbuilt.

ENDS.

Notes to Editors

Report and polling breakdown: available on request

Media contacts:

[insert local leader/spokesperson and contact details]

Felix Arbenz-Caines, Senior Associate - News, di:ga communications

[email protected]

07979046378

For the report, click here: drive.google.com/file/d/1LwnlHyRZgbBmU-fPTYm_87sfCUGxuLnW/view?usp=drive_link

For a link to the press release:

docs.google.com/document/d/1l8jqZQToUHwdBrME2WBzGMrKWyqdWde1/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=11171346797177... ... See MoreSee Less

Regional copy of H4EPressReleasev.docx

docs.google.com

Chris Packham backs community campaign to stop government building on [insert region] Green Belt The government’s housebuilding plans have come under fire from a new report by the Community Planning...

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Save Hammonds Farm

1 month ago

The No To Hammonds Farm campaign continues... ... See MoreSee Less

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1 month ago

See details below about Sandon Parish Council's Conservation Group incase of interest. ... See MoreSee Less

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