WELCOME TO FELSTED

The consultation process for the Braintree Local Plan closes this Friday, 19th August.

You can read our earlier news item here.

Felsted Parish Council has responded to the consultation, objecting to both the consultation process and to the proposal for the New Town to the north of Felsted.

You can read our responses against the process here, against point 2.1, and against the New Town here, under point 3.87 SP10. You can also read a pdf of our responses here.

The consultation document is potentially confusing as to where best to respond, so we suggest you concentrate on the opening introduction and the section detailing the New Town, as we have done.

When making your own submission, should you agree with the Parish Council, then you can use points we have made, but please do not copy our responses, since ‘cut and paste’ identical responses risk being discounted.

Remember, the search area for this New Town includes Gransmore Green and if approved will, over time, result in 13,000 houses being built, right to the edge of Felsted.

It is important that you have your say. The link to the consultation site is here.

You will need to register before responding, but this is an easy process.

Your Parish Council is continuing to work to fight the change made to Stansted airport flightpaths, which has resulted in a more than doubling of planes overflying our Parish.

Read our earlier news item here.

Cllr Andy Bennett, alongside representatives from Stebbing Parish Council and High Easter, made a statement to the last Uttlesford District Council (UDC) meeting. UDC was asked to support the Parishes by writing to Stansted and the CAA, as part of the change review process, on 2 key points:

• Call for consideration to be given to ways in which increases in noise disruption can be mitigated, whether the flightpath change is reversed or not, through a review of existing NPR routings and the use of Performance Based Navigation to introduce respite use to the flightpaths.

• Highlight the unconsidered impact of the change and call for its reversal.

We have also written to Chris Grayling MP, the new Secretary of State for transport, seeking his support and ensuring that he is aware of our grievance.

Cllr Susan Barker will be responding on behalf of UDC and we will advise UDC’s response in a future update.  Cllr Keith Artus is also following up in his role as Chair of the Stansted Airport Advisory Panel. again we will report back on progress.

Following attendance at the last Stop Stansted Expansion (SSE) Parish meeting, we have also written again to our MP, Sir Alan Haselhurst seeking his further support.

We have also joined the Aviation Environment Federation.

How to complain

It remains vitally important that you, as parishoners, continue to complain about problem flights, and the over arching subject of the change in flightpath usage. Given that there is soon to be a new consultation regarding night flights, it is particularly important to report night disturbances.

Stansted airport has switched off its phone complaints line, which makes it difficult for those not online to complain. The Parish clerk has helped more than one parishoner to complain, by completing the web based SSE form for them. Please visit the clerk during normal opening hours if you would like her to help you.

There is however, a further option, you can write, outlining your complaint, to:

Noise Communications Team
Enterprise House
Stansted Airport
Essex CM24 1QW

Using the form via the Stop Stansted Expansion group’s website is the preferred option for submitting a complaint. It allows your complaint to be noted and used in their arguments, whilst also being forwarded to the Stansted Airport noise complaint  team.

It takes just a couple of minutes to complete the form. This can be used to complain about specific noisy planes (where you need to give the date and time of the disturbance), or about the broader noise problem. Please do both.

For more information, please contact Cllr Andy Bennett

Further to our earlier news item, Braintree District Council’s Local Plan consultation closes on 17th August.

You can submit your comments on line here.

The plan includes a proposal to build a New Town to the north of Felsted. The precise area is to be set, but the southern edge of the search area consumes Gransmore Green, within our Parish.

The impact on the Parish of Felsted from this development would be immense.

The consultation document is difficult to navigate and to understand exactly where the most important questions are.

However, SERCLE, the Stebbing based campaign group, has issued guidance notes which you might find helpful.

Please do have your say, whether you are for or against this new town development.

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