WELCOME TO FELSTED

The Uttlesford District Council Planning Portal shows that a Planning Application has just been made to UDC in respect of the Water Tower site in Garnetts Lane, Felsted (UTT/25/1929/OP).

This application refers to the site the subject to a public consultation held by the land-owner’s agents earlier this year.

As part of the continuing consultation process which commenced in March 2024, on 11th/12th July 2025 at the URC the Neighbourhood Plan Review Group sought parishioner’s further comments about these (and other) development proposals which are being considered for inclusion in the Review. To help assess the viability of proposals, various options, conditions and DRAFT policies have been discussed with agents for sites under consideration. However, no site allocations or policies have yet been formally adopted by the Review Group in a Reg 14 submission.

The Group does not anticipate progressing to the next stage (Reg 14) until it has assessed further evidence – particularly in relation to access – and a Strategic Environmental Assessment has been conducted and the outcome assessed. This is unlikely to be before late September 2025.

Meanwhile, this application will be considered in the prescribed manner by the Planning Committee of Felsted Parish Council. As previously stated at the Consultation Events, the result of the ‘vote’ and the comments received at the Events will be shared and will help to inform the Parish’s formal response to UDC about the application.

Parishioners who wish to make any personal representations or comment about this (or any) application are advised to do so directly to Uttlesford District Council as the Local Planning Authority. You have until 27th August to consider and submit your response; you may do so by following the link below:

https://publicaccess.uttlesford.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=SZLTDDQNK4T00&activeTab=summary

The Review Group.

UCAN is the residents charity for Uttlesford, working to improve life for everyone who lives here. Their mobile community supermarket, in partnership with The Active Wellbeing Society and Uttlesford District Council was launched earlier this year selling basic essentials at cheap prices.

The Community Supermarket will now be located at Flitch Green, Hallett Road Car Park (instead of the previous location of Holy Cross Church).

They will be in this location on Tuesday 12th August between 9.30am and 11.30am, and then every other week.

Please note: A referral is NOT needed in order to access the support.

Token Vote

• Total tokens issued:142 (One per household attending)
• Water Tower site:60
• Bloor Homes Site:65
• No preference expressed:17

Analysis of Comments

In addition to the token count, as shown above, we have very carefully read and considered the 83 comments left over the two days on the ‘Comments’ boards by the 190 (Friday 86 and Saturday 104) individuals who attended. (Where more than one post -it appears to have been used to express a view by the same contributor, the additional note has been counted as a single comment.).

We have given a categorisation code to each comment.

There is a degree of subjectivity in the categorisation of the responses, but we have tried to ensure the code matches the intent of the contributor.

The majority (35 notes) are assessed (GC) as providing general comments about development in and the pressure on infrastructure, urging resistance to any further development but without offering specific comment on the two major sites on display.

Following the event the Parish clerk also received six emails form residents who were unable to attend but asked for their views to be considered.

• (SBH) Seven (7+2) offered comments clearly in SUPPORT of the Bloor Homes site.
• (ABH) Nineteen (19+1) offered comments clearly AGAINST the Bloor Homes site.
• (SWT) Two (2) offered comments clearly in SUPPORT of the Water Tower site.
• (AWT) Twenty (20 +3) offered comments clearly AGAINST the Water Tower site.

Neither the token vote nor the ‘comments’ at the consultation event have provided an overwhelmingly clear result.

The distribution of the tokens shows greater support for the Bloor Homes site (65) over the Water Tower site (60). The notes on the ‘Comments’ boards and the emails are also evenly balanced, with similar numbers rejecting both sites (20 and 23) and a slightly greater number (7+2) offering specific support for the Bloor Homes site as opposed to (2) offering support for the Water Tower site.

As we have consistently said, this is NOT a simple ‘numbers game’.

In further developing the Review we will also now carefully consider the result of the Strategic Environmental Assessment, (which we are increasingly hopeful will be funded) and will be an important factor in determining how we proceed to producing a DRAFT plan for assessment in accord with Reg 14, when parishioners will have a further opportunity to comment on the plan before it is submitted to a Planning Inspector.

The Inspector will decide whether the plan is compliant with the Neighbourhood Plan Regulations, if further work is required or if we can proceed to a Referendum, when parishioners will finally be able to decide whether to support the plan.

The Review Group