Bishop’s Stortford Town Council Condemns Sale of Thorley Lane East Woods Plots
Further to recent news regarding the proposed motion condemning the sale of Green Belt Land, Councillor David Snowdon released the following statement following the successful passing of the motion:
I was very proud to submit a motion at last night’s Bishop’s Stortford Town Council Meeting condemning the sale of Green Belt Land in residential-sized plots at Thorley Lane East and Rye Street. The motion was passed with overwhelming support from local councillors.
The practice of middle-men and land banks buying chunks of Green Belt land to sell off in small plots is a national scandal. I am pleased that the Town Council agreed to write to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to express our frustrations and to seek a change in the law to prevent this happening in the future. I have already written to the Minister for Housing, and it is important that we keep up the momentum on this topic.
Communities across the country are blighted by farmland, woods and open space being touted around estate agents and auction house at valuations far above the amenity land value which would represent a fair market value.
The Town Council has already offered to buy the Thorley Lane East Woods and the Rye Street Meads land from the owners at a fair market value but have been rebuffed. The Council agreed to stand ready to acquire the land if at all possible at a market rate.
Karen Schilder from the Thorley Lane East Woods Action Group also addressed the Town Council ahead of the motion being passed. She spoke passionately about the strength of community feeling that the Woods should be protected and outlined a number of the practices that some companies selling Green Belt land in development-sized chunks engage in.
If there are ever any planning applications submitted on either the Meads Land or Thorley Lane East Woods, I will be objecting. It is also quite clear that any such applications will be forcefully opposed by the local community. Hopefully the combined action of local residents, councillors, our MP Julie Marson and our councils can prevent this.
