1970's |
Ropemaker Properties Limited (acting for its parent company, the BP Pension Fund) buy up packets of high grade agricultural land around Gilston as they become available |
1994 |
Ropemaker proposes 'Maplecroft', a development of 3-5,000 houses between Gilston and Hunsdon. Rejected outright by Herts Structure plan |
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1998 |
North Harlow “Completing the Circle” proposal for 18,000 houses. Comprehensively rejected by SERPLAN |
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Dec 2003 |
Buchanan's Stansted/M11 corridor study prepared for RPG14. Rejected expansion north of Harlow |
Jan 2004 |
At last minute Lord Rooker (ODPM) 'invites' the East of England Regional Assembly to consider delaying a submission of RPG 14 to facilitate urgent study work to identify where another 18,000 could be built. |
Feb 2004 |
East of England Regional Assembly votes to approve draft RPG14 with no proposal to build north of Stort and west of M11. Buchanan asked to study potential areas for additional 18,000 and RPG 14 'banked' awaiting results of additional studies |
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Feb 2004 |
Prince’s Foundation commissioned to hold Enquiry by Design (EbyD) for Ropemaker. This was boycotted by Parish Councils, Herts County Council, East Herts DC and local MP, Mark Prisk. |
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Apr 2004 |
Summary report of EbyD published by BP but apparently not sent to any district or county councillors. Report proposes 25,000 houses on site north of the Stort. |
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Jul 2004 |
Colin Campbell and Dearbhla Lawson (GO-East) met with Paul Dimoldenberg (Good Relations), Chris Knight (FPD Savills) and Jonathan Smales (Beyondgreen). The purpose of this meeting was for representatives of Ropemaker Properties to explain to GO-East their proposals for Harlow North, and for GO-East to outline to Ropemaker the process and likely timescales for the review of the Regional Spatial Strategy for the East of England. |
Jul 2004 |
Meeting of EERA's RTAG (Regional Technical Advisors Group) at which the decision was made to overturn the previous. |
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Jul 2004 |
Bill Rammell (MP for Harlow) does a U turn and comes out in favour of Harlow North. |
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Aug 2004 |
Sustainable Growth of a Town (Final Report)' published by BP. |
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Nov 2004 |
East of England Regional Assembly votes to approve draft RPG14, now with specifc proposal to build north of Stort |
| Nov 2004 |
Shortly after formally submitting RPG14 (the East of England Plan) to ODPM, EERA votes to withdraw its endorsement of the plan in the absence of commitment from government to fund necessary infrastructure |
| Dec 2004 - Mar 2005 |
Public consultation on the East of England Plan. STOP Harlow North pursues active local campaign to encourage response to the EoEP. EERA publicise their proposals at a number of public meetings; in Hunsdon EERA's Head of Planning explains the change of heart by saying "A huge outcry followed from the people who were affected by it [the original plan to concentrate development west and south of Harlow]...we realised that we had overdone it to the west and south and had undervalued the north. In hindsight we were wrong in February and the plan is now more deliverable." |
| Mar 2005 |
EERA overwhelmed by public response to the EoEP. Over 65% of the responses were on the single issue of housing expansion around Harlow, the vast majority strongly against the Plan's proposals. |
| Mar 2005 |
Panel for the Examination in Public begins the process by considering all the representations received during the Public Consultation, together with all other evidence submitted |
| Jun 2005 | Panel invites participants in the EIP and other interested parties to submit written statements for its consideration and for circulation to all other participants. Given the weight of public reaction against the Harlow North proposals, STOP Harlow North is invited to participate in the examination. Panel holds a 'Preliminary Meeting' to discuss issues arising from the draft list of matters and participants and reserves two complete days to address expansion around Harlow |
| Jul 2005 |
EERA struggles to collate all the responses in the public consultation and seeks deferment of the start of the Examination in Public. The panel agrees to a two-month delay; the examination will now run from November until March 2006 |
| Sep 2005 |
STOP Harlow North, working with the Friends of the Earth's lawyer, successfully uses the Freedom of Information Act to force release of minutes of EERA's RTAG meetings, which hitherto the Government Office for the East (GO-East) had declared confidential |
| Nov - Dec 2005 |
Examination in Public at The Maltings in Ely. STOP Harlow North contributes to the discussion on two specific matters |
| Jan - Mar 2006 |
Examination in Public resumes at The Spirella Ballroom in Letchworth. STOP Harlow North contributes to the discussion on two further matters, including the specific debate on Harlow on 14-15 February. |
| Mid 2006 |
Panel publishes a report of its findings and recommends how the draft RSS could be improved. Government considers the Panel's recommendations and publishes 'proposed changes' to the draft RSS. |
| Late 2006 |
Government consults on the proposed changes |
| Early 2007 |
Government publishes final RSS |