High Leigh Hoddesdon News - High Leigh Garden Village News

Broxbourne’s Awful Air

Did you know Broxbourne has some of the worst air quality in the country? Broxbourne Council are failing to monitor and control PM2.5, PM10 and Nitrogen dioxide emissions from construction sites around their Borough, so its residents may face adverse health effects, especially if they have pre-existing conditions such as asthma.

According to Public Health England, air pollution is attributed to between 28,000 and 36,000 deaths per year in the UK.

“There is strong evidence that air pollution causes the development of coronary heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease and lung cancer, and exacerbates asthma.” – https://www.gov.uk/government/news/public-health-england-publishes-air-pollution-evidence-review

It’s time for Broxbourne Borough Council to clean up their act and our air. Broxbourne Borough Council don’t want to upset Taylor Wimpey so are risking residents health and wellbeing instead.

Broxbourne Council allows Taylor Wimpey to gamble with local children’s health

The applicants, Taylor Wimpey and Lands Improvement Holdings have allowed large mounds of soil to be pilled up all over the site in warm and windy conditions.

Many of these mounds are entirely uncompressed and some will likely suffer significant wind whip, dispersing particles into the nearby air that residents breathe and covering their cars & property. Local residents on Lord Street, Kennedy avenue, Box Lane and beyond will likely be affected by the applicants inconsiderate actions. Some local residents are now reporting they have developed a cough.

The particles that are being released from the site into children’s lungs can cause a variety of respiratory damage and may worsen allergies or asthma. The applicant is fully aware of the “high risk” to human receptors in their Environmental Statement regarding PM10 and dust, yet they’ve largely ignore it, only occasionally implementing some measures.

Particulates released into the air, especially those PM2.5 and PM10 particles are particularly harmful to human health, not to mention the dust that builds up on local residents property.

Broxbourne Council are attempting to turn a blind eye to the Environmental destruction and issues High Leigh Garden Village is causing. They see complaints as problematic and seemingly want us to remain quiet.

“Becomes particularly problematic if and where the neighbours are correct in their assertions”

Below is an expert of an email between Taylor Wimpey and the Head of Planning and Development at Broxbourne Borough Council.

The Head of Planning and Development raises concerns that residents are ‘closely scrutinising’ and reporting ‘potential transgressions’ to Broxbourne Council regarding the High Leigh Garden Village development.

Is it really problematic if local residents of Hoddesdon point out issues about the HLGV development?

Maybe Broxbourne Council would have preferred Hoddesdons local residents to remain quiet while the developer removed a protected tree, so it wouldn’t become ‘problematic’?

May be an image of text that says "leave that between you, However, you will no doubt now be aware that every move up at High Leigh is being closely scrutinised by neighbours who are not shy about reporting every potential transgression of every condition on the outline and reserved matters through the Council's complaints procedure. That is very time consuming for all but becomes particularly problematic if and where the neighbours are correct n their assertions and we will need to enforce conditions compliance." — Snippet of email between Taylor Wimpey and Head of Planning and Development

Pitiful 3 Extra Trees and Phase 2/3

The Council announced at the most recent planning meeting (14th April 2021 – https://www.broxbourne.gov.uk/council-4/council-meetings-1/13?documentId=203&categoryId=20040) that the applicant(s) will be planting 3 extra trees and various unspecified commitments to a planting project with the local school.

This is a pitiful amount of redress for the environmental damage done so far to the trees on Bramble Lane, including one protected tree that was fully removed.

Shockingly Taylor Wimpey are still resisting joining the Considerate Constructors Scheme after all this, even though it is stated in their application for the current phase they would join! They did not and consultees and the Council were provided with misleading documents by the applicant.

If the site was already registered with the Considerate Constructors Scheme, then the fencing and signage for the protected trees may have been installed correctly before significant construction work was undertaken near the protected trees.

If the High Leigh Garden Village site was undertaken with care, consideration and with the expected regard to the environment, then they would have likely avoided damaging trees and a removal of a protected tree on Bramble Lane!

You can send comments regarding their recent application (07/21/0405/RM) for 144 houses to [email protected] or contact the planning officer on 01992 2785562.

When submitting comments please request that the environment is protected and that the applicant joins the Considerate Constructors Scheme. Please try to submit your comments by the end of April 2021.

Planning application search: www.broxbourne.gov.uk/applicationsearch Search for the reference 07/21/0405/RM

Misleading information regarding the Considerate Constructors Scheme submitted by the applicant

Multitude of complaints regarding Taylor Wimpey properties on TrustPilot and Facebook

The new housing development of High Leigh Garden Village is being built in part by Taylor Wimpey.

Concerningly there are a substantial amount of Taylor Wimpey homebuyers on Facebook, twitter, BBC news and TrustPilot who have had issues with their property. Taylor Wimpey issues have also previously been highlighted on BBC Watchdog.

Broxbourne Borough Council Give Green Light to Remove and Destroy ‘Protected’ Trees

Updated 20th January 2021: https://www.inyourarea.co.uk/news/campaign-group-outraged-after-trees-in-a-protected-area-lopped-cut-down-destroyed-or-otherwise-damaged/

Many of the trees along Bramble Lane (just off Lord Street) are meant to be protected by a Tree Preservation Order, this was implemented shortly before the approval of the outline planning permission for High Leigh Garden Village. Its intent was simply to protect trees around the construction site, yet it has failed awfully as Broxbourne Borough Council seem eager to ignore it.

Instead our appalling Council, Broxbourne Borough Council, have allowed multiple ‘protected’ trees to be killed and removed. This is absolutely awful behaviour from our profit first Council.

We are meant to be working towards preserving nature, increasing biodiversity and fixing climate change – clearly Broxbourne Borough Council have other plans in mind.

Update 16/01/2021: Broxbourne Borough Council are urgently investigating the matter, it is currently believed that they did not give permission to remove all the trees that the developers have removed.

‘Protected’ Trees in and around area G7 of TPO

A sad state of affairs for these ‘protected trees’ Shame on Broxbourne Council. Section G7 of the TPO and nearby.

After in and around G7 area, habitats, bushes, plants and trees all destroyed

Workers Obscure Lord Street with their Vans and Cars

The workers have decided to block Lord Street with their cars and vans!

They have parked vehicles along Lord Street, blocking pedestrian access, especially for walkers, wheelchairs and pushchairs. Completely unacceptable! But is it surprising?

People, dogs and children will now walk in the road. This is dangerous and a health and safety issue.

Lackluster reserved matters approved with conditions for EV charging and further discussions

Councillors and planning officers hinted at the possibility of deferring or refusal but decided to approve the application with conditions on Electrical Vehicle charging and further discussions on the sustainability of the site with the developers, including ground source heating. The development is already delayed and it does not seem that the planning officers or the councillors were interested in delaying or deferring it any further.

The meeting between council officers, councillors and others took place on the 8th September 2020 live streamed on Microsoft teams. You can re-watch the video here from approximately 1:22:00 onward.

Hertfordshire County Council push for Public Rights of Way to be protected (condition 44)

Hertfordshire County Council have not recommended the approval of the reserved matters at this stage due to insufficient evidence to protect the Public Rights of Way.

Condition 44 – original planning permission

After the Bramble Lane fiasco with the unplanned fencing, It’s good to see the local authority requiring the Public Rights of Way in and around this development to be adequately protected.

Reserved Matters requests discharge of condition 33, shows where fencing is to be installed and to what specification – all ignored in recent fencing installation

What we know so far about this new fence

The fencing was installed without permission and without a condition 33 discharge, since this was likely being sort in the reserved matters.
The fencing is not installed to the standard listed in the reserved matters document.
The fencing is not installed in the location listed in the reserved matters document. It is installed right next to the trees on the other side.
Part of Bramble lane is incorporated in the development, and does not make up part of the boundary.
The trees may be unfairly impacted, as stated in the planning document “the impact of the above can take years to show”.
The document lists out reasons that Tree protection fencing should be used.
If this new fence is temporary, removing it again in a few years may cause further damage to the trees and roots.
We can’t locate reference to this fencing they have installed in any of the documents and it is not shown on the plans.