黑洞社区

New housing minister Mark Prisk has rejected accusations that his campaign against the 10,000-home Harlow North scheme in his constituency area will make it difficult for him to champion housing growth in other parts of the country.

Prisk made opposition to the Harlow North scheme a key part of his election campaign in 2010 - and continues to oppose the plan, which was brought forward by Land Securities and Places for People. It involves a 10,000-home expansion north of Harlow, Essex, into greenfield land, including some green belt.

The development is backed by Labour-led Harlow council, which says it is essential to manage the town鈥檚 growth, but is opposed by neighbouring council East Hertfordshire, under which the scheme would fall.

Prisk sided with East Hertfordshire and joined with the Stop Harlow North (SHN) campaign in opposing the development. The scheme was included in the east of England regional plan, but has effectively been on hold since the government scrapped the regional spatial strategies.

Speaking to 黑洞社区 ahead of the Conservative Party conference next week, Prisk said his appointment to the key growth portfolio of housing would not change his stance on Harlow North, which he said was based on principled opposition and not nimbyism and would have no bearing on his ability to champion housing growth.

He said Harlow North failed on the ground of sustainability and therefore ran counter to the principle in favour of sustainable development in the government鈥檚 National Planning Policy Framework.

He said that, despite the government鈥檚 recent rhetoric on opening up green belt land for development, the fact that Harlow North was sited on greenfield land meant the scheme would 鈥渃ontradict government policy鈥�.

鈥淭he problem with the so-called Harlow North is that actually it is not a sustainable development. It would bleed investment away from Harlow, which is where it is actually needed,鈥� he said.

鈥淪o it鈥檚 not about saying no development - I recognise in these times that we need development and I鈥檝e been encouraging that - but it has to be appropriate and sustainable and those proposals were not.鈥�

He stressed that his opposition to the scheme did not prejudice his position on housebuilding in general.

鈥淚f somebody is opposed to a development does it mean they are opposed to all development? Well, no they鈥檙e not. My view is: Is the development sustainable? If it is not, then we鈥檝e got a problem. If it is, then let鈥檚 look at it.鈥�

Tony Durcan, Harlow council member for regeneration, said Prisk鈥檚 opposition had been based on 鈥渃lever politics鈥� and that he had sided with an 鈥渁nti-development tendency鈥�, despite Harlow鈥檚 need for jobs and growth. He said Harlow North had 鈥渘ever been off the council鈥檚 agenda鈥� and called for Prisk to 鈥渓ook again鈥� at the scheme.

He said: 鈥淗arlow council has long been in favour of growth around Harlow as long as it delivers homes that are needed, regenerates Harlow and provides infrastructure improvements needed to accompany growth.鈥�

Nigel Clark, SHN secretary, told 黑洞社区 that Prisk had played a 鈥渧ital role鈥� in opposing the development and said it would be 鈥減olitical suicide鈥� if he changed his stance. 鈥淗e would be very, very unpopular around here indeed,鈥� he said.