Residents and developers at Forest Hall Park, Stansted are demanding that Uttlesford District Council listens to them about how a community fund should be spent.

The results of a survey of residents of Forest Hall Park, Stansted were published last week at a meeting of the residents’ association. I presented the results to a record attendance of over 40 people at Mountfitchet Mathematics & Computing College.

The details and background to the survey can be read here at this earlier blog post. 

One hundred and ninety-two people responded, which is almost one-third of the people surveyed. That’s a remarkable response rate. It demonstrated the high level of interest in how the money which Uttlesford holds in trust from the developers is spent. A graphical summary of the results can be viewed here: Survey summary. See the earlier post linked above the for questions asked.

The survey result highlights are:

1. Highway safety and parking issues are top of people’s concerns. There is a pot of about £1m from the developers to fund highways improvements. A meeting is due to take place this Friday to find out how far the money will go towards satisfying the needs of the community.
2. The least supported and most opposed projects are those in Birchanger village. A bitter row is running between Stansted and Uttlesford DC over the latter’s decision to give about one-third of the £1-1.5m community fund to Birchanger Parish Council for projects such as £90,000 for toilets at the parish church. Birchanger Parish Council needs to engage with the residents if they want to convince people about their projects. So far only Stansted PC has shown any interest in this new part of Stansted which will be wholly within Stansted parish from next April.
3. Stansted Parish Council’s plan for a community centre at Crafton Green has more but not yet overwhelming support. However, it became clear at the meeting that people don’t yet understand what the project is about. The parish council needs to explain its plans. Many people mistakenly had the idea this would be an office for the parish council only. People became more supportive after it was explained that the plan is for a meeting place as well as a new library and base for the police and other services.
4. The community fund is to meet the needs of the residents of Forest Hall Park and the wider community. The requirement for a good community centre at the new St. Mary’s primary school came top of the list after highways improvements . The school is due to open later this year.
5. A swimming pool at the Romeera leisure centre, new children’s play equipment and support for Stansted’s children’s centre, Spangles, are all fairly popular.

The survey should be viewed as the start of a longer discussion with residents to work out how to make best use of the community fund. Both developers at Foresthall Park, Taylor-Wimpey and Croudace, have written to Uttlesford DC on the back of this survey challenging the council to justfiy recent decisions it has made over the heads of residents. The council must be persuaded to come back to the negotiating table. Uttlesford must not to continue to ride roughshod over the people whose needs this money is destined to meet.