Witham MP Priti Patel has praised Goldhanger Parish Council and local residents for their work in putting forward a robust case to a planning inspector considering an appeal for a large-scale new housing development in the village on land off of Head Street. The application was originally refused by Maldon District Council last year and a planning inspector has now rejected an appeal. Priti, who has supported residents in objecting to these inappropriate development plans, said:
”Goldhanger residents and the parish council have come together and put forward strong, robust and compelling grounds to demonstrate why a new development on the scale proposed was unacceptable and unsustainable. I pay tribute to their hard work and campaigning to secure this result. With its rural location and minimal access to services Goldhanger is not a suitable location for a development like this and I welcome the decision taken to throw out this appeal. While we need new housing for local families, applications like these undermine public confidence in the planning system.”
Following this decision, Priti has warned communities in rural Essex that this site and other countryside locations could be subject to further planning applications as a result of new housing targets the Labour Government is seeking to impose on councils in this part of Essex and changes to make it easier for developers to ignore local concerns. Priti said:
“Labour want to bulldoze over our countryside, which means more small villages like Goldhanger will be threatened with large and inappropriate developments. The sight of the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, and Housing Secretary, Angela Rayner, boasting about ignoring the concerns of local communities is causing anger and upset across rural Essex.”
