TRAFFIC chaos, parking woes and the threat to independent traders would be too high a price to pay for a new £105m shopping complex in the heart of Bishop’s Stortford.
That was the verdict of town councillors, who this week voted against Henderson Global Investors’ ambitious Old River Lane development plans.
At a packed meeting at Rhodes, representatives from Stortford’s Civic Federation and Chamber of Commerce expressed concerns over the “ill-judged” scheme, which they argued would place further stress on the town’s recession-hit businesses.
Bishop’s Stortford and Sawbridgeworth’s Labour Party also weighed in, saying any new developments would need a “high proportion” of affordable and social housing and should encourage greater use of public transport.
The proposal includes 35 retail units, two restaurants, a digital cinema, a 75-bed hotel, about 670 parking places and up to 100 new homes.
Several buildings, including the United Reformed Church Hall off Water Lane and the former East Herts District Council offices in The Causeway, would be demolished.
Henderson says the plan would be a shot in the arm for the town’s retail scene – but Mike Allen, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, feared construction work would cause parking problems and encourage people to shop elsewhere.
He told the meeting: “Parts of it are quite complementary – they’ll bring people in to provide a much better shopping experience and create employment.
“However, the parking issue really tips the balance; taking away 230 spaces with nowhere else to park in the meantime is not acceptable. People drive in to do their shopping and to suggest we should all get on our bikes or walk is not realistic.
“The development of Jackson Square led to a 30 per cent drop in retail spend and this is of grave concern. It’s going to be even worse in these times of austerity and we will have to make sure no-one misses out while development is undertaken.”
Civic Federation vice-chairman John Rhodes said: “We think the proposed uses are very ill-judged. National retailers will not open a new outlet when the catchment area is too small – and what would happen to Coopers and Pearsons?
“Respecting [the site’s] place within the conservation area means not building on it; this scheme would obliterate it with another development on the scale of Jackson Square.”
Labour chairman Peter Mitchell supported the idea, but said studies would have to be carried out to assess the impact on traders. He also called for the derelict railway goods yard off London Road to be considered as an alternative.
The authority’s planning committee objected on 10 grounds including the loss of an open area, poor traffic assessments, a lack of parking and the threat to local businesses.
They also argued there was no proven need for extra housing and that the complex – which is situated on a flood plain - would cause “irrevocable damage” to the conservation area.
The final decision will be made by planning authority East Herts at a date to be confirmed.
