Agenda item

Mr Brett

Mr Brett said the areas surrounding the villages of Stansted, Takeley and Elsenham were in great need of community sports facilities. The possibility of promotion for Stansted Football Club had led to a situation whereby the club needed to develop its ground to meet league requirements, but was held back due to a lack of funds. Investment was also required for the shared facilities at Hargrave Park, Stansted to ensure cricket and football club activities could continue. He said the lack of wealth in the area was demonstrated by having the highest rate of free school meals in the District and these areas needed investment the most to create opportunities. He added that investing in facilities in Stansted would be cost effective in comparison to the Council’s commitment to funding the Carver Barracks Running Track, or the 3G football pitches proposed in Saffron Walden. He said in Elsenham improvement was required for facilities used by both the football and cricket clubs. He called on the Council to establish modern football and cricket pitches across Uttlesford that benefitted all, not just the wealthiest.

Mr Allington

Mr Allington, of the Uttlesford Green Party, congratulated Cllr Lodge and the Council for their declaration of a Climate and Ecology Emergency at the previous meeting. The direction of travel was a positive one as demonstrated by the establishment of the Energy & Climate Change Working Group and he looked forward to implementing the changes required to create a net-zero carbon policy by 2030. He also welcomed the recent planning decision which protected the land on de Vigier Avenue. He said this was an important step in keeping Uttlesford green and protecting land for the purposes of rewilding. Going forward, the Council had to guard against box ticking and ensure that the necessary infrastructure was in place to allow all residents to live environmentally sustainable lives. He urged the Council to hold firm on Stansted Airport expansion and the Local Plan. Reports on air quality had to be coupled with a common sense approach, particularly in cases where pollution was evident and data sets were unreliable.

Mr Gildea

Mr Gildea, of the Green Party and St Mary’s Church Eco Team, highlighted the recent Friends of the Earth report that rated Uttlesford District Council as poor in terms of environmentally friendly initiatives. Tree cover, commuter journeys by public transport and the insulation of homes were all areas of concern. He said an opportunity had been missed by the previous Administration as solar panels should have been installed on the new buildings housing B&M and the Costa Coffee complex. He estimated that over 100 panels could have utilised to provide power to the neighbouring community. He was delighted by the refusal of the planning application at de Vigier Avenue, as the woodland provided a haven for biodiversity in the town, but he had noticed that a new neighbouring development had not installed any electric vehicle charging points. A line in the sand had to be drawn and to this end he was pleased to present the petition to increase the number of electric vehicle charging points across the District. Electric cars were the future and he urged the Council to not be left behind.