Green light given for more than 600 homes at Gresley Park near Stevenage

The proposed site layout of Gresley Park. (Image: Archant)

The Gresley Park development was given the green light by East Herts Council's planning development committee at a meeting on Wednesday evening, despite the Stevenage MP Stephen McPartland attempted to call in the application for review by the Secretary of State for for housing on Monday.

The application was also opposed formally by 1,273 residents, as well as an e-petition signed by nearly 600 people.

Objectors from the group Protecting Aston's Community Existence asked the committee to defer the decision on the grounds that the applicant had "failed proactively, and therefore, affectively to engage with the local community", and that residents feel they've been ignored and have no sense of ownership of this very much developer led plan".

He also cited the planning process, and how the consultation carried out by East Herts Council was a "tick box exercise".

The Beane valley, looking towards Walkern. Picture: Stephen Sypula. (Image: Archant)

A representative from developers Pidgeon Land Ltd also spoke at the meeting.

He said the plans were "carefully designed to create a high quality, landscape led sustainable neighbourhood".

In response to PACE's points, he said: "There has been engagement with the local community throughout. One consulatation that came with the Local Plan, another with the master plan and another with this planning application.

"All the issues raised by third parties, including PACE, have been fully considered.

"Although these have been addressed in a different way to the one suggested by PACE they have been determined with discussions with county, district and borough council officers."

The approval also applies to the construction of a spine road, site accesses, drainage infrastructure, and ancillary works.