RESIDENTS have spoken out against a proposed housing development.

If it gets the go-ahead, the development in Henlow will see 100 homes built on land adjacent to the Millennium Meadow. At an open meeting on June 6, site promoters Gladman Developments Ltd said they intend to make an outline planning application.

Resident Claire Travis-Brown, of Langford Road in Henlow, opposes the plan. “Henlow already struggles with congestion, sometimes extending all the way from the A507 up as far as the top of the village,” she said.

“In addition, 200 plus cars travelling in and out of the village as a result of the development is not viable.

“There is not sufficient capacity in the village schools to cope with an increase in homes.

“There are new build properties less than a mile away which remain unsold, clearly demonstrating there is availability of local housing and not enough demand to consume what has already been built.

“Building more houses and destroying a valued conservation area in the process is unnecessary environmental destruction.”

Resident Rebecca Dawson, also of Langford Road in Henlow, said the effect on the green space and nature reserve of Millennium Meadow would be substantial if the development is given the go-ahead.

She said: “Currently the meadow is bordered on all sides by wild areas, including waterways, open fields and hedgerows. The area will be severely impacted if a housing development were to border one entire side of the meadow.

“A lot of hard work and care has gone into creating this public space and the destruction of its green surroundings would be a great loss for the community.

“There are already enough houses planned for construction in the village, plus those that are nearing completing on Stockbridge Road, to make ample provision for housing in the area.

“In a review of available land for possible development done in 2004 a smaller development of 50 houses was proposed for the same site and was deemed to be of too large a scale then. This new development is twice this size.

“This is the wrong village for such a development.”