Chelmsford News

Golfers fight Channels homes plan

7:30am Friday 3rd September 2010

MEMBERS of a golf club near Chelmsford are fighting plans to develop the site.

A residential development of several hundred houses is planned for Channels Golf Club as part of Chelmsford Council’s North Chelmsford Area Action Plan, along with an access road.

The plan, which is due to go before a Government inspector later this year, outlines the sites allocated in north west and north east Chelmsford to provide up to 4,000 new houses.

One of these in north east Chelmsford involves land north and south of Belsteads Farm Lane and the golf course.

A public exhibition is taking place at Regiment Way golf centre, in Little Waltham, this weekend, showing what is planned for the golf course – described as “one of the best in Essex”. Val and Chris Pastakia, both members of the 700-member club, say the level of housing proposed is now not needed, since the new Government has abolished the targets set by the previous one.

Mrs Pastakia said: “One of the best and most beautiful courses in Essex will have a road driven over several of its holes.

“There will also be luxury houses built on several more of the holes, effectively destroying the entire course as we know it.”

Her husband added: “Why did Chelmsford Council push the plan through and not wait until the new Government announced the ending of the housing targets?

“The course has much wildlife and is a wonderful facility with an excellent youth training programme.

“I would challenge the whole ethos of whether the housing is needed.”

The exhibition is from 4pm to 7pm on Friday, September 3 and 10am to 4pm on Saturday, September 4.

The proposal, which is the basis for an outline planning application that is being prepared, is for a new neighbourhood of approximately 650 homes with open space, ecological areas, retention of the lakes, recreation land and a new link road.

Chelmsford Land, the company promoting the site, is the project company of Ptarmigan Land, a leading land promotion company.

Hugo Kirby, from Chelmsford Land, said: “We are very excited about our proposals for a new neighbourhood set in the unique landscape at Channels.

“We hope as many people as possible from the local community will come to the public exhibition to view and comment on the scheme.”

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