Uttlesford Local Plan Timeline

  • May 2011: Cllr Susan Barker appointed to lead Local Plan
  • Jan 2012: UDC adopt strategy to build new town in Elsenham (‘Hellensham’) and extend larger towns and villages
  • Mar 2013: UDC increase new housing number from 338 to 415 a year
  • Oct 2013: UDC forced to adopt proper 15+ year plan length after Planning Inspector intervention
  • Oct 2014: UDC increase new housing number to 523 a year
  • Nov 2014: Plan costs exceed £2m to local taxpayer
  • Dec 2014: Plan rejected by Planning Inspector for multiple failures including process for how the sites for new homes were selected
  • Jun 2015: UDC’s flagship Kier extension to east of Saffron Walden rejected by Planning Inspector
  • Sep 2015: UDC increase new housing number to 568 a year
  • Aug 2016: Major delay as UDC’s flagship ‘Hellsenham’ new town site rejected by Secretary of State
  • Oct 2016: UDC’s ‘manufactured’ air quality study for Saffron Walden fails scrutiny review
  • Oct 2016: R4U writes to Planning Inspector to highlight on-going failures, including missing evidence for how the sites for new homes were selected
  • Oct 2016: Major plan delay after UDC forced to abandon unsustainable major “Greater Walden” town extension due to not enough road capacity
  • Jun 2017: UDC adopt strategy of 3 new towns near Dunmow/Little Easton, Great Chesterford and Stebbing/Felsted
  • Jul 2017: UDC increase new housing number to 641 a year
  • Jul 2017: Major delay after UDC required to undertake further public consultation
  • Jun 2018: Neighbouring Braintree Plan rejected bringing into question conjoined new town at Stebbing/Felsted
  • Jun 2018: UDC increase new housing number to 705 a year from 2022
  • Aug 2018: Plan costs exceed £4m to local taxpayer
  • Sep 2018: UDC delay plan further after Braintree Plan refusal
  • Nov 2018: Independent consultant AECOM finds multiple failures including process for how the sites for new homes were selected
  • Jan 2019: New draft Local Plan submitted to Inspector
  • May 2019: Conservative administration replaced by R4U
  • Jun 2019: Local Plan Examination (of previous administration’s Plan)