The BSDFA has drafted the following response to the above-mentioned Planning Application which is adjacent to the public footpath (Bishop’s Stortford FP040) that runs through the woodland known locally as the ‘Spinney’.
The Planning Application (link below) is open for public comment until Thursday, 31 July 2025.
https://publicaccess.eastherts.gov.uk/online-applications/
Our response is as follows:
“I am writing on behalf of the Bishop’s Stortford & District Footpaths Association (BSDFA).
Our key concern is the lack of a cohesive plan for the area of woodland bounding the site to the west and the north known locally as the ‘Spinney’ and the public footpath than runs through it (Bishop’s Stortford FP040). The footpath provides an important north south connection (Park Avenue to Thorley Park Road) and has become an important off road route for pedestrians connecting to and from the St James’ Park development.
The ‘Spinney’ itself is a designated ‘Local Green Space’ in the Bishop’s Stortford Neighbourhood Plan for All Saints, Central, South & part of Thorley (NP). The NP GIP1 (Local Green Spaces and other green areas) states that any “development which adjoins these areas must preserve and enhance wildlife corridors to a width to allow sufficient bio-diversity and habitat conservation having regard to best practice and advice from Natural England and/or other appropriate expert organisations”. It’s worth noting that much of the ‘Spinney’ is under the ownership and management of East Herts District Council.
In the Planning Application the ‘Design & Access Statement’ makes clear that the ‘Spinney’ will be crucial to the development by providing key connections for new residents accessing local schools (Richard Whittington and the BS High School) and green spaces (Thorley Wedge). This makes sense, but would necessitate an ‘upgrade’ to the existing public footpath which is in a very poor condition. It would also necessitate work to ‘enhance’ this important wildlife corridor which appears to be in a poor ecological state. The creation of an all weather footpath surface would facilitate walking throughout the year – the ‘Spinney’ becomes very muddy during the winter months and extra footfall from the new estate will exacerbate existing problems to the detriment of the local environment.
We would also like consideration to be given to the creation of a cycle path linking Park Avenue to Thornbera Gardens which would deliver the ‘missing link’ for a St James’ Park to town centre cycle route. The route is strongly endorsed by Bishop’s Stortford Town Council and is a key submission for inclusion in the East Herts Local Cycle & Walking Improvement Plan (LCWIP). The S106 Agreement states that Sustainable Transport funding from the development could be directed to “the provision of improvements to and/or upgrading of a sustainable transport route along the western extent of the Property running from northeast to southwest” but lack details as to what this would entail. We want this to be clarified before any planning approval is given.
Finally, could you please confirm why Bishop’s Stortford FP 040 has not been identified under ‘Constraints’ in the EHDC Planning Portal given that it runs adjacent to the proposed development? There should be a statement that “the development must not impact the public right of way, and there should not be any obstruction or discharge of material onto the footpath either during or after the building work.”
