Move Update - Council Meeting - 15th March 2006

The Environment & Community Committee voted last night to pass the report prepared for them  on the Replacement Harlow  Local Plan by the Council Officers directly to the full Council without discussion or recommendations for a full Committee decision, as to the Council's response to the Inspector's report & the recommendations of its Officers. This meeting takes place at the Civic Centre on the 30th at 7.30 pm . We need as many Club members as possible to attend.

Move Update - Good News! - 13th March 2006

On Tuesday (14th March). At the Civic centre there is a Council Environment and Community Committee at which they will consider the Planning Inspector’s report. We can’t speak but would like a good presence in the public gallery to show our on-going interest. Please come if you can and wear a club tie or club top so we are recognised. If coming please arrive at 7.15 for a 7.30 start.

The report of this committee will go to the full Council on the 30th March and we will probably be asking for your attendance yet again. Although the Inspector’s report is not legally binding on the Council it does make it much harder for them to block us. Please continue to show your support for the campaign when we ask

One third of the councillors come up for re-election in May and, depending on the line they take on the report, we may be asking you to get involved at that stage. We will circulate advice nearer the time when we know the line the council is taking.

Move Update - Good News! - 9th March 2006

The report of the recent public inquiry on the proposal to develop our ground for housing and for us to move to a new site at Latton Farm has now been published.

The Inspector’s recommendations support our proposals and are in line with similar views expressed by Planning Inspectors at two previous public inquiries. In particularly our ground is recommended for housing use and Latton Farm for recreational use.

The club would like to thank the very large number of members, friends and supporters who submitted formal objections to the Council proposal which would have made our ground part of the Green Belt and would have blocked any development for the foreseeable future. The massive response from you all was a major factor in achieving a very good outcome for the club and for the sport of rugby football.

The Inspector’s report goes before the Council Environment and Community Committee next Tuesday evening, the 14th March and once more we will be asking you to attend to show your support. The Council Officers in their submission to the committee have recommend acceptance of the Inspector’s report but we must wait until the meeting to hear the reactions of the elected councillors. The recommendations of the committee will go to a meeting of the full Council for approval a few weeks later.

The report is not legally binding on the Council but with three Planning Inspectors having found in our favour it is becoming much harder for the Council to block our proposals. We would hope that they would now accept the recommendations and work with us to produce a scheme which will benefit both the club and the town as a whole.

We are embarking on a very large project, even if things go very well indeed we will be playing at Ram Gorse for some time yet, maybe several more seasons. The Inspector’s report does however make a move to better facilities a distinct possibility.