Old River Lane: Packed public meeting hears opposition to Cityheart plan and suggestions for 'a better vision'

A packed public meeting to discuss the controversial proposed Old River Lane (ORL) scheme in the heart of Bishop's Stortford saw those present air strong opposition to the project while calling for "a better vision".

An estimated 250 people attended the meeting at The Bishop's Stortford High School on Sunday afternoon (Feb 19).

It was organised by the cross-party ORL Working Group – made up of Labour, Liberal Democrats and Greens – to discuss plans by Conservative-controlled East Herts Council’s (EHC) development partner, Cityheart, for the ORL site between Northgate End and Bridge Street.

Organisers criticised the local Conservative party for not sending a representative, adding it was "most disappointing that no Conservative councillor was prepared to speak up for the town".

The meeting was co-chaired by Cllr Mione Goldspink, leader of the Lib Dem group on EHC, and Labour's Elif Toker-Turnalar.

They agreed in a joint statement that the general mood of the gathering was critical of the present proposals, but it was also positive and constructive in making suggestions for "a better vision" for the ORL site.

“The attendance at today’s event went beyond our wildest expectations," they said. "If the Conservative councillors had been here they would have been shocked at the strength of feeling on this issue."

Cityheart wants to knock down EHC's Charringtons House office block, the Water Lane United Reformed Church (URC) Hall and three houses to make way for a new public square, 150 homes, 75 "extra care" dwellings, shops, offices and a landmark £15.5m cinema-led arts centre, which has been downgraded from the original £30m centre with a 544-seat theatre after the Covid-19 pandemic hit the council's finances.

Speakers representing different groups in Stortford addressed the meeting. Stephen Skinner and Yvonne Estop-Wood from the working group spoke about the flaws with Cityheart's plans – which have been recommended for refusal by the Conservative-controlled town council's planning committee – and outlined the key elements of "a better vision" for the site.

These included calling upon the developer to:

• Properly design the whole site.
• Provide a proper town square at the heart of the development.
• Revisit the arts centre vision, to take account of changing circumstances.
• Reduce the number of new homes and reduce the height of the new buildings.
• Retain the Water Lane URC Hall community building and Charringtons House and adapt them for continued use.

Paul Dean, from community group Bishop’s Stortford Civic Federation (BSCF), spoke of its opposition because of a failure to comply with local planning regulations. Last September, BSCF secured Water Lane URC Hall's registration as an Asset of Community Value, which gives the local community up to six months to submit an offer to buy it. BSCF has said it wishes to make a bid by March 23, although EHC, as the building's owner having bought it in 2019 for £975,000, does not have to accept the offer.

Bishop’s Stortford Climate Group member Ann Forbes outlined the damage the ORL scheme would cause to the environment and ways in which the development could be improved.

Theatre professional Gailie Anderson, from Bishop's Stortford Arts Forum, explained how Cityheart's planning applications, in particular demolition of Water Lane Hall, would damage the arts community in the town.

Applause greeted both David Jacobs, from Bishop’s Stortford and Sawbridgeworth Labour Party, and Cllr Chris Wilson, a Liberal Democrat member for Stortford's All Saints ward on EHC, when they referred to the May 4 local elections.

Mr Jacobs said that “the only way to change this application is to change the district council”, calling for a vote for Labour, while Cllr Wilson said that the only way to change the council would be by voting Lib Dem.

Cllr Wilson explained why EHC felt "compelled to squeeze an inadequate arts centre into a cinema", to try to avoid repaying a grant it had received from the Herts Local Enterprise Partnership for its Northgate End multi-storey car park, which was the kick-starter for the ORL scheme as a replacement for the council's Causeway car park.

The ORL working group will now submit an open letter to East Herts Council about the applications and will announce further actions "very shortly".