Labour accuses East Herts Council of ‘dithering’ over future of Bishop’s Stortford businesses

Labour councillors have accused East Herts Council’s administration of leaving Bishop’s Stortford businesses in limbo.

Stortford Central ward members David Jacobs and Yvonne Estop are championing four traders as the authority prepares to sell the Elizabeth Road parade.

They are highly critical of the way the Green Party and Liberal Democrat executive has handled the issue.

They claim the council has shown no awareness of the significance of the shops and businesses to the Havers estate.

In 2022, the then Conservative-controlled council announced plans to redevelop the seven shops and three flats and rebuild with two larger commercial units and a mixture of 10 houses, flats and maisonettes.

However, after the Greens and Lib Dems took control in May 2023, they announced plans to auction the parade. That plan was paused last year when Cllrs Jacobs and Estop pressed the cabinet to sell the block on the open market through an agent.

At the time, the Green Party’s Cllr Carl Brittain, EHC’s executive member for financial sustainability, made it clear it was “unlikely that the principle of sale would be reviewed”.

He is expected to announce his final decision when the executive meets on Tuesday June 3.

Cllrs Jacobs and Estop said three of the shops have been left vacant since the Covid-19 pandemic and only minimal maintenance work has been carried out by the council.

They said it was ironic that the authority was now using the poor state of the parade as a reason to sell. They said the four remaining businesses – takeaways Fish Inn Kebab and Lee Garden, pet grooming parlour Posh Paws and convenience store Dawn 2 Dusk – were successful and popular.

However, since 2021, they said, the traders have been on short-term leases, living first with the threat of eviction for redevelopment, then of the council selling the property.

The councillors have pressed East Herts to advertise the vacant premises and secure longer leases. They have also called for short-stay parking to be improved.

Cllr Jacobs said: “East Herts Council does not seem to care that this group of shops serves a large residential area and that its neglected empty shops give it a run-down appearance.

“We know that there is demand for all sorts of businesses to take the empty units, but the council has stubbornly sat on its hands, dithering.”

Cllr Estop added: “The building does not need major refurbishment, just regular maintenance. The tenants themselves have improved shopfronts, installed central heating and maintained the flats.

“These businesses work well alongside other shops and businesses in the area. This is the focus for a large and diverse neighbourhood, enabling people to shop locally.”

They want Havers estate residents to give their views on the proposed sale.

They said: “The council has been a poor landlord and has not invested in the properties, leaving three of them standing empty. This, in turn, has led to the area being perceived by the police as a focus for anti-social behaviour.

“We hope a new owner will invest in modest but essential modernising of the site, bringing retailers back to the parade and smartening the garages and stores at the rear.

“However, there is a risk that despite planning restrictions, the parade might be bought by a property developer wanting to build housing. While affordable housing is needed in the area, these shops are a lifeline for many local people who can’t manage the journey into the town centre.”

Email david.jacobs@eastherts.gov.uk or yvonne.estop@eastherts.gov.uk to have your say.