Old River Lane: Liberal Democrat group leader on East Herts Council resigns to 'speak her mind' about development in heart of Bishop's Stortford town centre

East Herts' Liberal Democrat group leader has resigned in protest from the district council's Old River Lane delivery board.

Cllr Mione Goldspink said that her membership of the group set up to steer development of the Causeway in Bishop's Stortford town centre meant she had been silenced – and quitting would allow her to "speak her mind" about the controversial project.

Cllr Goldspink, who represents the Meads ward in Stortford, which includes the development site, said she was increasingly placed in an "uncomfortable and frustrating" position by Conservative members of the board who dismissed her objections and ideas.

The project, which proposes 125 new homes, shops, restaurants and other commercial spaces as well as an arts centre, has provoked widespread criticism centred on its focus on new cinema provision and demolition of the Water Lane United Reformed Church (URC) Hall.

Opponents also opposed construction of the multi-storey car park at Northgate End as the cultural quarter's keystone and fear new buildings on the site could be as high as six storeys.

Cllr Goldspink, who joined the board in 2021, said: "Although I had objections to the scheme from the beginning, largely due to the lack of public consultation on the matter, I had hoped we could make it work.

"However, any objections raised by myself or the public or any ideas for improvement were ignored or dismissed by Conservatives members, who were determined to press on regardless.

"They now plan to demolish the council's office building, Charringtons House, with all its embedded carbon, plus the URC hall, which is used by a wide variety of community groups and has been acknowledged as an asset of community value. I am opposed to both these acts of demolition."

Cllr Goldspink, who resigned after she was refused permission to speak at a council meeting because she was a board member, has vowed to continue campaigning against the plans.

She said: "I feel I will be much more use to the community if I have the freedom to speak my mind. I now intend to do so."