Robert Halfon - working hard for Harlow, Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon & Sheering

Saving our villages

Harlow MP Robert Halfon welcomes BAA's decision to scrap plans for a second Stansted runway

Published on 25 May 2010

THE decision by airport operator BAA to drop its controversial plans for a second Stansted runway is "long overdue", according to Harlow MP Robert Halfon.

BAA yesterday announced it was scrapping its application for Stansted, proposals which would have made the west Essex airport bigger than Heathrow.

Mr Halfon has long campaigned for the plans to be withdrawn.

The Conservatives have had a long-time policy that it would abandon expansion plans for Stansted.

Mr Halfon said: "This decision is certainly welcomed but it is long overdue. The Conservatives have said for a long time that we would scrap the proposals which have done nothing but blight a huge swathe of our countryside and local villages.

"Hastingwood, Matching, Nazeing, Roydon and Sheering have all been affected by planes flying overhead while people living closer to the airport have had their lives put on hold until they knew what was going to happen to their homes.

"Now villagers can start getting on with their lives."

Mr Halfon added: "Passenger numbers at Stansted have fallen dramatically over recent times only adding to the argument that a second runway was unnecessary."

Mr Halfon thanked the campaign group Stop Stansted Expansion for its efforts over the years in fighting the plans. He said: "Stop Stansted Expansion has done a fantastic job campaigning against the expansion idea and helping to keep the issue in the public eye.

"I know they are not giving up their efforts just yet and continue to put pressure on BAA to sell back all the homes and other properties it acquired in connection with its second runway plans, offering the original owners the first option to buy back."

Stop Stansted Expansion also wants a public apology from BAA to all the local homeowners who were served with draft compulsory purchase orders in March 2008 and who having since been living under the constant threat of the bulldozer. The apology should then be followed by proper compensation, Stop Stansted Expansion has said.

The campaign group also wants a 50-year ban on any new proposals for a second runway.

Mr Halfon has repeatedly questioned the need for a second runway giving falling passenger numbers and a drop in the number of flights to and from the west Essex airport as the reason why it was unnecessary.

He said: "I've said time and time again that there is no need for second runway. Now those views have finally been taken on board by BAA."

The Conservative pledge to scrap proposals for a second runway was made by then Shadow Transport Secretary Teresa Villiers when she visited Harlow and Hastingwood and met with Mr Halfon last year.

Letter - 'Our green spaces and green belt are under real threat'

Published on 20 Apr 2010

Sir,

Our green spaces and green belt are under real threat from Gordon Brown's plans to build all over the countryside.

My worry about all the extra housing proposed is that there have been no guarantees from Gordon Brown to support the extra infrastructure that is needed - extra schools, roads and rail for example.

There has also been little genuine consultation with local people.

How much of the proposed housing will be really affordable for Harlow residents for example?

Will the proposals just create a prosperous 'polo mint' around the Harlow area, without actually helping with the regeneration inside Harlow that we so desperately need?

Conservatives will abolish the unelected, undemocratic East of England Assembly and scrap the East of England Plan.

We will put power back in the hands of local people and local councils to decide when and where they want extra housing to be built.

We need to go back to the drawing board and scrap Gordon Brown's undemocratic and unsustainable plans.

Wherever housing is built, local residents must have a real say. Conservatives will incentivise local communities to build some houses by creating local housing trusts and will match all council tax receipts on local house-building (and match by 125 per cent all receipts on social housing).

This money will be given directly back to the local community to spend themselves.

Of course we need some new housing.

But let local people really decide, where our new housing is to be built, let us guarantee the infrastructure, let us ensure there is genuinely affordable housing for local residents, let us make certain that our surrounding villages, feel they are not under threat.

Let the people decide.

Robert Halfon, prospective Conservative MP for Harlow, Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon and Sheering

Shadow Minister highlights traveller policy during visit to Nazeing

Published on 15 Apr 2010

CONSERVATIVE Rural Affairs spokesman Nick Herbert highlighted the Party's pledge over travellers when he visited Nazeing.

He said the Conservatives would introduce a British Bill of Rights would replace Labour's Human Rights Act - bringing greater clarity to the police and councils when taking decisions on planning and eviction.

Conservatives are also opposed to Government guidance which forces local planning authorities to allow travellers camps on Green Belt land.

Prospective Harlow Conservative MP Robert Halfon, who is contesting the Harlow constituency - which includes Nazeing, as well as Hastingwood, Matching, Roydon and Sheering at the general election -said: "This Government guidance bullies councils into using compulsory purchase powers to obtain land for these new travellers sites.

"The Conservatives' pledge will help ensure that people living in villages and in green belt areas will have better protection against travellers should they move in to their area." During his visit, which saw Mr Herbert and Mr Halfon meet local councillors and business people for discussions on various issues including anti-social behaviour and nuisance youths,

Mr Herbert also confirmed the Conservative policy to oppose an extra runway at Stansted.

Mr Halfon added: "It was a good visit and important for residents of Nazeing to know that their concerns will be addressed.

"Mr Herbert used the visit as a fact-finding mission to hear about the problems of anti-social behaviour and problem youths. He said we needed to get police out on the streets, in our neigbourhoods.

"At the moment, 50 per cent of their time is spent with paperwork."

Prospective Harlow Conservative MP Robert Halfon "staggered" at latest claims regarding airport operator

Published on 13 Feb 2010

REPORTS that airport operator BAA has mortgaged its entire assets and taken out mortgages on dozens of local homes have been described as "staggering" by prospective Harlow Conservative MP Robert Halfon.

The news comes as it is also reported that a public inquiry into its proposals for a second runway could still be years away.

The Stop Stansted Expansion campaign group has said that documents recently filed with Companies House show BAA Stansted has mortgaged its entire assets and even taken out mortgages with the Royal Bank of Scotland on at least 39 local homes bought by the company in connection with its plans for a second runway.

Mr Halfon, who will contest the Harlow constituency which includes Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon and Sheering at the general election, has repeatedly questioned the need for a second runway giving falling passenger numbers and a drop in the number of flights to and from the west Essex airport.

He said: "I've said time and time again that there is no need for second runway. Now, it appears, BAA is mortgaged up to the hilt and continues to blight peoples' lives with its proposals that are totally unnecessary."

Mr Halfon added: "The Conservatives have already said that they will scrap proposals for a second runway. This pledge was made by Shadow Transport Secretary Teresa Villiers when she visited Harlow and Hastingwood and met with me last March and remains unchanged."

According to Stop Stansted Expansion, BAA’s financial accounts for 2009 show that Stansted’s operating profit slumped from £81 million in 2008 to £27 million last year, reflecting the sharp downturn in passenger numbers and flights at the airport.

Mr Halfon added: "Given the gravity of BAA's reported financial position, how on earth can be remain committed to a £3 billion second runway project - the cost of which will only soar, in sharp contrast to the planes which remain grounded because of the drop in passengers wanting to make use of air travel to and from Essex."

"No need for second Stansted runway"

Published on 13 Feb 2010

THE Government is asking airport operator BAA whether it wants to continue with its current planning application for a second runway at Stansted Airport.

But the Conservatives already know the right answer, according to Harlow prospective Conservative MP Robert Halfon.

The Conservatives have said they will scrap the plans if they win the general election. John Denham, Secretary of State for Communities, has also told BAA that if it still wants its second runway application to be considered, then the information provided when it submitted the application almost two years ago will need to be updated.

Mr Halfon said: "The Conservatives have already said that they will scrap proposals for a second runway. "This pledge was made by Shadow Transport Secretary Teresa Villiers when she visited Harlow and Hastingwood and met with me last March."

He added: "The Government shouldn't need to have to ask the question whether the plans remain in place - we all know that a second Stansted runway is unnecessary."

Mr Halfon, who will contest the Harlow constituency which includes Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon and Sheering, said: "Passenger numbers at Stansted have fallen and the number of flights have reduced.

"There is no need for a second runway.

"There needs to a once-and-for-all decision to drop these totally unnecessary plans that nobody, apart from BAA, wants.

"The people who live near the airport and under or near its flightpaths will then be able to get on with their lives without having the threat of further development blighting their property - and their lives."

Drop in Stansted passengers "strengthens Tory stance"

Published on 14 Jan 2010

FIGURES which show a dramatic drop in the number of passengers using Stansted Airport adds yet more weight to the Conservative Party's stance on the future of the Essex airport, according to Harlow prospective Conservative MP Robert Halfon.

Statistics releases for last year show that Stansted handled fewer than 20 million passengers - the lowest annual total for six years.

Mr Halfon, who has campaigned against the growth of the airport with a second runway, said: "When will the authorities realise that further development of Stansted is a total non-starter. A second runway just cannot be justified.

"With the current economic climate there is little chance of the situation changing in the foreseeable future."

He added: "The Conservatives have already said that they will scrap proposals for a second runway.

"This pledge was made by Shadow Transport Secretary Teresa Villiers when she visited Harlow and Hastingwood and met with me last March."

Mr Halfon, who will contest the Harlow seat which includes Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon and Sheering, at the next general election, repeated his views on the impact the Stansted issue continues to have on the local communities.

He said: "We have been waiting months now for a public inquiry into these needless proposals - and time and again the date for this is put back. It will not now happen before the general election.

"With the Conservatives having said they will scrap the plans any thought of a second runway is dead in the water. It just will not happen.

"Until the Conservatives get elected and throw these proposals out once and for all hundreds if not thousands of people who live near the airport and in our villages which are affected by the flightpaths will continue to see their lives and properties blighted by the lingering possibility that development may occur."

He added: It is just crazy that with the future ownership of Stansted still unclear and passenger numbers dropping so dramatically that BAA is insisting that Stansted will see its passenger numbers grow to 68 million per year with 495,000 flights by 2030 - both of which are more than at Heathrow."

Government to hit local voluntary groups with new music charges

Published on 9 Jan 2010

THE village halls in Hastingwood, Roydon, Nazeing and Sheering would be among the venues hit by a Government decision to introduce new music charges, prospective Conservative MP Robert Halfon has warned.

Churches, village halls, charity shops and sports clubs across the Harlow constituency - including Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon and Sheering - face a new £20 million tax from Gordon Brown’s Government.

A whole host of local venues would be hit, including the village halls in Sheering, Roydon and Hastingwood, and other public halls such as St Giles Hall in Nazeing.

And with charity shops affected too by the charges, vital organisations such as St Clare Hospice, which is based in Hastingwood and has charity shops in Epping and Harlow, will also be hit.

In the small print of obscure new regulations, the Government is abolishing charities’ and voluntary groups’ long-standing exemption from music licensing rules - hitting them with unexpected new bills just for holding events with recorded music or for playing a radio.

To date, voluntary groups have not had to pay for a so-called “PPL” performance rights licence in order to play recorded music.

This exemption reflects the public benefit that such organisations provide, but this is now being abolished by the Government.

This will affect church worship, charity discos, tea dances, youth clubs, dancing groups, sports clubs and even charity shops which have a radio in their staff room.

The changes are being imposed by Peter Mandelson’s Whitehall empire.

The new levy will come into effect in April 2010 once the new regulations are ratified by Parliament.

Conservatives are opposing these changes and standing up for local voluntary groups.

The Government admits the new levies will cost voluntary groups £20 million a year.

Some organisations will “cease playing music” because they cannot afford a licence, and it will hit a quarter of a million organisations - 140,000 charities, 6,750 charity shops, 66,440 sports clubs, 4,000 community buildings, 5,000 rural halls and 45,000 religious buildings.

These new levies are on top of bureaucratic rules imposed by the Licensing Act 2003, which requires expensive ‘premises licences’ for village halls to hold regular small-scale social functions, and which has imposed new red tape to play unamplified live music.

Robert Halfon, who will be contesting the Harlow constituency at the next general election, said: "This is another Labour assault on the fabric of British community life.

"Having effectively shut down post offices and local pubs across Harlow and the surrounding villages, Labour’s Whitehall bureaucrats now have our village halls, scout huts, charity shops and churches in their sights.

"This is a heartless tax on community buildings and charities. The Government should think again and don’t stop the music.”

Mr Halfon added: “There are many community buildings in Harlow and the surrounding area which hold numerous events to bring our communities together and to raise money for countless local charities and causes.

“I have visited Sheering Youth Club which would also be affected should it hold discos in the future.

"With everything from discos to tea dances covered by the regulations it is all ages, our young people and senior citizens, in our communities that would be affected.”

Statement following Competition Appeal Tribunal decision on future of Stansted Airport

Published on 21 Dec 2009

Robert Halfon said: "This is just the latest chapter in the sad tale of Stansted Airport and its future. I have long supported the Conservative policy that expansion at Stansted is a non-starter.

"There is no evidence to support the need for a second runway, passenger numbers are down and the number of flights is reducing.

"BAA needs to say once and for all that it is dropping its expansion plans for Stansted.

"Until that announcement is made and the ownership of the airport is decided people living near the airport and under its flightpaths - including the people of Harlow, Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon and Sheering - will continue to have their lives and property blighted by the uncertainly that surrounds the airport."

Halfon welcomes MPs' report over second Stansted runway

Published on 7 Dec 2009

A REPORT by the influential House of Commons Transport Committee that concludes that a case for a second runway at Stansted has not been made only underlines what the Conservatives said months ago, prospective Harlow Conservative MP Robert Halfon has said.

The Conservatives have already said they will scrap proposals for a second runway at the west Essex airport if they win the next general election.

The pledge was made by Shadow Transport Secretary Teresa Villiers when she visited Harlow and Hastingwood and met with Robert Halfon in March.

Mr Halfon, who will contest the Harlow seat - which includes Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon and Sheering at the next election - said: "I am delighted the Transport Committee has come to this conclusion but the Conservatives said some months ago that expansion at Stansted was a non-starter.

"We have already seen a delay to the start of a public inquiry over Stansted expansion and passenger numbers at the west Essex airport have dropped significantly.

"The bottom line is that Stansted and the aviation industry as it stands at the moment does not need another runway at Stansted.

"In addition, the people of west Essex whose homes have been blighted by the prospect of a second runway need to know once and for all that any threat of expansion will be lifted so they can at last get on with living and enjoying their lives in the countryside which would be concreted should these ridiculous plans ever go ahead."

The ‘Future of Aviation’ inquiry report questions the need for a second runway at Stansted.

Mr Halfon echoes the views of the Stop Stansted Expansion group which says the Government is "flogging a dead horse" in its efforts to build a second Stansted runway.

He said: "Many months ago now I said that these expansion plans were not just in tatters but in tiny shreds. Those views have only been underlined by the conclusions of this report."

FROM ROB'S BLOG: Good news on our Green belt

Published on 17 Mar 2010

ONE of the issues I care deeply about is preservation of our countryside and green belt.

For some reason Labour has decreed that thousands of buildings will be plastered across our countryside and green belt, without local residents having any real say. They have also put power in the hands of unelected quangos.

That is why I was delighted that in a major visit today to the Harlow constituency, Shadow Local Government Secretary Caroline Spelman MP set out Conservative plans to curtail Labour's plans to build over our Green Belt.

Visiting the Nazeing Green Belt Action Group, Mrs Spelman confirmed that:

* A Conservative Government would abolish the East of England Regional Assembly and

* Would abolish housing targets and scrap the Government's Regional Spatial strategy.

I was honoured to welcome Caroline Spelman MP into Harlow and pleased she confirmed that local people would decide housing needs not unelected quangos or Gordon Brown.

FROM ROB'S BLOG: Power to the people!

TIME and time again local people contact me worried about the Government's plans to concrete over our green belt with thousands of extra houses.

That is why it is good news that David Cameron has announced today that the Government's housing targets will be scrapped, alongside unelected and costly Regional Assemblies like the one in the East of England (EERA).

The Conservative view is that local people should decide where extra housing goes, not faceless bureaucrats or Gordon Brown.

They have also said they will ensure that more power is given to local councils and voters will be able to call a local referendum against excessive Council Tax rises.

We will also be able to elect our own Police Commissioner so we can have some say on policing in our district. I think that this is good news.

We need more local democracy not less. Everyone has had enough of bossy government telling us what to do.

It i time to put we the people back in charge of our own affairs!.

Threat of higher tax to pay for new tier of politicians, warns Harlow prospective Conservative MP Robert Halfon

Published on 7 Aug 2009

THE Labour Government’s plans for a new tier of regional politicians and a regional levy on council tax are back on the political agenda Robert Halfon has warned.

It has emerged that the new Minister for Regional Government intends to champion John Prescott’s lost cause of an elected regional assembly for the East of England, which includes the Harlow and Epping Forest districts.

Rosie Winterton is the new Minister for ‘Regional Economic Coordination.

She worked closely with John Prescott on his plans for regional assemblies.

In a recent Ministerial keynote speech on regional government, Ms Winterton said she would not let elected regional government “slip off the agenda”.

She added: “I have always been in favour of regional government,” describing it as “the obvious answer” and saying “we will come back to it”.

The news comes as it was announced that regeneration projects in Harlow could be under threat after the Government cut £3m from the £21.5m which had been promised for the London-Harlow-Stansted Growrth Partnership.

Mr Halfon, who will be contesting the Harlow constituency - which includes Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon and Sheering at the next general election, said: “Regional assemblies are now back from the dead under Labour.

"Gordon Brown won’t listen to the verdict of the people who rejected a new tier of regional politicians and the regional council tax to pay for it.

“Only Conservatives will dismantle Labour’s distant tiers of regional government and give power back to local communities.”

Elected regional assemblies had been killed off when the public overwhelmingly rejected regional government in the 2004 North East referendum.

Yet the unelected regional assemblies still exist, but have merely changed their brass plaques, and are morphing into an even more convoluted structure of unelected Regional Development Agencies and unelected Regional Leaders Forums.

New ‘Integrated Regional Strategies’ are to be imposed over the head of local councils such as Harlow and Epping Forest district councils.

Under Labour’s blueprint, regional assemblies will need a new tier of regional politicians and regional elections.

The elected assemblies will be funded by a regional levy on council tax, like the Greater London Authority.

The assemblies would be able to “set a higher precept within the region to fund additional spending”.

In London, the regional tier of government now costs £310 a year on Band D bills.

Number of traveller pitches for the district is still "far too many", according to prospective Nazeing, Roydon and Sheering Conservative MP Robert Halfon

Published on 7 Aug 2009

THE Epping Forest district is being "picked on" over the ongoing issue of additional traveller pitches, according to Robert Halfon who will be contesting the Harlow constituency, which includes Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon and Sheering at the next general election.

The Government has told Epping Forest District Council that it must provide 34 more gypsy and traveller pitches by 2011.

Mr Halfon has welcomed the fact that the number is a reduction on the original figure but said it is still far too many considering the number of pitches already provided in the Epping Forest district.

Mr Halfon said: "Epping Forest District Council is to be applauded for fighting its corner and persuading the Government to reduce the number but 34 pitches when some other districts and boroughs have been told to provide fewer additional pitches is still too many.

"The Epping Forest district already provides a large number of pitches, with many in the Nazeing and Roydon area. This will mean the minimum number of pitches in the district by 2011 will be 128. The big question now is where will these 34 pitches go."

Mr Halfon added: "The publication of the consultation document which listed numerous possible sites really blighted each and every area even though it was apparent that some of them were totally unsuitable for gypsy and travellers as they were some distance from the obvious amenities.

"We are still in the same situation, with huge swathes of the district blighted by the threat of a traveller encampment.

“Delicate decisions still have to be made, and it would be of benefit to the whole district if these decisions could be taken sooner rather than later."

The Conservatives have pledged to replace the Human Rights Act with a new British Bill of Rights which will help authorities deal with unauthorised traveller sites.

Mr Halfon said: “Conservatives believe in social responsibility. Different people from different communities should be free to lead their lives in different ways. But this freedom must come with a responsibility to the wider community.

"The vast majority of travellers accept this, but a very small minority do not.

"The Human Rights Act affects all the planning, eviction and enforcement decisions made by all public authorities, including councils and the police.

"It has made it more difficult to evict trespassers from private and public property and allowed travellers to defy planning law by going ahead with unauthorised development."

Conservatives are pledging to replace Labour's Human Rights Act with a new British Bill of Rights which will help address these problems.

Government force local residents to foot tax bill for travellers sites consultation

FROM ROB'S BLOG: Inquiry call over blaze site

I HAVE called on the Environment Agency to carry out a full inquiry into the recycling centre which was the scene of a massive blaze.

Fire crews spent several days tackling the fire which broke out on the Birchwood Industrial Estate, in Hoe Lane, Nazeing.

I have written to the Environment Agency saying the site is a danger to local residents after I visited the site and met with local residents who live nearby.

I'm shocked by the environmental risk of this wood recycling site and believe this second fire in recent years means the danger to local residents has become intolerable.

I firmly believe we need a full inquiry on how this site is run and the impact on local residents.

The dust and disruption in unacceptable and the disregard for the local residents has been deplorable.

I believe this wood recycling site represents not just a safety risk to the local population but also an environmental risk as it causes significant pollution.

The recent, second, fire has shown how dangerous it is..

Letter - Halfon says the law allows police to remove travellers from Church Langley

Published on 18 Nov 2008

Sir,

I and local councillors have received several complaints from residents regarding a small encampment of travellers who appear to have settled in the cul-de-sac end of London Road beside the electricity sub-station and water pumping station, near to the underpass to the Potters Arms.

They have now been there for about six weeks. with two caravans and about four vehicles, two of which are flat-back lorries.

They have been running a generator day and night and have several dogs, including a German Shepherd that is chained up, apparently guarding the generator.

This follows a similar encampment at precisely the same time last year which left Harlow Council with a large clear-up bill following bonfires on the road and a large amount of dumped refuse, including an abandoned caravan.

The present encampment are much tidier and do not appear to be causing any damage or litter. Harlow Council environmental health officers have served a noise abatement notice on the travellers regarding the generator and barking from the dogs.

Last year there was a long period of inaction, while the police disputed whether the area was in fact part of the highway.

The law differs in relation to encampments on the highway and on private land. It took about three weeks to finally establish that this is highway, owned by Essex County Council, by which time the damage had been done.

Unfortunately, in relation to this occupation the police again said they did not know whether this is highway or private land.

This is despite the fact that it is used by motorists, pedestrians and utility vehicles, as well as electricity and water company vehicles and there is no barrier.

One only has to look at it to understand it is both a road and a highway.

The police appear now to accept that, but have said there is no obstruction being caused, so they cannot intervene to uphold the law on obstruction. I have looked at the law in detail and I dispute the police interpretation.

The police appear to be relying on case-law that allows a defence to the law on obstruction if it can be shown the obstruction was ‘reasonable’.

Of course, I understand the police reluctance to undertake what could be a difficult operation to remove these travellers, but that is for them to overcome.

Of course, I also want to allow travellers reasonable time to stop if they need to carry out repairs, seek medical help, or just do some local work over a few days before moving on, but this period of time has gone far beyond what could be deemed reasonable, and I call on Harlow Police to act now.

What if residents decided to use this cul-de-sac as storage for caravans, trailers, boats, skips, a shed, or anything else? I am sure swift action would result.

To allow their continued occupation of this site places Harlow Council in an intolerable position. What will happen when word gets round (as it does within the travelling community) and the next group of travellers arrive and expect to be able to occupy this site?

This cannot be allowed to become an unofficial transit site.

Robert Halfon, prospective Conservative MP for Harlow.