Stevenage and English Partnerships

The sites have been allocated in the district plan for educational purposes since 1990. One site is likely to be used for a primary school, the other for a special needs school.

The need for these allocations has been regularly reviewed, most recently at the end of 2002. The county council, as local education authority, maintains that these sites are needed for future educational purposes and we have seen no compelling evidence from English Partnerships or any other source that challenges that. Consequently, they are protected from alternative development.

EP sought the allocation of these two sites for housing during the course of two local plan inquiries and lost the argument before independent planning inspectors on both occasions. EP was aware that the sites are needed for educational purposes and the statutory local plan allocations are clearly for that use. Despite this, and against our advice, they included these sites in the schedule of sites that they marketed to RSLs. We strongly advised against this. EP prepared development briefs for these sites without our input and cancelled meetings to discuss the issue. Against this background I think it is difficult to sustain the assertion that the council is "sticking a spanner in the works". We have followed all of the properly laid down statutory procedures.

We remain firmly committed to working with EP to develop the other two sites that they have in Stevenage and have had some positive meetings with them. We welcome the interest that EP has shown in developing much needed affordable housing in town.

The sites are not "derelict", they are undeveloped greenfield sites, one of which we have maintained as informal public open space.

You may be correct in quoting EP's Mark Davies as saying that "if it is surplus to requirements then it could be used for residential development". However, the council will have to follow government guidance regarding the development of housing land.

If enough brownfield and allocated greenfield land is coming forward to meet the borough's housing requirement set in the structure plan, we will be unable to permit the development of these two sites for housing even in the unlikely event of their not being needed for schools purposes.