Clarifications on Claires Court action

I would like to respond to the letter in last week’s Viewpoint (November 26) by Lin Chen regarding my involvement in the Claires Court School public planning inquiry.

Ms Chen was disappointed to hear me state my ‘personal concerns’ regarding the negative impact the development would have on the highway network.

The highway concerns are not only my concerns but also those of a large proportion of Cox Green, Boyn Hill,

Woodlands Park and White Waltham residents and those that use Cannon Lane on a regular basis.

This concern is shared by the statutory consultees Cox Green Parish Council and White Waltham Parish Council and corroborated by in excess of 900 written representations made to RBWM during the statutory planning consultation period.

My concerns are supported by surveys that I conducted, 30 years’ roads policing experience and having resided in Cox

Green for 35 Years.

For Ms Chen to call it rank hypocrisy that, in my capacity as chairman of the Borough Development Management Panel, I voted along with all other panel members in favour of the demolition and rebuild of buildings at Foundation Park to include a two-storey parking provision is plainly absurd.

Foundation Park is an established employment brownfield site, the panel acknowledged there would be an increase in traffic but not sufficient to warrant refusal.

The Claires Court site is 48 acres of undeveloped Grade 2 agricultural greenbelt land, the school pupil roll would increase in excess of 400 per cent and would unequivocally attract a huge increase in traffic movements.

There is no comparison between the two sites and respective planning applications.

I have been the spokesperson of Cox Green Says No community group objecting to the Claires Court School proposals on greenbelt land since its formation in 2016, the group’s objections were supported by over 2,300 residents who signed the petition.

I was elected as Cox Green ward councillor in 2019 and see no reason why

my involvement in the group should cease.

Ms Chen finds it ‘bizarre’ that RBWM and the Planning Inspectorate should allow me to represent an ‘unconstituted minority residents group’.

I’d like to clarify that RBWM and the Planning Inspectorate do not control me in that respect.

I am perfectly entitled to represent the concerns of the community, which in this case is via the ‘unconstituted’ group Cox Green Says No, whose objections have always been constructive, objective, policy and evidence based.

There has been no breach of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct.

I have always made it perfectly clear that Claires Court is a great school.

Our objections have always been focused on the proposals, we have no issues with the school, pupils, parents or staff.

It’s also worth pointing out that not all Claires Court parents and staff agree with the proposals for the same reasons put forward by Cox Green Says No.

I do hope this has clarified the situation for Ms Chen.

Cllr PHIL HASELER Resident & Conservative councillor for Cox Green Barn Drive Cox Green