Our Newhall Visit

I mentioned to you on Tuesday, that Greg Clark, Shadow Environment and Climate Change Minister was visiting Newhall. I thought you might like to know what transpired.

I was pleased to go with Greg Clark to meet the Moen Brothers who were behind the development. They have a vision for Newhall and for Harlow which is quite remarkable.

Mr Clark was shown how the development features energy-saving initiatives and is built with the local habitat in mind.

I wanted to show Greg the ground-breaking and sustainable housebuilding project. Newhall is a great example of this. The care that has been taken in building sustainable materials for the houses, including energy-saving measures, is excellent.

Similarly, the placing of reed beds and the efforts made to preserve natural habitat, including a preponderance of great-crested newts, shows just how dedicated Newhall is in developing in harmony with local habitat.

Newhall is a place that Harlow will be proud of for decades to come. I am really looking forward to the development of the rest of the site.

Greg Clark said that he was delighted to come to Newhall today to meet Jon and William Moen, who were behind the development. His view is that creating buildings that use energy efficiently helps residents save money, reduces our dependence on imported fuel and is good for the environment. He saw Newhall as combining striking architecture with a focus on sustainable buildings.

I couldn't agree more. Now wonder it is a place that is attracting national attention.

For more details, click on this weblink on the Harlow Star website.

by Robert Halfon - www.roberthalfon.blogspot.com

Parliamentary Committee slams BAA & Gordon Brown's extra runway for Stansted

I am glad that the influential House of Commons Transport Committee concludes that a case for Gordon Brown's second runway at Stansted has not been made.

This only underlines what the Conservatives said months ago. David Cameron has already said that he would scrap proposals for a second runway at the west Essex airport if Conservatives win the next general election.

This pledge was confirmed by Shadow Transport Secretary Teresa Villiers MP - when she visited Harlow and Hastingwood and met with me in March.

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.

Only then they can at last get on with living and enjoying their lives - without the threat of noise and pollution - should these plans ever go ahead.

The 'Future of Aviation' inquiry report questions the need for a second runway at Stansted. I echo 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.

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.

P.S. Its funny how Gordon Brown can talk the talk when it comes to saving the planet at the Copenhagen summit , yet wants to destroy the environment in England, with his airport expansion plans.

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Green belt future set to be election battleground

Apologies for the lack of postings this week, but I have been moving house. They say it is one of the most stressful things that have ever happened, and it certainly is!

I was interested to read reports in the Daily Telegraph newspapers over the past couple of days about Government plans to build over the green belt.

Sadly, the reports have confirmed my worst fears. Gordon Brown intends to ram through building on our green belt areas, with little consultation.

My main objection to the Government housebuilding plans has been precisely this. Housing targets have been set from the centre. House building (when and where) has been set from the centre. There has been no genuine consultation involving local people and no guarantees of infrastructure funding.

For further information see THIS weblink.

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Roydon Packaging - A great example of a Green Business

The packaging industry often gets a bad press green-wise, but yesterday, I went to a company that deeply cares for our environment.

I was invited to visit Roydon Packaging Factory in the Pinnacles. The company is a major manufacturer of cardboard packages to major businesses and retailers. It was an education for me to see first stage of cardboard arriving from a Mill, being moved from a fork lift truck to machine after machine, and ending up as some serious cardboard packaging.

What was great about this company, was both its employer ethic (many of the employees I met had been there for 20 plus years), but that everything it produces was environmentally sustainable. Not only was all the waste recycled, but the cardboard was all recyclable too. The Managing Director, Simon Coverdale, told me that it was now possible to track paper from a Mill, down to the very tree it had come from. He also noted that all the cardboard the company received, came from sustainable Forests.

This was a very special company, started originally in a garage in Enfield, then moving to Roydon and later to the Pinnacles. Simon, had started on the shop floor at the age of 17, working for his Father who had founded the company. It was a true example of a family run, small business, producing a great product at excellent value. I was very glad to have the opportunity to visit.

By Rob Halfon ~ Working hard for Harlow, Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon & Sheering. http//roberthalfon.blogspot.com

No to BAA!

I am passionately against an extra runway at Stansted Airport and I think BAA has a lot to answer for. Heathrow Airport - except T5 is a disgrace. I am glad that BAA will now be forced to sell off Stansted and I have issued the below Statement to the media in response:

Press release
Issued: March 19, 2009

PROSPECTIVE CONSERVATIVE MP HAILS STANSTED SELL-OFF AS GOOD NEWS FOR LOCAL PEOPLE - AND THE GREEN BELT

NEWS that Stansted Airport operator BAA must sell the west Essex airport is good news and should safeguard thousands of acres of land from being concreted over as part of the controversial plans for a second runway, according to prospective Conservative MP Robert Halfon.

Mr Halfon, who will be contesting the Harlow parliamentary constituency which includes Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon and Sheering, said: "This announcement is good news for residents in Harlow, Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon and Sheering.

"Residents have been badly served by the attempts by Gordon Brown and BAA to
bulldoze through an extra runway, destroying our countryside and cherished green belt and causing significant environmental damage through pollution.

"Thank goodness, a future Conservative Government is opposed to a second runway and will not allow it to be built, despite Gordon Brown's determination to have one dumped on us.

"Hopefully BAA will now concentrate on properly running Heathrow Airport at
last."

The sale announcement was made by the Competition Commission and means BAA
must sell off Stansted, Gatwick and either Glasgow or Edinburgh.

Shadow Transport Secretary Theresa Villiers said: "The Conservatives have been calling for BAA's monopoly to be broken up for over a year so I welcome the Competition Commission's recommendation that BAA should loosen its grip and sell Gatwick and Stansted.

"We will continue to keep pressure on BAA to ensure it improves the quality of service it gives customers in the airports it retains. Only then will it be possible to address the Heathrow hassle that can cause so much frustration to business passengers and holiday-makers."