'Prescott's plans will destroy our village'

The M11 corridor between London, Stansted and Cambridge has been identified as one of four key areas for house building by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott.

BBC News Online went to an Essex village within the corridor where local residents are up in arms.

Expansion is a dirty word in Takeley.

Ever since plans were drawn up to develop nearby Stansted airport, battle lines have been drawn.

But now they have another enemy - new housing - and they are opposing this with equal vigour.

Takeley has picturesque wide open spaces and acres of green fields. These are prime targets for developers, who locals say have already bought up large chunks of the countryside.

" We know the developers are sitting like vultures, but we are threatened with losing our identity "
Tricia Barber
Takeley resident

Mr Prescott's announcement of plans for new homes in the south-east England will be music to the developer's ears, but the news has struck a note of discord among the residents of Takeley.

"It's devastating. It will change everything that we have known fundamentally," said Lucy Grant, who has lived in the village all her life.

She said: "We just can't cope with that level of development. We haven't got the facilities, the roads or the infrastructure."

Jill Ringrose agreed: "Ripping up the countryside worries us more than anything. Why do they choose these greenfield sites?"

The countryside around Takeley, Thaxted and Dunmow is strikingly beautiful and punctuated by rivers, ancient woodland and listed buildings.

'Peasants' revolt'

Much of this will disappear, either swallowed up by the airport development or new homes.

Norman Mead, the general secretary of North West Essex and East Hertfordshire Preservation Association is disappointed by Mr Prescott's announcement.

He said: "We have listed buildings, conservation areas and protected hedgerows in abundance here, which forms the character of the area.

"Development would result in desecration of wide areas of Hertfordshire and Essex."

The village was already earmarked for 800 new homes before Mr Prescott's plans took shape.

" This area is rich in archaeology and history and if you destroy it you are destroying a bit of the past "
Trevor Allen
Takeley Parish Council

Enough is enough say residents, who point out it would double the size of the village, which has a current population of 2,500.

"We have done our bit with 800 new homes in the village," said life-long resident Tricia Barber, a parish councillor.

"We know the developers are sitting like vultures, but we are threatened with losing our identity," she said.

Chairman of the parish council, Trevor Allen, said it would fight both housing and airport expansion to the bitter end.

He said: "We are not ostriches. We are not going to stick our heads in the sand.

"This area is rich in archaeology and history and if you destroy it you are destroying a bit of the past.

'Violated'

"It gets our backs up when people tell us what to do. You might call it a 'peasants' revolt'."

Accusations of beings Nimbys (Not In My Back Yards) are rejected.

Mr Mead said: "I'm not talking about my backyard but the backyard of thousands of people whose quality of life will be devastated by these proposals."

With all their experience of fighting the airport expansion these villagers are in good shape to battle the new enemy.

Mr Prescott may find he has quite an uprising on his hands.

This green and pleasant land is too precious to be violated at any cost, say Takeley residents.