THE FUTURE of Harlows green land has been jeopardised by the threat of housing developments.

Construction of new homes on Gilden Way land, just south of Old Harlow, cannot be ruled out now Harlow Council has agreed to make it a Special Restraint Area (SRA).

Its decision came last Wednesday following planning recommendations to designate Gilden Way an SRA rather than Green Belt because of uncertain long-term housing needs.

SRA status will safeguard Gilden Way as Green Belt land until 2001, but the site could be released for development after that date if housing needs demanded it.

However, council leader Mike Danvers moved to assure residents that Gilden Way would be protected until 2011, as projected housing needs until that date had already been catered for.

Essex County Councils draft Structure Plan, which sets out how land across the county should be used and developed, has proposed that 5,400 new houses be built in Harlow by 2011 2,000 more than originally planned.

Most of these homes have been designated for Church Langley and Harlow councillors have agreed to allow 440 dwellings to be constructed at New Hall Farm, north of Church Langley.

Mr Danvers said Gilden Way could be snapped up by developers in the future, if the worse comes to the worse, but said much of the land was an area of special interest which could not be touched.

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