At a Glance
- Residents of Leigh and Hadleigh continue to oppose Greenbelt development
- Concerns focus on the Salvation Army Farmland
- 1,000 leaflets delivered urging residents to voice objections
- Campaigners call for a clear decision to protect the land
It’s a new year and the residents of Leigh and Hadleigh are continuing their fight to protect the Greenbelt, raising concerns about the Salvation Army Farmland.
Our united campaign group believe that the Salvation Army are still considering whether to proceed with the development on the Farmland, so we have delivered 1,000 leaflets to residents urging them to write to the Salvation Army with their concerns.
Pressure Mounts on Landowners
The Save Hadleigh Farmland residents group was set up in August 2024, to support the local community of Hadleigh, and Leigh on Sea, in the fight to stop the development of thousands of homes on the Greenbelt. The Salvation Army, which owns the historic land, are creating “suspicion” among residents by refusing to rule out development, following the exclusion of the site from the Castle Point local plan. The campaigners have received email responses from the charity that have no real answers, so put together a letter that succinctly makes their position clear and have sent it to the Salvation Army Commissioner, Paul Main, to press for a clear response on whether they intend to pursue development.
Leigh campaigner, Keith Murray stated that since the Salvation Army offered the farmland for development, the proposal has been resolutely rejected by local residents, Castle Point Council, Leigh Town Council, Southend City Council, Dame Rebecca Harris MP, and David Burton-Sampson MP, with all political party’s united in opposition to development on this iconic landscape. This lack of clarity is making the Salvation Army unpopular, creating suspicion within a community that’s always supported and embraced it, so it’s a good time to remind them of the strength of local feeling about the potential building on this land
Since the group’s formation, 8517 people signed a petition backing the group’s aims, and thanks to those residents views, Castle Point Council had excluded the farmland site from its Local Plan. Our SHF group have continually warned the Councillors about their local plan, and after three years in the making, at a cost of £1.7 million, Castle Point Council has decided to progress the plan to the examination stage. There’s no guarantee it will be found sound by government inspectors, with a housing target that’s 53% of the Government’s target, making an unsound plan with intervention a reality.
Protecting Openness and Nature
We want to engage with the Salvation Army, so they understand the residents feelings, that the local plan spelled out, there is no building on this site, and that current planning rules would object to any development. The Hadleigh Farmland is an important area of openness, natural beauty, public spaces and biodiversity, so our groups aim is to get this site protected with an environmental policy based on agriculture, nature conservation, ecological restoration, and connectivity for wildlife.
Southend Faces Wider Strain
This historical site is the birthplace of the Salvation Army’s Hadleigh Colony, in 1891, as part of the first General of the Salvation Army William Booth’s social reform project. The site borders on the Heritage England site for Hadleigh Castle, built around 1215, which was the subject of John Constable’s famous landscape painting in 1829, with the Thames Estuary views, and borders the 387 acre Hadleigh Country Park, which hosted the 2012 Olympic Mountain Bike races.
The Salvation Army state the farmland has struggled for years due to poor soil quality, low yields, which makes farming unviable, with the area historically known as the “Badlands”. The poor soil quality has been well documented over the last 130 years, even mentioned by Novelist, Sir Henry Rider Haggard, who wrote in 1900’s, after visiting the Colony, about the unskilled labour, who he described as “wretched men, training them to produce amazing results from unpromising soil.” The Salvation Army need reminding of their mission then and what those poor men achieved. Modern regenerative farming practices would solve soil infertility, still produce bumper crops, enhance our natural environment, and the protection of farming is so important to our food security.
Residents Demand Clear Decision
The message is clear, that any development on this site has been resolutely rejected by local residents, and as a charity this cannot be part of the Salvation Army’s mission statement, which will affect their legacy. We urge the Salvation Army to end this unhappy episode by publicly announcing they no longer seek to develop this beautiful open space, and residents deserve a decision.
The SHF group have campaigned vociferously and will continue to challenge any future plans for development on this site, as we strongly object to any housing on this farmland.
To support the campaign, email savehadleighfarmland@gmail.com
By Martin England
Head of the SAVE HADLEIGH FARMLAND Group
savehadleighfarmland@gmail.com