A green belt site home to rare flora and fauna - including a protected bat colony - has won a temporary reprieve from development after London's Green Euro-MP Jean Lambert intervened on behalf of local environmental campaigners.
Havering Council was last night due to discuss two planning applications that would legitmise a car wash that has been operating on the site for nearly 2 years, and to allow the landowner to develop agricultural buildings on the site.
Mrs Lambert said: "Maylands Fields is an important wildlife site and a vital part of Havering's precious Green Belt."
"The Green Belt must be protected from the threat of development. I have worked closely with local campaigners to ensure this development is halted and will continue to do so."
"I approached the Government about this case in February and I am delighted to see this is beginning to yield results: but we have a long way to go and will not give up until Havering rejects all development applications for Maylands Fields once and for all."
Planning officers had recommended granting the application and local residents feared last night's meeting of Havering's Regulatory Services Committee would simply rubber-stamp the development.
But the committee voted to defer the decision after Mrs Lambert stepped in at the 11th hour to remind Havering planners that she had already secured a commitment from the office of the Deputy Prime Minister to hold a ministerial inquiry into the application if granted.
Soon after Mrs Lambert's intervention the Government
Office for London issued an 'Article 14' holding directive on the applications,
meaning any decision to grant permission by Havering Council would have to be
referred to the Government Office for London and the Office of the Deputy Prime
Minister.
More than 50 local residents and campaigners who attended the meeting gave a cautious welcome to yesterday's decision.
Mrs Lambert added: "I am delighted the committee rejected the officers' recommendation and agreed to defer decision on the applications for at least a month. This decision has wide-ranging implications for London's Green Belt that stretch far beyond the site in question.
"Councillors obviously want to avoid taking
a decision that will inevitably be called in by the Government but we still have
a long way to go - until Havering rejects these applications and takes any enforcement
action necessary to ensure their decision is respected I will continue to
work
with local residents and government at all levels to protect Maylands Field and
Havering's Green Belt."
ENDS
For more information please contact Ben Duncan on 020 7407 6280, 07973 823358 or at press@greenmeps.org.uk