In the summer of 2020 the Diocese of Peterborough – part of the Church of England – proposed the sale of a 10-year “development option” on 58 hectares (144 acres) of Glebe Land to IM Properties, which describes itself as “one of the UK’s largest privately-owned investor developers”. The development option does not necessarily mean that development will go ahead, but if the land is developed the diocese – which claims to have financial problems linked to the Covid pandemic – will reap some of the financial rewards.

The Glebe Land is all arable farmland, never previously developed, off Ranway (the road that links Islington to the Haldens Parkways industrial estate) and extending as far west as the A605.

After strenuous objections by both Titchmarsh’s Parochial Church Council (PCC) and the Parish Council (PC), the Diocesan Finance Board (DBF) pledged to putthe proposed sale on hold “pending a review of the environmental and social considerations”. But the DBF then ignored our objections and proceeded with the sale of the development option in the autumn of 2020. Full consultation with the parish council and PCC has been promised, but as yet we have received no further contact from IM Properties, or their agents.

IM Properties Proposal