Plan for 600 Croxley homes near Whippendell Wood REFUSED

23rd January
By Fintan McGuinness
source

Edited from Watford Observer as their comments section makes the website depressingly unreadble.

Plans for 600 homes opposite ancient woodland have been refused over green belt concerns.

The outline application for fields to the north of Little Green Lane, Croxley Green, were top of the agenda when Three Rivers District Council’s planning committee sat from 7.30pm yesterday (January 22).

Despite an officers’ report recommending permission be granted, the councillors voted to block the scheme.

The applicant had claimed the site would qualify as ‘grey belt’ land due to not strongly contributing to the purposes of the green belt, which officers accepted, but the committee argued that it should really be considered green belt.

On this basis, they felt building around 600 homes would clearly be harmful to the green belt by definition.

Two other reasons were suggested, relating to potentially harming nearby woodland and the absence of a formal section 106 agreement binding the developer to conditions at this stage.

The exact wording of the reasons was left to be determined in the official decision notice.

It comes after more than 700 objections from residents, school governors, Croxley Green Residents’ Association, Campaign to Protect Rural England, and the Woodland Trust.

Alongside the homes, the planning application included a primary school, business units and a medical centre.

The applicant may wish to appeal the decision, which could leave it in the hands of the Planning Inspectorate. The applicant, Richborough, has been contacted for confirmation.

Richborough had highlighted the contribution to local housing supply, including 300 designated affordable homes amid a “chronic shortage”, as benefits of its proposal.

“Our vision aims to create a lasting legacy and place to be proud of, comprising a variety of well-designed homes suitable for people at every stage of life,” it said.

However, residents had raised fears it could “destroy” the rurality of the area and described the possibility as “the beginning of the end for our beautiful wood”.

Many particularly highlighted that the site is just across Rousebarn Lane from Whippendell Wood, which is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest to conserve its ecological value.