Residents have been left horrified at the inclusion of an Apsley site in Dacorum Borough Council’s (DBC) latest Local Plan draft.
DBC is planning to deliver 11,696 homes in Hemel Hempstead alone from 2024 to 2040.
As part of the redrafted plan, Apsley Mill Retail Park has been listed as a potential site for 500 homes.
The site currently hosts The Range, Wren Kitchens, Carpetright, and Currys.
Resident Kirsten Williams has shared her doubts over Apsley’s capacity to deal with the potential influx of new people and vehicles.
She said: “Living in Apsley and working in Frogmore Road, it is evident that we cannot cope with the flow of traffic now. Any problems on the A41… gridlock in Apsley. Any problems on the M1… gridlock in Hemel and leading into Apsley. Problems on Durrants Hill alone make rush hour a nightmare.
“This greed of the developers and overpopulation needs to stop!”
Resident Anna Schiavo concurred: “As usual, Apsley gets a lot of the additional housing.
“Apsley is high in pollution as well as road congestion, which can be a nightmare. Adding new homes would increase these factors.
“Also, it would be silly to put houses on the retail park. Replace it with more shops or a children’s playground!”
Meanwhile, in Kings Langley, DBC is planning to deliver 68 new homes, a 75 per cent decrease from the previous proposal in 2020.
Residents can share their thoughts and concerns on the full draft Local Plan until 11.59pm on Monday, December 11. To comment, visit letstalk.dacorum.gov.uk/hub-page/localplan2023
Councillor Sheron Wilkie, DBC’s portfolio holder for place, said: “The feedback we receive from this consultation is vital to ensure that Dacorum can keep flourishing, and that the right decisions on housing and infrastructure will be made.”
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