Plans for major housing developments in Chorleywood could be ruled out after a new report highlighted the importance of protecting the local green belt.
Earlier this year, Three Rivers District Council (TRDC) had rejected the government’s target of 13,312 new homes for the area. They also voted to delay submitting the Local Plan in order to commission independent expert advice.
The resulting report has now stated that the area between Chorleywood and Rickmansworth is not grey belt and is considered of fundamental importance to the district’s overall green belt.
According to the report, this means that plans for 380 new homes at Catlips Farm are unlikely to be given planning permission or to be included in the new Local Plan.
However, the site between Green Street and the A404, where up to 675 homes are proposed, is unlikely to be protected on green belt grounds. This does not mean that the development will automatically be included in the new Local Plan, as consideration will still need to be given to the impact on the Chilterns National Landscape, nearby Conservation Areas, and traffic.
Chorleywood parish councillor Jon Bishop told Chorleywood News: “In the report, Catlips Farm has been defined as fundamentally important green belt, which I was delighted to see.
“There is lots of debate still to come on which sites will be included in the Local Plan, so I would encourage residents to talk to their local councillors. There’s no point in saying there should be no building on the green belt; instead, we must come up with practical and pragmatic reasons for sites not to be developed.”
Leader of TRDC councillor Stephen Giles-Medhurst OBE said: “I am pleased it looks like our delay and the evidence we gathered so far is set to pay off.
“We still have some more work to finish on transport and sustainability of sites likely to be developed to make sure they work for all.
“However, I am confident we will have a new plan by early next year that we can put to the government.
“It will be a plan that has the right infrastructure and meets our future housing and economic needs while also protecting our precious green belt – and that commitment is cast iron.
“We hope the government will agree with us.”
Photo credit: Savills
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