Rickmansworth residents have set up an online campaign to stop two warehouses, covering 16,590 square meters, being built next to a nature reserve in Maple Cross.
Residents are “outraged” at plans to build two new warehouses as they fear they will bring 1,000 large vehicles to the area every day.
The online campaign ‘Save Maple Cross from Warehouse Development Hell’ was set up to fight against the possible £52million 24/7 warehouse development on land that was taken out of the greenbelt by Three Rivers District Council (TRDC) in 2014.
TRDC are currently considering a planning application from developers which has sparked widespread concern.
One resident said in a letter to TRDC: “I will not be the only one writing to express my horror at the plans for an operation working 24 hours a day with possibly 1,000 large vehicles a day.
“The possible damage to our atmosphere and particularly to our children in the two schools.
“I am told that their plans will endanger the Maple Lodge Nature Reserve as well as affecting the water course in the area.
“I join with many others in asking you to throw out the horrible development.”
Whilst another said: “I object to the plans. It will ruin our local area and it cannot be allowed to go ahead, it must be stopped.”
Speaking to RickyNews, one of the campaigners said: “To build these warehouses they will need to pile into the asbestos ridden ground. The piles will penetrate the ground by roughly 15 metres, and they are likely to either destroy the aquifer running beneath or contaminate it.
“This ground water is the main source of water that is used both for our drinking water and it feeds the Nature Reserve. Without this the Nature Reserve will lose all their wetland species.
“Climate Change Emergency surely dictates that we should be looking at greener businesses not those that involve such high levels of traffic and are such huge polluters.”
A decision is said to be made in a council meeting on November 14, the group are urging residents to attend and show the strength of feeling that opposes the proposal.
For more details on the application visit TRDC planning website and search for 19/1179/FUL.
I totally agree this planning should not be allowed the amount of pollution already in the maple cross and Rickmansworth area from HGV lorry’s vans also cars HS2 vehicle that come off junction 17 using a single lane road to by pass congestion on the M25 should not be allowed. As a resident of maple cross my journey to work now is a nightmare some mornings you can’t even get on to the Denham road because of all the traffic . This is a fantastic area to live in . in my opinion it’s all about money and not children and adults health . Or the beautiful nature reserve. This cannot be allowed to go through.