1 Minute Action Needed By Weds 18 From All Supporters In Dacorum
Urgent & important news from Chiltern Countryside Group
In haste, but importantly, we have just heard there is a key full Council Meeting of Dacorum Borough Council on Wednesday 18 November, with an agenda item to ratify the new Local Plan for public consultation starting in December.
The Berkhamsted Residents Action Group (BRAG) have set up a petition asking DBC to defer the consultation on the Local Plan until there are fewer COVID restrictions and more clarity from Government on targets. It is crucial that we do all we can to achieve these aims, so please sign and share with your own contacts.
Please don’t delay, the future of our green and beautiful landscape is at serious risk. Sign the petition today – or no later than midday Wednesday 18 November.
https://www.change.org/p/dacorum-councillors-seek-to-urgently-defer-the-consultation-on-the-dacorum-draft-local-plan
As many of you will know, the new Local Plan proposes that many thousands of new houses can be built in Dacorum, sacrificing huge swathes of Green Belt land, much abutting the Chilterns AONB on which to do this. We understand that the Plan would increase Tring alone, the smallest town in the Borough, by some 55%. What we do not as yet understand is why DBC have drawn up a new Local Plan, in excess of current Government housing targets, when the present one is valid to 2031 and has been found sound by the Planning Inspector.
These are clearly major developments but it is our view that they fail to support Central Government in its emerging changes to planning, which are currently undergoing review, following extensive lobbying by MPs.
Media reports today state Government is currently considering placing greater focus on development of brownfield sites, investment in regeneration in the North, the Midlands and of urban sites following their devastation by Covid as businesses move out of city and town centre offices and retail.
The CCG finds the newly proposed Dacorum Local Plan to be premature, ill considered and totally in favour of developers, rather than protecting and sustaining the natural environment, Green Belt and the AONB and that it will not facilitate building homes where they are most needed, at prices people can afford. The Government’s Consultation on its White Paper for planning reforms only closed a few weeks ago (see CCG website for the Group’s response) so there has been no time at all to analyse or even consider the responses to those important proposed policy changes.
PLEASE ADD YOUR VOICE TO PROTECT AND CONSERVE OUR GREEN SPACES AND AONB.
SIGN THE PETITION TODAY and if you have time, write to your local Borough Councillor.
Remember, together we give power to the message.
Thank you all.
Best wishes,
Steering Group
on behalf of the Chiltern Countryside Group
