Challenging Marshcroft
We have received the information below from Grove Fields Residents Association (GFRA) which, together with the Chiltern Countryside Group (CCG), Chiltern Society and the Campaign to Protect Rural England, is challenging the proposals to destroy cultivated farmland in Green Belt, to the East of Tring, abutting and informing the Chilterns AONB, with a major development of 1,400 houses plus associated roads, schools and sports/community facilities. These proposals have currently been refused by both Dacorum Borough Council and Tring Town Council.
The Appeal Hearing for the 1,400 house Marshcroft development is scheduled to start on 7 March.
The original Planning application (22/01187/MOA) by Redrow Homes was turned down by Dacorum Council on a number of grounds, most notably because of its position on Green Belt Land adjacent to the designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) – and the scale of the development without sufficient funded community resources such as schools and medical facilities to service over 4,000 new Tring residents.
Redrow has produced a 200-plus page report challenging Dacorum’s rejection of their application and they will be represented at the Appeal hearing by a Planning King’s Counsel and his Junior plus no less than 16 Expert Witnesses.
To date, the GFRA, funded through your donations, has commissioned and submitted a report setting out why the original Dacorum rejection decision should be upheld. Tring Town Council has also commissioned and submitted a detailed report on the Green Belt and landscape issues of such a development.
‘The good news is that the groups are not alone in resisting this massive development. We have been approached by CPRE Hertfordshire and the Chiltern Society to form a Community Objectors’ Group (COG) that would jointly hire legal representation and an expert witness to represent us at the Appeal Hearing. Faced with such a formidable opponent as Redrow, we feel we must match their ‘big guns’ in order to stand a good chance of defeating the Appeal.
The GFRA Committee said in a statement to members and supporters: ‘As you can imagine, the cost of mounting this joint representation is not cheap. We have a fundraising target of £30,000 for a Planning Barrister and an expert landscape witness. Although this is a lot of money to raise, we are joined by two very powerful partners who will be raising money through their membership and additionally the CPRE Hertfordshire, as a registered Charity, are able to claim Gift Aid on donations.’
The CCG will be supporting the newly formed Community Objectors’ Group (COG) in whatever way they can but will need your help in funding a professional legal team. Donations can be made via the link below:
The GFRA Committee Members are: Graham Bright (Chair), Robert Winter (Treasurer), Steve Ballantyne, Dimitri Patrikios and Cllr. Keith Baker (Tring Council, Independent).’ Contact details below.
E: grovefields@virginmedia.com
T: 07722 240963
