GGFRA asks residents to continue fight against Marshcroft
As the appeal by developers to build 1,400 houses on the so-called Marshcroft development approaches, Grove Fields Residents Association (GFRA) is calling for Tring residents to support its fight against overdevelopment.
The group has two battles on its hands:
- Objecting to the proposal to redraw the Green Belt boundary in the draft local plan to exclude the Marshcroft Housing site (to make it harder for developers to get approval to build 1,400 houses there).
- Objecting to the current planning appeal by the developers (their second application) against the refusal by Dacorum Planning Committee to build 1,400 houses.
Government inspectors reviewing the local plan recently told Dacorum Borough Council that its draft plan does not provide sufficient evidence to justify removing the Green Belt from the Marshcroft site, nor does it provide sufficient evidence to justify the selection of the Marshcroft site for house building.
The GRFA pressed the council to withdraw the Marshcroft site from the plan, however, the council has decided instead to provide further evidence to justify the proposal.
The GFRA has been taking advice from its appointed planning consultants on how best to counter the council’s actions.
Meanwhile, the fight against the developer’s planning application for 1,400 houses on the Marshcroft site is ramping up and the deadlines for preparation work to fight the developer’s appeal against the council’s latest refusal of their application is fast approaching.
The appeal enquiry starts on 6 October, and the GFRA has been granted ‘Rule 6’ status at the appeal (which gives it a seat at the table and the right to cross-examine the developer and its witnesses). But this will all cost money.
Graham Bright, chair of the GFRA, said: ‘Donations in the past to get us this far have been very generous but we have never been this close to such a positive final outcome and we must defeat this appeal to get us over the line and rescue the open countryside east of Tring.
‘To do this we need to raise £37,000 for our planning consultant to represent us at the planning appeal enquiry.’
To date, £20,000 has been raised.
‘There is now real hope of success,’ said Graham. ‘Please help us make it a reality.’
To donate
Grove Fields Residents Association
Sort code: 23-05-80
Account number: 24937695