Planning Application for 1,400 Houses East Tring

Living Magazines Pitstone Towards Ivinghoe Beacon

Chiltern Countryside Group have received notification of the planning application to Dacorum Borough Council for development of 1,400 dwellings, local centre/sports/community hub, primary and secondary schools and public open spaces on Green Belt land, to the East of Tring, from Station Road to Bulbourne, with 2 main access points (see attached letter).

To access the documents (of which there over 140 and 5,500 pages!) go to:  planning.dacorum.gov.uk/publicaccess/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=RA2VHRFO00800

This application proposes a huge development, ambitiously entitled by Harrow Estates, the developer, as ‘Marshcroft Garden Village’,  on current Green Belt land, which is cultivated as high quality Grade 2 agricultural land, adjoining and informing the setting of the Chilterns AONB.

The CCG Steering Group is working on a full response to this application and initially makes the following comments, which you are welcome to use in any comments you make to both Tring Town Council (by 24 April) and Dacorum Borough Council (by 4 May):

  • Application is hybrid which means that permission is sought for some of the site with full details of the remainder to follow. CCG interpret this as seeking outline planning permission for the development of the site as a whole, with specific details on house design, location of school (indicated as possible only), service roads etc… to be sought later
  • Local Planning Authorities have complete discretion on whether or not to accept a hybrid application. CCG strongly suggests you urge DBC not to accept this
  • The whole site is in designated Green Belt
  • Green Belt can only be released for development in exceptional & very special circumstances
  • CCG finds these proposals fail to demonstrate exceptional circumstances (see National Planning Policy Framework revised 20.7.21 in particular paragraphs 147-9)
  • The site abuts the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
  • Development will be visible from the high points of the AONB, such as Ivinghoe Beacon, thus destroying its rural and peaceful green character
  • Site is currently cultivated as Grade 2 agricultural land – nationally, we need to increase our food self-sufficiency, not concrete over farmland
  • Large number of dwellings will drastically and adversely change the rural setting and character of the market town of Tring
  • Increase in traffic
  • Despite developer’s proposals to include some community infrastructure, such as two schools, this is not guaranteed, as this is a hybrid planning application
  • Developer does not state what proportion of costs they will contribute to building infrastructure, but merely ‘a contribution’
  • Proposals ignore extra demand on hospital health care, already under pressure. Building a health centre, which will only serve new housing, does not alleviate demand on local hospitals
  • Developer (Harrow Estates/Redrow) only owns part of the site (that nearest to Station Road) so no commitment that the site would be developed as is outlined in this application
  • Timeframe of development over 11 years ( 2022-33) means long drawn-out adverse impacts of construction, loss of amenity, increased demand on local resources without obligation for developer to provide infrastructure, and other associated adverse effects, especially for presently neighbouring residents and parking in town centre
  • This site falls within the Chilterns Beechwoods Special Area of Conservation (SAC) – March 2022

CCG urges you to object to these proposals which would have an extremely detrimental effect on our Chiltern countryside, its AONB and the market town of Tring.

Do please attend the Tring Town Council Meeting at Victoria Hall, Tring on Monday 25 April at 7.30pm. There is an agenda item for public participation and this is the only time when the public is allowed to speak to the Council.  The date of the DBC meeting when again there is a 3-minute opportunity for the public to speak has yet to be confirmed, but you have to register with DBC to do so.

Your feedback is very welcome – CCG are always pleased to hear from supporters. They will post more information on CCG’s response on their website as soon as possible.

Please spread the word – REMEMBER, TOGETHER WE GIVE POWER TO THE MESSAGE.