Issue - meetings

Outline application: construction of up to 70 residential dwellings (Use Class C3) with associated access onto Oxhey Lane and infrastructure (Appearance, Layout, Landscaping and Scale as reserved matters) at Land Adjacent To Woodlands Cottage, Oxhey Lane, Carpenders Park, Watford, Hertfordshire.

Recommendation: that authority is delegated to the Head of Regulatory Services to grant planning permission, following completion of a S106 Agreement (securing the Heads of Term including affordable housing provision, travel plan, contributions to infrastructure including education, healthcare and waste infrastructure and monitoring fees) subject to conditions and to make any minor amendments to the Heads of Terms and Planning Conditions in consultation with the Planning Committee Chair.

The application was outline for construction of up to 70 residential dwellings (Use Class C3) with associated access onto Oxhey Lane and infrastructure (Appearance, Layout, Landscaping and Scale as reserved matters) at Land Adjacent To Woodlands Cottage, Oxhey Lane, Carpenders Park, Watford, Hertfordshire.

The Planning Officer reported that since publication of the agenda, two further letters of objection had been received.  One of these had raised points which had already been addressed in the report.  The other had been circulated to committee members earlier in the day; the majority of the points raised in that representation had also been addressed within the report.

The Planning Officer drew attention to a required correction to the meeting date at the top of the report, which should show 20 August 2026 and not 26 February 2026.  Additionally, the recommendation referred to the Heads of Terms at paragraph 7.21, where this should read paragraph 7.20.

The Planning Officer also reported that subsequent to the issuing of the agenda, a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) had been published.  An addendum to the report had therefore been provided to committee members which set out officers’ consideration of the scheme against the updated NPPF.  In conclusion, officers did not consider that the updated NPPF changed the recommendation to approve.  It was noted that paragraph 7.5.7 of the addendum should be amended to read that the benefits of approving the development would not be substantially outweighed by the adverse effects, namely the harm identified to the heritage asset.  This was to reflect the new test within the new NPPF that proposals should be approved unless the benefits of doing so would be substantially outweighed by any adverse effects.

A speaker on behalf of Residents Protecting Oxhey Lane Fields spoke against the application.

County Councillor Vishal Patel spoke against the application.

Points raised by the speakers included that the classification of the site as Grey Belt was unreasoned; no assessment of openness had been carried out; the Council’s own Green Belt evidence had been set aside without analysis; Policy GB7(1)(h) was not engaged; the density position was inconsistent as the site could not simultaneously be close enough to the station to engage GB7(1)(h) and too constrained to meet the density that proximity requires; Golden Rule (c) had not been assessed against the standards now in force (GB8(1)(c)); the planning balance had not been struck under the Framework in force; infrastructure capacity had not been demonstrated and there was insufficient road capacity; limited weight should be given to the allocation of the site in the emerging Local Plan given that the Regulation 19 Consultation was still open; and there was an objection from the Conservation Officer and there would be harm to designated heritage assets.

The Planning Officer responded that whilst the addendum introduced the ability to consider the application against one of the new parts of the NPPF (the introduction of GB7(1)(h)), the other parts of the NPPF remained applicable, as set out in the original report, and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 170