Issue - meetings

That Full Council:

• Approves the Regulation 18 Consultation document in Appendix 1 to this report

• Grants delegated authority to the Head of Planning Policy and Conservation in consultation with the Lead Member for the Local Plan to make any minor changes that are required prior to the documents being published for consultation

Councillor Giles-Medhurst proposed the recommendation as set out in the report and seconded by Councillor Nelmes.

Members received a verbal report on the Local Plan Regulation 18 Document. It was noted that the Council was legally required to undertake a consultation, residents would be invited to give their views at a later date. Sites were deemed either potentially suitable, some concerns, considerable concerns and may be further ruled out following the consultation. The consultation exercise was not a decision making process. It was noted that Hertfordshire Highways was a statutory consultant.

Councillor Cooper proposed an amendment to the Local Plan Regulation 18 Consultation Document seconded by Councillor Hearn.

“That the following sites be discounted from consultation, and to be listed within the consultation solely as discounted:

NCFS1 – Chequers House, Chequers Lane

NCFS2 – Fortune Farm, High Elms Lane

NCFS3 – The Old Dairy, Chequers Lane

NCFS4 – High Elms Manor

NCFS6 – Land to the east of Watford Road

NCFS8 – Land off St Albans Lane, Bedmond

NCFS9 – Land to the north-west of Woodstock, Bedmond

NCFS10 – Great Westwood Park

NCFS11 – Grange Wood, Carpenders Park

NCFS12 – Lane East of Oxhey Lane, Carpenders Park

NCFS13 – Catlips Farm

NCFS14 – Homefield Road

NCFS17 – North Hill Farm

NCFS18 – Land to the east of Sarratt Lane

NCFS19 – Land adjacent to 60 Harthall Lane

NCFS22 – Nine of Herts Golf Club and surrounding land

NCFS24 – The Island, Rickmansworth

NCFS27 – Green End Farm, Sarratt

NCFS28 – Ravenswood, Sarratt

NCFS29 – New Model Farm, Sarratt

NCFS30 – Sarratt Lodge, Sarratt Green

NCFS31 – Land to the south-east of Poles Hill

NCFS32 – Land to the south-west of Bragmans Lane

NCFS34 – Land south of Chalfont Lane (employment)

NCFS35 – Land north of Little Green Lane”

Some members felt that the above sites would cause more harm to the Green Belt, had the exercise been undertaken in Autumn 2023 under the previous NPPF, the sites would be classed as a low growth option and discounted. Some members felt the sites would do more than moderate harm to the Green Belt.

Members debated the removal of the sites, some members felt some sites should fall into the Green Belt review. The new NPPF and guidance would mean a low bar for properties to be considered part of the grey belt. Members had previously requested a map with the proposed sites but this had not been provided as this would be provided after the Green Belt Assessment. It was noted that the sites in the documents were not proposed for development but instead sites to be consulted on. Members felt clarity needed to be given to the consultation before being released to the public, it was noted that with the sites proposed removed from the consultation only about 69  additional possible housing units would be consulted on, and this would most likely  result in the consultation ruled as “invalid” at the public inquiry.

Councillor Cooper moved for a recorded vote  ...  view the full minutes text for item 63