Parish Council misses opportunity to save Kings Langley's Green Belt at Rectory Farm

Parish Council planning committee "note" planning application on green belt and avoid objecting

On Tuesday 18th February 2020, the Parish Council Planning committee discussed the application for Rectory Farm to extend the area of development into the Green Belt increasing the number of houses /apartments from 55 (on the site of the former barns) to 89. Access to the site would now be from Hempstead Road and not Gade Valley Close. Members of the public present, together with this Association, spoke against the application and its extension of development into the Green Belt (which the village had voted overwhelmingly against).

​Councillors then spoke both for and against the application. Those in favour felt that building on the land was needed to meet the Government's housing target and, if not met, the position could be a lot worse. The application was in keeping with the existing housing in the village and gave greater controls over what would eventually be built once the land is sold on to a builder.

Those councillors against the application spoke in favour of protecting the village's Green Belt and that exceptional circumstances which permitted building on the Green Belt had not been demonstrated. Whilst the offer of community land was welcome, access to it and parking for those using it was insufficient. Not enough effort had been made by Dacorum to identify previously developed land rather than using the Green Belt.  Subsequently, other arguments were put forward for and against.

It was then proposed to vote on a decision by the Council that the application be noted. The vote was taken and carried - 3 votes for (Cllrs Howard Button, Alan Anderson & Bob McLean) to 2 votes against (Cllrs Mark Rogers and Alan Johnson).

​Our Parish Council is therefore not for development on Green Belt or against it. This is despite their claims in the past to be against Green Belt development in Kings Langley.

​A day later, on Wednesday 19th March 2020, the Parish Council convened an extraordinary Parish Meeting and voted to accept an offer from Angle Property to pass ownership of the land along the canal to the Parish Council. This offer is conditional upon the planning application being approved. Further details, covenants and conditions associated with the transfer of the land will be the subject of further meetings and discussions.

March 2020