development

Island Development halted

This controversial application has been “withdrawn with no further action taken”, according to a letter received by residents last month. Our only concern is why? Will it be re-submitted or were the objections from the various water agencies sufficient for them to call it a day.

It is noted that the company selected to replace the current drawbridge, to the island site, with a heavy lorry access bridge is the the same one selected by TRDC to build the new Red access bridge to the aquadrome (said to blend into the scenery throughout the four seasons).

Click here to go to the Three Rivers planning website

By Bob, RDRA Planning Officer, ago

Batchworth Island Development

The Island site is an outline notification of a subsequent planning application and mentions compulsory land purchase may be necessary. The applicant has put together an indication of his intent together with documents to support their application to build. However, the concrete foundations will impact the flood plain; the build will be on stilts but the foundations are still there.

The applicant would like to apply for 2 x four-storey blocks with 95 residential flats (39 x 1-bed, 53 x 2-bed & 3 x 3-bed) and 16 parking spaces (2 of which are disabled).

Note the objections/comments from Hampton Hall Farmhouse; Affinity Water; Batchworth CC and British Waterways Trust to fully appreciate what is at stake.

Click here to go to the Three Rivers planning website and leave your own objection/comment.

By Ash Pattni, ago

Planning and Local Plan

Following conversations with residents at the last Sunday Market, it’s always a good idea to keep an eye out for planning developments in your local area. To do this simply go to the Three Rivers website and search planning or click link below: 

https://www.threerivers.gov.uk/services/planning/search-comment-planning-application

Local Plan

The Government target of 11k houses to be built in Three Rivers was reduced down to 4k houses and now called New Local Plan.

Sites earmarked for development in Rickmansworth are on pages 44-48 of this document:
https://cdn.threerivers.gov.uk/files/2023/10/98854f00-74b5-11ee-b56c-7b53d1ba03b1-_Regulation%2018%20Part%20Four%20Consultation%20Document.pdf#page=44

Earmarked developments are marked as green on this map below (red=rejected):
https://cdn.threerivers.gov.uk/files/2023/10/eec2fc90-74b6-11ee-b56c-7b53d1ba03b1-Appendix%203%20-%20South%20West%20Area%20Map.pdf

Futher information on New Local Plan can be found here.

This New Local Plan will be formerly published in Sept/Oct 2024, then submitted to Secretary of State in Feb/March 2025, then adopted in March 2026.

By Debbie Wheeler, ago

Local Plan

Regulation 18 finished last Autumn but the District Council received over 2,000 responses which are taking time to be processed by Council Staff and thus Regulation 19, the final Local Plan Draft before a Public Enquiry which should have been this Spring but the whole procedure will now take much longer.

In the meantime the Council for the Protection of Rural England have waded in to help protect the green belt areas suggested for development in Regulation 18.

The sites are not suggested by the Council but by developers who want to build on and develop the sites for housing.

We will keep you informed of developments.

By Michael Stimpson, ago