An open meeting to discuss the development of a Parish Plan agreed at the council meeting on 15th October will be held by zoom at 7.30pm on Tuesday 10th November. Anyone who wishes to participate may join on https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85332542743?pwd=aVBJLzhVS0ZQVWJrR2p6ekZ4cFVvZz09

Or by dialing in on either 0203 481 5237 or 0203 481 5240 United Kingdom and entering the meeting ID: 853 3254 2743 and passcode: 718990.

Over 250 people (we think – but it was dark!) attended the inaugural Community Carols on The Green last night. Hot chocolate was served from Cedars, mulled wine from Martins Pond (compliments of the Parish Council), the Rev Joe told the Christmas story, and Choir on the Green lead the singing on staging and under lighting provided by local resident Chris Pocock.

Same time, same place next year?

Open spaces
The two trees on the Spencer Holland recreation ground which were considered high
risk have been removed. It wasn’t possible to cut back some trees on the sports field
whose branches are encroaching on the football pitch but this will be completed shortly.
Work will also commence in the next few weeks on some essential tree maintenance on
the Old Green.

Planning
Since the last meeting the council submitted an objection to proposed variations to work
at Williams Wood, Vicarage Rd (23/02958/ROC) but supported an application from Clayton
Cottage, Frithsden Lane for an extension and work to windows (23/02908/LBC).

At the January meeting the council will be considering proposals for:

• 23 Water End Rd and land to rear of 21 Water End Rd (23/01211/FUL). This development has been discussed in various iterations at three council meetings and the Parish Council has objected to each proposal. The Applicant has proposed some additional alterations which don’t yet appear on the planning portal but are detailed in the briefing note for the Parish Council meeting.

• 15 The Back, Potten End – works to trees (23/02963/TCA).

• Hill House, Frithsden Copse – installation of heat pumps (23/03029/RET).

• National Trust Land adjacent to Nettleden Road – felling of ash trees (24/00021/TCA).

The council has received notification of an appeal for a proposal to build a stable and hay
and feed store to which the Parish Council objected on land off Little Heath Lane (22/03183/FUL).

Dates for your diaries
Mr Paul Miller, General Manager of National Trust, Ashridge Estate will attend the council
meeting on 15th February to update us on their plans.

Mr Howard Craft, Club Manager of Berkhamsted Golf Club will attend the council meeting
on 21st March to update us on their plans for tree management.

This article is all about the Dacorum Local Plan – fundamentally how many houses are going to be built in the borough and where in the next 15 years; I’m certain its authors would shudder at that summary, but that’s what most of it is about, and what most of us are most interested in. If it feels like you’ve read about this before – then you’d be absolutely right. There were versions in 2020 and 2023, but whilst changes were made by Dacorum after those earlier versions, what we have now is almost certainly what will be submitted to the Government for approval. Anyone can comment on this version and those comments will be submitted to the Government, but it is highly unlikely that this document will be changed before the Government gets its teeth into it. The consultation process will run from 4 November to 17 December 2024. If you want the full monty, then go to New Dacorum Local Plan (to 2041) where you’ll find more reports than you would have thought possible and details of how to comment. In the meantime, here are some headlines (but please bear in mind that we’ve not had very long to look at it ourselves). 15,300 new houses will be built in the borough by 2041 – borough councillors were advised that any delay to the Plan risked this figure rising to 19,800 because of changes to planning policy being introduced by the government and that they would see more speculative proposals like the proposal for 350 houses at Marchmont Farm opposite Piccotts End (which isn’t in the Plan). Most of the development is in Hemel with some in Berkhamsted and Tring. Much of the housing growth proposed for Tring in the 2020 version of the plan which was removed in the 2023 version has re-appeared on the site which lies between Tring and the station. Most of the development in the Plan for Hemel is to the north and west of the town including:  750 houses at Polehanger Lane which weren’t in the previous two iterations of the Plan and is a significant encroachment on the gap between Hemel and Potten End. The Plan numbers only include the first 1,500 houses of what is referred to as North Hemel with another 3,500 to be built after 2041. It also excludes the 5,500 houses to be built in East Hemel which technically is part of St Albans (the term “Hemel Garden Communities” now generally seems to refer to broader developments across Hemel – but sometimes it’s specific to North and East Hemel, an ambiguity which doesn’t really help understand what’s going on!) Also of interest to the Parish but technically not forming part of the Local Plan proposals because it’s already been approved is the development of 1,150 houses at the bottom of Pouchen End Lane (known as West Hemel Hempstead LA3) It’s not easy to find a map that adequately conveys all of these developments but hopefully you’ll get some sense of what’s happening from the map below. One of the oddities in the Plan is that under the section dealing with the measures to protect Ashridge there’s a detailed list of the SANGs (open spaces) necessary for the planned development – but no mention of the Potten End Hill SANG, despite the fact that so far as we can see it’s still being considered by Dacorum Planning. The Parish Council will discuss a response at its next meeting on 21 November and would very much welcome your views either before then or at the meeting. But if you do want to make a comment, either supporting or expressing concern, then it is important that you make it on the Dacorum website.

The Parish Council meets at 7.30pm on Thursday, 18 December the Church Room. The agenda can be downloaded and contains links to all the supporting papers, some of which are replicated below. Everyone is able to attend and comment on agenda items or raise matters that are of concern.

Highways

446 people or c. 40% of village residents responded to the survey about whether a raised platform should be installed at the Potten End crossroads.

• 426 of those respondents or 96% were in favour,
• 14 were against
• 6 were neutral.

282 people added comments illustrating the depth of feeling about speeding through the village and the safety of that junction. 

Whether you were for or against the proposal the Council would like to thank you for taking the time to participate. There’s a summary of the results and comments and a full transcript of all the comments on the Council’s website, both the summary and individual comments make really interesting reading. The results have been forwarded to our County Councillor as this is an issue for Hertfordshire Highways and we will keep you informed of what happens next.

The gas main replacement programme ran into technical problems both at the original site at the Potten End crossroads and when they moved into Little Heath Lane and so all work has now been suspended until the New Year. This doesn’t bode well for the original 4 month timescale but we’ll keep you advised of developments.

All roadworks over the next three months are summarised here or for more up to date information please refer to Causeway one network.

Planning

Since the last meeting the Council objected to revised plans for the replacement dwelling at Frithsden Vineyard (25/01407/ROC). 

At its meeting on Thursday the Council will consider the following applications:

• 2 Little Heath Cottages – loft conversion and new front porch (25/02912/LDP) 
• 15 The Back – demolition of existing timber shed and garage and construction of new outbuilding with pitched roof (25/02819/FHA)
• 7 The Laurels – tree works (25/03029/TPO)
• Mollcroft, 69 Hempstead Lane – outline planning application for the construction of up to three self/custom built dwellings (25/02852/OUT)

Over recent months there have been a number of planning applications for large (c. 1.7m – 2m high) solid double driveway gates which the Parish Council has been supporting but which have been refused by Dacorum. The most recent (Hollybush Wood – 25/02547/FHA) was refused on the grounds that “their design, scale and solid appearance fronting the highway, would not harmonise with the character of the surrounding street scene and would reduce openness. The visual harm is such that the development fails to retain or protect features essential to the character and appearance of the countryside”. If you’re considering installing this type of gate the council would urge you to undertake careful research on what has been allowed recently and not to assume that just because you can see examples of similar historic installations that they will be permitted now.

On a related matter there is a Herts Highways requirement that gates should be set back 6m from the road so that vehicles driving up to them don’t obstruct the road. Again, if you’re thinking of installing gates please make certain that you’re aware of any requirements like this.

Open Spaces

The Council will be considering a proposal to increase rents for an allotment plot.

Having had to defer maintenance work to the pond until Spring 2026, the Council has agreed to a further deferment so as not to disturb the frog mating season; we’ll get there in the end!

The safety surface underneath the swings has been replaced and the fence has been extended along Plough Lane to stop children running out from between parked cars. The Council will be considering a proposal received from a resident that the fence should be filled in to prevent children climbing on it.

Residents in Vicarage Rd who back onto the sports field have been discovering quantities of golf balls in their gardens. The sports field is there for everyone’s use, but if you are using it for golf practice please ensure that your choice of club keeps balls within the space available; it might not be the weather for sitting in your garden, but no-one wants to be peppered with golf balls.

Finance

There is an ongoing saga about grants paid by Dacorum BC to parish and town councils and which constitute 30% of our income. Somehow and despite everywhere outside of Hemel paying a tax called precept as part of council tax, LibDem and Labour councillors on the council have decided that Hemel is subsidising the rural areas.

There are two grants under consideration. 

Dacorum BC has decided to reduce the Wardens Grant by 50% in 2026/27 and to withdraw it altogether from 2027/28. The Parish Warden is responsible for collecting litter around the parish and a significant amount of maintenance work ranging from hedge cutting to ivy removal as well as supporting parish events like the Christmas lights around the pond and the road closure for the remembrance service. The Parish Council believes that the services of the warden are necessary to maintain the parish at its current level and this unfortunately means that the precept which funds the parish council and forms part of your council tax will have to increase.

Dacorum has decided to pay a second grant, the Concurrent Services grant, in full in 2026/27 but its payment after that will be subject to further discussion and everything suggests that Dacorum wants to reduce the cost of this support. Broadly speaking this grant helps fund maintenance of the open spaces around the village like The Green, the Spencer Holland Recreation Ground and the sports field. Again the Parish Council has decided that it doesn’t wish to reduce the current level of service. We won’t know what the impact will be until we receive a proposal from Dacorum, but it’s likely to lead to more pressure on precept from 2027/28.

Turning to more constructive matters, the Council will receive updates on the four community improvement projects it has agreed to fund from money received from new property development – a new scout hut, the development of the Old Green to help the school, a new goal on Spencer Holland, and improvements to the caretaker’s accommodation at the Village Hall. The Council will also consider a grant request from the Bowls Club.