Paul Miller, General Manager of the NT Ashridge Estate will be giving a presentation on their plans for Ashridge before the council meeting at 7:30pm on Thursday 19 March (i.e. he will start at 7:30pm and the council meeting will start at about 8pm). The presentation will cover changes to parking and new visitor centres at Ashridge.

May I draw your attention to the planning item on Mollcroft. The council will be reconsidering its previous objection to the proposed development of three houses in the light of Dacorum’s advice that the site will be classified as ‘grey belt’, not because of the existence of previous development but simply because this green belt land is on the edge of a village rather than the edge of a town. So far as I can see this is an accurate interpretation of government policy and implies that all of the green belt land around Potten End could be classified as grey belt. Please see the council briefing note for the detailed arguments.

Highways

The Cadent work has finished ….. almost! They’re still having problems with Church Road so the traffic lights will be back as they try to do whatever they’re supposed to be doing for the third time over the May half term. The work to Nettleden Road and Gravel Path has been completed, the latter is particularly impressive, and the next few months seem moderately calm on the road works front. As always for more up to date information on road closures please refer to Causeway one network.

Please report any problems with potholes at Report a street light, pothole or other problem | Hertfordshire County Council and blocked drains at Highway Fault Reporting Flooding

Planning

Since February when we had a flurry of planning applications things have calmed down, although what we lose in terms of volume is more than made up for in terms of the importance of the issues to be considered.

i. 25/03120/FHA – Brickwall Cottage, Frithsden Gardens, Frithsden, HP1 3DE – Conversion and minor extensions to existing stable to create annexe dwelling and merging of existing annexe back into principal house – was resubmitted with some minor alterations and was supported by the council. 

At the meeting on Thursday the Council will consider:

i. 26/00562/TPO – Williams Wood, Vicarage Rd, Potten End, HP4 2RA – work to trees

ii 26/00534/FHA – Pipers Cottage, Nettleden Rd, HP1 3DQ – Installation of solar panels system on the roof of the Annex to Pipers Cottage. Housing a storage battery and electric car charger in an external alcove to the side of the garage doors

iii 25/02852/OUT – Mollcroft, 69 Hempstead Lane, Potten End, HP4 2RZ – for the construction of up to three self/custom built dwellings. See the comment at the top of this newsletter.

The Planning Appeal lodged by 26 Hempstead Lane relating to the construction of gates too close to the road has been dismissed and the ruling by the Planning Inspectors is a must read if you’re considering installing gates to your drive.

Along with most other Parish and Town Councils in the Borough, the Council lodged a number of objections to proposals from Dacorum to change the process by which some planning applications will be managed, reducing the amount of local input to certain applications. We’ve yet to receive formal feedback but understand informally that at least some of these proposals are to be reconsidered.

The Parish Council participated in the final stages of the Planning Inspectors’ review of Dacorum’s draft Local Plan, arguing that the proposal to build 750 houses near Polehanger Lane which would significantly reduce the gap between Potten End and Hemel was not included in earlier drafts of the Local Plan and therefore failed to follow due process resulting in residents being unable to comment. Also that as the development lies equidistant between Hemel and Berkhamsted that at least some of the increased traffic would flow through Potten End. We’re now waiting for the Inspector’s comments.

The Parish Council will be considering whether to ask for volunteers to undertake a character appraisal of the Potten End Conservation Area.

Open Spaces

The Council agreed not to allow Berkhamsted Raiders to use the football pitch because of the difficulty of managing parking on Homefield. However it did agree to allow PE Cricket Club to enter into an agreement with a second cricket club to use the sports field on the weekends when it is available for a trial season. 

The play equipment has successfully past it’s first professional inspection of the year with only a few minor repairs required.