Application withdrawn

The application for the redevelopment of Little Hay involving the dumping of 247,000 cubic metres of construction waste has been withdrawn.

It has been a long haul from the initial publicity in May 2013 when the proposals were announced as a redevelopment at no cost to the taxpayer and involving ecological improvements. In the ensuing sixteen months, as the plans were scrutinised more closely the reality became clear.  The combined opposition of Dacorum Borough Council planners, The Campaign for the Protection of Rural England, the Environment Agency and many others started to ring alarm bells.  All the time your letters of objection were mounting up.  Many of these, along with those from Box Lane and Bovingdon expressed deep concern for our rural environment. In the end, Hertfordshire County Council's own planning department recommended refusal.  At this point it became clear to the applicant that what was proposed would cause considerable damage.

A big thank you to those who worked so hard to safeguard our environment.

Development Control Committee Meeting HCC

The planning application for Little Hay Golf Course Remodelling will be heard at the County Council’s Development Control Committee Meeting on 21^st October at County Hall.

As you will already have seen, the recommendation of Hertfordshire’s County Council Planning Officer is refusal.  Nevertheless, the decision rests with the Planning Control Committee. 

We understand that Richard Roberts our County Councillor and Jack Organ our Dacorum Councillor will speak opposing the application.  Rachel Biggs will present a petition which she has worked with others to produce.  Mike Pritchard will speak on behalf of Bourne End.  Malcolm Davey, a resident of Box Lane will, speak on behalf of Bourne End Bovingdon and Box Lane Action group.

We hope others will be able to attend, demonstrating the strength of feeling opposing the plan.  The meeting will start at 10.00 a.m.  A map showing the location of County Hall is available here, and a map showing parking is a available here.

Recommendation that permission should be refused

The report prepared for Hertfordshire Development Control Committee has now been published.  It recommends that planning permission should be refused.

The full report can be read here.

Does this recommendation to refuse mean the application is now dead?  No ! This is a very positive step, but, there is still a ‘but’! The committee of Herts County councillors (who in this case are the relevant authority) could still recommend approval. To do this, they would have to overturn the recommendations of both Hertfordshire and Dacorum’s planners and a whole range of other objections. 

Separately Dacorum ( the landowners  but not the operator) have to give permission. Under these circumstances we would consider that as landowners Dacorum would find it hard to justify to its electorate the wisdom of proceeding.  But the considerations may not quite be the same.

Remember that the whole saga has continued for well over a year after Dacorum’s planners firmly rejected the proposals! We, and you, need therefore to continue with our objections on both fronts.  Members of BEVA and the Bovingdon, Box Lane and Bourne End Action Group will be speaking at the planning meeting at County Hall on 21^st October.