Housing Development Rejected on Former Hertfordshire Gasworks Site

A housing developer has been denied permission to construct nearly 500 residences on a former gasworks site in Hertfordshire, which has been derelict for almost 30 years. Dacorum Borough Council’s planning committee voted against granting approval for the land located near Hemel Hempstead railway station, despite council officers recommending the plan’s approval. Councillors cited the height of the proposed buildings, which would have reached up to 10 storeys, as the reason for their refusal. This decision was made despite warnings from officers about the risk of costs being awarded against the council if the developer successfully appealed the decision. Berkeley Homes confirmed at the meeting on Thursday its intention to appeal the rejection. Eight percent of the 476 one and two-bedroom flats were intended to be designated as affordable, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. This figure was significantly below the council’s expectation of 35%. However, the developer stated that the project would not have been financially viable with a higher percentage, given the decontamination costs involved in making the site suitable for housing. Dacorum currently has a housing land supply of only 1.69 years, which is considerably less than the required minimum of five years. The gasworks site had been identified in the borough’s draft Local Plan as a “brownfield regeneration opportunity.” The committee’s decision came just days after the government proposed reforms aimed at preventing developments from being rejected against officer advice “only to be overturned on appeal, delaying appropriate development and wasting taxpayers’ money.” Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner stated that overhauling planning rules to bypass local authorities would remove “chaos and subjectiveness” from the system. These changes would grant local authority planning officers the power to approve development proposals without requiring permission from committees, provided they comply with locally agreed plans and national regulations. News for Beds, Herts, and Bucks is available on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Information regarding its approach to external linking is available.