Local Plan

The full results of the Regulation 18 Consultation on the new Local Plan are now available and over 90% of responses supported the adoption of the Low Growth / Green Belt Protection option. Whilst this will mean that there will be some development on Green Belt, it is limited to areas which are assessed as having a Moderate or lower importance to the Green Belt. In Chorleywood’s Green Belt, this is limited to development of the farmyard at Hill Farm which is already developed.
 
Based on these results, earlier this week Three Rivers District Council agreed to continue with this option in preparing the final draft of the Plan for submission to Examination. We have long argued for this and support this approach of balancing housing need with Green Belt protection. The Council will now complete all the documents required for the final plan which will go to a final (Regulation 19) consultation in September / October this year and then be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for Examination in February next year. This timetable means that there is a reasonable chance that the Local Plan will be considered under the current National Planning Policy Framework, which allows for more protection of Green Belt.