We’re encouraging residents to object to a large planning application that will destroy green belt land just north of Oxhey Village.
The ‘Farm Way’ development would see more than 700 properties built on a huge patch of green belt land behind the Metropolitan Police Club and Royal Connaught Park. While the application is in Bushey, we are concerned about the precedent this sets for unrestricted urban sprawl, as well as the damage to wildlife and biodiversity.
This is a hybrid application, which means that part of it is for full planning, and the rest is ‘outline’ planning. The outline planning includes a 70-bed care home, land reserved for a primary school and drinking establishments/other non-residential uses.
How to object to these developments
To object to the plans, visit the Hertsmere planning portal and search for the reference number 25/0972/FULEI. We would encourage you to object as soon as possible.
The strongest argument against this application is that the development would breach three of the five key purposes of green belt (set out in the National Planning Policy Framework). These are:
a) to check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas
b) to prevent neighbouring towns merging into one another
c) to assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment
The development will result in wholesale destruction of wildlife habitats. This includes endangered species, such as bats and hedgehogs, resulting in a decline in biodiversity. The scale of lost green space would also significantly impact wellbeing in the local community; not just people living in Hertsmere.
As an organisation run entirely by volunteers, we are reliant on membership to be able to fight these issues on behalf of the community. To help us protect our wonderful green belt, please consider joining OVEG today.
Tips for an effective objection
To be successful, we need to give Hertsmere planners and councillors strong planning reasons to turn down the application.
Use your own words as this has much more impact than lots of identical objections. Your objection doesn’t need to be long, just enough to show the negative effect it will have on you, should the development go ahead.
Do not use the following reasons for objecting. This is because, under planning law, the council cannot accept them as a reason for refusing an application, so you will be wasting your time:
- Additional traffic/road safety issues (these are only considered when the county council highways department flags a problem
- We don’t want more houses/we have enough houses in the area already
- There isn’t sufficient infrastructure to cope with more houses (i.e. utilities, schools, GP surgeries
Consultation on the Three Rivers Local Plan
In addition to the above, you may wish to be aware of the Three Rivers Local Plan that will influence future planning decisions for the next 16 years. It will determine whether all future applications will be approved, even if they are on green belt land, and despite the objections of local residents. The deadline for comments is 31 August 2025.
To view the local plan and have your say, visit the Three Rivers Local Plan page, scroll down and click on the top file under ‘Documents’ called ‘Regulation 18, part 5 Consultation.’
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