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Residents of Abbots Langley and surrounding areas are to be consulted further over the location of 4,000 new houses which have been proposed to be built in Three Rivers. The target was outlined by the government In its draft of the East of England Plan which was produced in December last year. The aim is to reach this target by the year 2021, but it faces strong opposition from Three Rivers District Council. The area has been recognised by the campaign to Protect Rural England as one of the best districts in the whole country for building on previously developed land, the council is determined that its reputation is kept in tact. The council now needs to find extra land to accommodate the new houses and will consult locals over the best way to approach this. As well as suitable previously developed areas and locations that already have planning permission, some additional space is expected to be needed. Ideas that are being considered include further development within urban areas on previously developed green belt land, and on green belt land at the edge of urban areas. It would take around 14 years for this development when brown field land and existing land with planning permission have been used. The expected space that will be required in addition to the brown field land and land with planning permission already, is somewhere between 18 and 31 hectares. Martin Trevett, Environmental Portfolio Holder for Three Rivers, has major concerns about the East of England Plan, as three quarters of the district is made up of greenbelt land. He told My Abbots: “No decision has been made yet as it is still in the consultation stage. We feel we have to be proactive in making suggestions, otherwise decisions will be made from above. Our concern is that with all the people that would be moving into the area, there is no provision for infrastructure. No plans made for schooling, transport links or health services have been made, which could do a lot of harm. I’d like to see the pressure eased on the South East of England and the population more scattered. It is nearly impossible to find the amount of land required because of the amount of greenbelt in the district.” Three Rivers consists of a total of 8,883 hectares, of which 6,873 hectares is green belt land (approximately 77% of the total). The Secretary of State has already sent new proposals based on the consolations that have taken place already, and research is ongoing. As well as Abbots Langley, the areas likely to be affected would be South Oxhey, Croxley Green, Maple Cross and Carpenders Park.
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