Hertfordshire: Plans submitted for 300 homes on green belt land

An illustrative masterplan of how the 300-home site in Redbourn may look

Plans have been submitted to build 300 homes on green belt land.

The developers, Vistry Group and Turley, said they could create a "high quality, sustainable new neighbourhood" in Redbourn, Hertfordshire.

The application said the project met the special circumstances needed for building on green belt land as it would provide new housing for a council which does not have a local plan.

The proposals are out for consultation until 5 March.

A decision by St Albans City & District Council is expected before the end of April.

The authority does not have a local plan, which decides how land is used and what can be built where, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The developers also said the site did not represent any unrestricted sprawl in the area, and would not lead to towns or villages merging.

The proposed development would be next to the M1

As local facilities would be accessible on foot and bus services would be within walking distance, the site should be seen as a highly sustainable location, developers said.

The plans only featured details about access onto the site, with matters relating to appearance, layout and housing mix due to be finalised and submitted at a later stage of the planning process.

The site could include up to 105 affordable homes, the plans said.

As well as new homes, the development would include a park to the southern area of the neighbourhood, which the developers said would "help assimilate the site into its setting and create a green focal destination for new residents and the wider community".

According to the developers, if permission was granted construction could begin in summer 2023, with 20 homes would be built in 2023-24 followed by 50 homes a year until 2026-27, with 25 in the final year of construction.