Plans are approved at Planning Meeting on 11th July 2024
On 11th July 2024 at the HBC Planning Meeting the development to build elderly residence in Elstree Village on the Celics Horse Sanctuary site was almost unanimously approved by Councillors and Planners. Although weight is given to Green Belt, much weight was also given to providing accommodation for the older population. This is in line with HBC's housing targets from Central Government but not in line with rules for Green Belt for which housing does not constitute Very Special Circumstances.
For more details of the plans see Retirement Village Groups website
For more details of the plans see Retirement Village Groups website
Application to be heard at the Planning Meeting 11th July 2024
These plans will be heard at the Planning Meeting at HBC on 11/7/24.
Please ensure you have sent your objections prior to this date.
Please ensure you have sent your objections prior to this date.
Objections to HEL 212 Land off Watford Road in Hertsmere Local Plan
- This development is on Green Belt land which is protected. It can and should be preserved by Councils according to the National Planning Policy Framework 2023 (NPPF 2023)
- The settlement of Elstree will lose its separation and urban sprawl will occur
- Without significant improvements to the road infrastructure in Elstree village this development will increase traffic congestion, causing gridlock at rush hours
- There will be further risk of flooding as Green Belt acts as a natural soak away
- This development will bring more vehicles to Elstree crossroads causing both air and noise pollution
- This development on Green Belt will have a negative environmental impact
- This development will cause a loss of green space and footpaths, important for our health and wellbeing
- This development will cause a loss of habitat for animals, birds, and plant life
- Elstree already has two elderly people homes, Hill House on Elstree Hill South and Avery on Barnet Lane. It does not need more
- There are no community resources in Elstree to support more residents
- These homes will be unaffordable for too many in the Elstree and Borehamwood area
- The housing needs in this plan are not compliant with the Housing Needs Assessment produced for the Elstree & Borehamwood Town Council Neighbourhood Plan, currently in production.
- This development will cause a further strain on surgeries and other health services
- There has been insufficient local consultation before producing this plan
- The plans laid out do not follow the NPPF 2023 which only allows building on Green Belt in "Very Special Circumstances". My view is that building housing does NOT qualify.
January 2024: Update from Cecils Horse Sanctuary
The owners of the Cecils Horse Sanctuary have been advised by the developers that they must leave in April 2024.
They have no permanent local relocation plan for the Sanctuary, just an out of area back up plan that is not ideal.
They have no permanent local relocation plan for the Sanctuary, just an out of area back up plan that is not ideal.
August 2023: Plans have been submitted
Information sent from Robert Bolwell, Consultant at Keeble Brown working with Retirement Villages Group.
" After multiple rounds of feedback gathered through our public consultation, we have recently submitted our planning application to Hertsmere Borough Council.
The council is in the process of validating the application before it will be available to the wider public to view and respond to on the planning portal.
We are particularly pleased with the designs, amenity, and wider benefits it proposes to being to Elstree."
For details of this development see their website which is thorough and provides contact details.
They also have a facebook page that can be found on the website Contact page.
EBGBS will be objecting to this development once the plans are available.
Watch this space for further details but do look through the website for more information about their proposals.
" After multiple rounds of feedback gathered through our public consultation, we have recently submitted our planning application to Hertsmere Borough Council.
The council is in the process of validating the application before it will be available to the wider public to view and respond to on the planning portal.
We are particularly pleased with the designs, amenity, and wider benefits it proposes to being to Elstree."
For details of this development see their website which is thorough and provides contact details.
They also have a facebook page that can be found on the website Contact page.
EBGBS will be objecting to this development once the plans are available.
Watch this space for further details but do look through the website for more information about their proposals.
March 2023: Letter from The Barnet Society objecting to the development on Cecils Horse Sanctuary
The Barnet Society objects on principle to this proposal. We value Hertsmere’s Green Belt highly for its contribution to reducing CO² emissions, promoting biodiversity, the opportunities it offers for healthy activities, and for preserving the separate identities of Edgware and Borehamwood.
We objected strongly to Hertsmere’s draft Local Plan in 2021, including new housing on this site. The resounding rejection of that Plan by the public and its subsequent withdrawal by the Council demonstrates that this proposal is fundamentally flawed.
Robin Bishop
Planning & Environment Lead, The Barnet Society
We objected strongly to Hertsmere’s draft Local Plan in 2021, including new housing on this site. The resounding rejection of that Plan by the public and its subsequent withdrawal by the Council demonstrates that this proposal is fundamentally flawed.
Robin Bishop
Planning & Environment Lead, The Barnet Society
Retirement Properties proposed for site of Cecil Horse Sanctuary
Read what a local resident has reported after attending a presentation by the developers:
A presentation was made in September 2022 by Retirement Villages Group (RVG), which is bringing forward proposals for a retirement community on Watford Road in the heart of Elstree, on the site of Cecil’s Horse Sanctuary.
Keeble Brown has been appointed by RVG to lead on the public consultation programme in support of the project. As part of the programme, RVG held an initial online public engagement event via Zoom on Thursday 15 September, from 17:30 – 19:00. This was a chance to introduce RVG and the wider project team, view the initial proposals and answer any questions on the early-stage designs.
I have lived in Elstree all my life and I know every part of the area you’re talking about.
I live in Romeland, which borders the land you are proposing to build on.
My house looks westward over the Aldenham Estate. Numbers one, two and three Romeland face that finger of land on which you are proposing to build. The houses in Romeland are very close to the proposed site.
Many of the statements you made in your presentation are incorrect.
I suggest you need to do a lot more research than you have done thus far because you don’t appear to know the area very well at all.
Heineken, who own this land, are very happy to lease this land to RVG but it is understood that they will not be giving access through the pub car park.
There are many large ash trees on the site and in these times of consciousness for a green canopy would they be chopped down because they’ll interfere with their plans?
Elstree Village Resident September 2022
A presentation was made in September 2022 by Retirement Villages Group (RVG), which is bringing forward proposals for a retirement community on Watford Road in the heart of Elstree, on the site of Cecil’s Horse Sanctuary.
Keeble Brown has been appointed by RVG to lead on the public consultation programme in support of the project. As part of the programme, RVG held an initial online public engagement event via Zoom on Thursday 15 September, from 17:30 – 19:00. This was a chance to introduce RVG and the wider project team, view the initial proposals and answer any questions on the early-stage designs.
I have lived in Elstree all my life and I know every part of the area you’re talking about.
I live in Romeland, which borders the land you are proposing to build on.
My house looks westward over the Aldenham Estate. Numbers one, two and three Romeland face that finger of land on which you are proposing to build. The houses in Romeland are very close to the proposed site.
Many of the statements you made in your presentation are incorrect.
- Your proposed cottages will not have a view North over the Aldenham Estate land because there is a very high ancient hedgerow which is on Aldenham Estate land.
- Another falsehood is that anybody living in the cottages would have access to the High Street. There is no village access to this finger of land. Residents would have to walk to the exit that you are proposing onto the Watford Road to get to the village.
- Regarding the Doctors Surgery, 140 units with over 140 (some will have 2 residents) 65-year-olds could not be catered for by Schopwick Medical Centre which is overstretched already.
- Somebody told you that they were closing. This is incorrect, they are looking for a new site. If you were to build a new surgery on your land you might have some hope of getting planning permission for development.
- As the residents of the proposed complex get older, they will need more care. This will be a drain on the already over stretched local services.
- This type of development will not meet the needs of the local residents as it will be too expensive.
- Residents will need cars to travel to places of recreation, leisure and shopping. This will exacerbate the problems that already exist at Elstree Cross Roads, the most polluted in terms of air particulates in the whole of Hertfordshire.
- The Watford Road entrance to the Musicians’ estate was closed off because of traffic issues. This is exactly opposite the proposed entrance to this new development. Approaching, as it does, a very busy and complex crossroads, this cannot be allowed.
- There is already a Care home, Hill House, and there is no evidence that more houses for this age group are needed.
- Signature have recently taken over the Care Home in Barnet Lane
I suggest you need to do a lot more research than you have done thus far because you don’t appear to know the area very well at all.
Heineken, who own this land, are very happy to lease this land to RVG but it is understood that they will not be giving access through the pub car park.
There are many large ash trees on the site and in these times of consciousness for a green canopy would they be chopped down because they’ll interfere with their plans?
Elstree Village Resident September 2022