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