How to stop Green Belt land becoming Grey Belt!
In December 2024, the Government made major revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) - the rule book that dictates planning decisions.
In order to facilitate house building, the changes included relaxing the protections given to the Green Belt. Previously, ‘exceptional circumstances’ had to be demonstrated to justify building on Green Belt land. The December 2024 revisions introduced a new category of land - ‘Grey Belt’.
This was marketed by the Government as being land in the Green Belt such as a disused petrol station - not genuine green space. However, in reality, land could be considered ‘grey belt’ if it did not strongly meet most of the five purposes of the Green Belt, and in practice, every application now put forward claims the site is grey belt.
Some Councils are accepting this without challenge, thereby removing protection for Green Belt land in their District, thus the grey belt definition is a critical component in the current mass destruction of Green Belt land.
The following petition is asking that the Government revise the definition of grey belt to return protection for the Green Belt. The Harpenden Society endorses this policy revision and the petition below.
Please sign this petition and send it on to all your friends and family, and ask them to forward it too. If you are a user of social media, please put it on all your channels.
The petition has already exceeded the 10,000 signatures needed to receive an answer from the Government, but the answer at this stage will be dismissive. It needs to exceed the 100,000 signatures that require the subject to be debated by Parliament for there to be any real hope of changing the current situation.
Please remember to click the link that will be sent to your email after signing, but may not be immediate, and check your spam. This is the only way your vote will be counted.
Parking Sign fines in order at the District Council says the Harpenden Society.
Sunday’s (10th August 2025) unannounced installation of new parking signs to show the new PayByPhone option turned out to be a complete fiasco.
After the initial removal of the old signs and replacements with the new versions it was discovered that the start time was shown as 8.30 am and not the 9.00am as previously stated.
The District Council’s installation team hurriedly removed the new signs and reinstalled the originals. A touch of ‘Monty Python’ activity in action. Hardly a process to win over the hearts and minds of many disgruntled Harpenden residents and retailers who are acutely aware of the capital costs incurred during the whole process. Whilst the Society welcomes the simplification of having just one code, something that we have been campaigning for, Chairman Jeff Phillips asked "“Didn’t anyone check the artwork before printing?”
It is hoped that further changes and improvements will be implemented by the District Council following the agreed review in November.
We asked the District Council for a comment about the sign fiasco.
Chris Traill, Strategic Director for Community and Place Delivery, said:
“This is because the new signs for Harpenden were printed with incorrect information about the hours that restrictions apply.
A few signs were installed on Sunday when the error was spotted and they were immediately taken down. New signs with the correct information are being printed and we hope to install them soon.
In the meantime, customers in Harpenden should continue using the two code system. Users will be able to input one code on their mobile phone instead of two to obtain both the free half-hour parking and to pay for additional time. The new signs highlight this change.
PayByPhone adapted its software to one code in response to a request from the Council as we became aware some residents found the two code system confusing.
We apologise for any confusion and hope to have the one-code system up and running in Harpenden, with appropriate signs installed, very soon.”
Harpenden Society Congratulates LADACAN on Judicial Review Milestone
The Harpenden Society warmly congratulates LADACAN (Luton and District Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise) for successfully securing a Judicial Review into the government’s decision to permit the expansion of Luton Airport — a campaign which has been entirely self-funded by the group.
In granting permission for the Judicial Review, the judge commented that while “some grounds are stronger than others,” the case “does meet the threshold of arguability.” This marks an important step in holding the decision-making process to account.
The airport's owners now have seven weeks to submit more detailed arguments, after which LADACAN will have a further three weeks to respond. A hearing date will then be confirmed.
Martyn Reed, Transport Representative for The Harpenden Society, praised the achievement:
“We congratulate Andrew and the LADACAN team on reaching this significant milestone. We support many of LADACAN’s objectives and will continue to apply a coordinated ‘pincer movement’ to ensure the negative impacts of Luton Airport on Harpenden residents are kept to a minimum.”
If members wish to support support LADACAN then visit https://ladacan.org/
2025 Seniors' Fair
The annual Seniors' Fair organised by the Harpenden Trust at the EMC seemed to be one of the best attended in recent years, and the Society’s stall generated plenty of interest.
Along with colleagues, we must have spoken at length with dozens of attendees, many of whom were existing members, and the vast majority of those thought we were doing a good job….very good to hear!
However, the majority of those we spoke to were not members of the Society, and most didn’t know what we did! Thankfully our new membership leaflet proved helpful as it gave brief details about the Society.
So it was good to engage with them to explain that we were a non-political charity focussed on maintaining, and enhancing the ambience and uniqueness of the community that is Harpenden. And our latest Newsletter was well received as it gave a comprehensive review of our current activities.
Once we got passed that issue, the questioning we got was inevitably aimed at the current issues, very much of the ‘why are they doing this?’ or ‘why can’t they…? variety.
So the conversations centred on parking in the town centre, the impact of the recent planning approval for the L&G development at Cooters End, and the recent approval of Luton Airport’s application to expand its capacity to 32mppa.
This got quite heated at times, as many were upset by the number of changes that seemed to have come along at the same time.
So we answered by outlining the role the Society has played on the parking question, arguing for the continuation of the one hour free parking period, and a charging regime that was simple to comprehend and understand - and that we need a proper parking strategy that would cope with the substantial increase in Harpenden’s population, envisioned by the Local Plan.
We also emphasised that the Cooters End project is only one of a number foreseen by the Local Plan. Whilst we recognised the need to build more homes and were supportive of that Plan, we will argue and lobby for significant improvements in the town’s infrastructure – traffic management, parking, access to the station, health services, schools etc – and will try to ensure that the financial and in kind contributions from the developers, required by any planning permission granted, are actually spent and used by our community.
As for Luton Airport, we explained that the Society had played a major role within the opposition groups, alongside LADACAN and others, and were pleased to find that we had succeeded in persuading the Planning Inspectors to refuse permission. Sadly, the Government took a different view, influenced not least by the closure of the Stellantis vehicle plant and the loss of jobs.
Overall, I think our pitch was well received by most of those we talked to, even though we may not have convinced all to become members.
But we can hope….
550 new homes approved in NW Harpenden
This approval flies in the face of the realities of the geography of the A1081, and the negative impact on the traffic and town centre infrastructure arising from a development of this size cannot be understated.
Moreover, the quantum involved is almost double the number of houses that have been included for this site in the Local Plan, now with the Planning Inspectorate.
Furthermore, we note that this application appears to have been heavily influenced by the recent policy shift that recognises ‘Grey Belt’ land. This looks to the Society as a rabbit being pulled out of a hat, as the officials’ view appears to have been turned by this, without any sign of a robust challenge.
It is more than disappointing to see SADC councillors approving this project as presented, without attempting to defend the Local Plan figure put forward for this site.
The Society are not Nimbys, in that we recognise and accept the need for more housing in our area. This is why we have been supportive of that Plan.
However, we have been equally clear that any major development needs to recognise fully the impact it has on a community whose infrastructure, particularly the road system, town centre parking and rail capacity are already stretched.
We have consistently demanded that for any large scale development in the town, the infrastructure issues must be addressed at the same time as planning permission is formally sought. Those authorities involved, SADC, Herts County Council, NHS, the utility companies etc, must recognise and commit to the necessary improvements as a condition of the planning permission being granted.
This approval is woeful in that the infrastructure needs are being left to the usual ‘negotiation’ between the developers and SADC officials. Hopefully, we will see a more robust approach being adopted by officials in that negotiation,
Finally, one point worthy of mention is the inadequacy of the Herts Highways analysis that has come to light.
Highways understanding the realities of the location is underwhelming, with only one day’s observation of traffic flows taken at random. None of the reference sites they used are of a comparable size, and no recognition has been given in their support for the project of the traffic realities today – nor the impact on the town centre (not least in terms of parking), access to rail facilities, routes to employment centres, schools or health facilities. And most damning of all, of the reference surveys they quote, 7 of the 11 are pre 2010, and 3 are pre 2014.
Their conclusion that the increase in the number of daily car journeys that the 550 houses will generate is, frankly, laughable
Last but not least, this site, together with the one proposed for North Batford, suggests an increase in our community’s population over the next few years of approaching 5000 – an increase of over 15%. This appears lost on the transport planners, and their colleagues in education, social services and health. It’s about time Herts County Council recognise the overall impact that this increase in population will generate.
L&G Planning application for Land at Cooters End Lane and Ambrose Lane.
The Harpenden Society have already made objections to this site development and have now ( Oct 28th 2024) submitted further objections following the submission of amended plans to St Albans City & District Council.
This is a separate project from the forthcoming Local Plan.
These objections are listed below. We will keep Society members advised on progress.
Harpenden Society response to St Albans District Council Local Plan 2041
St Albans City and District Council have published their 278 page “Final Draft Local Plan”, under Regulation 19 of The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012, for “Technical consultation”. The Plan, when agreed, will be implemented between October 2024 and March 2041.
The Harpenden Society has prepared a response which it wishes to share with members.
The District Council believe that they have already fulfilled the requirement for a public consultation and this stage is simply to ensure that the propose plan is;
• Legally compliant
• Positively prepared
• Justified
• Effective Consistent with national policy
As always Members of the Society may wish to submit their own response before the deadline of 10am on Friday 8th November 2024.
Harpenden Society’s view on the SADC 2041 Local Plan proposal:
Harpenden is an attractive town and housing is in high demand. This makes it a very attractive proposition for developers. Without a current Local Plan we are in a perilous position which could result in inappropriate developments being forced upon us with little local control. We support the need to have a plan to be agreed swiftly.
2. We need more homes
As a country, and as a district, we need more homes and it is right that Harpenden has its share. Overall we support the number of homes that are being proposed for Harpenden but have concerns about the size and impact on our community of the two largest – B2 and B7
3. We need to secure the Green Belt
We acknowledge that previous commitments to protect the Green Belt are being undermined but, in the circumstances, accept that this is necessary. However the plan should define the revised boundaries to ensure that the original principles of greenbelt are maintained i.e. that towns and villages do not coalesce, and that any permitted development does not create the potential for further erosion of the green belt. Special protection should be provided to protect views of, and from, the Common; probably the single most important feature in the attractiveness of Harpenden.
4. Infrastructure needs improvement before development starts
Due to previous expansion, and changing lifestyles, the infrastructure that makes Harpenden a pleasant place to live is already overwhelmed. In particular, congested roads, insufficient parking, surface water and sewerage systems, health services and a lack of sustainable transport options. The County and District Councils and NHS bodies must undertake a full review of the current infrastructure and commit to make improvements, before any major new developments (in particular B2 and B7) are considered.
5. The existing roads around Batford cannot cope with the proposed development
The Society’s biggest single concern relates to the development in Batford (B2), an area which will already suffers from inadequate transport infrastructure and poor road layouts (with only two road crossings points into Harpenden) which are unable to cope with the current volume of traffic. Increasing the population in this area of Harpenden by 30% without adequate thought and investment will cause gridlock.
6. We need a parking strategy for Harpenden
At a time when parking is under scrutiny, it is concerning that numerous car parks including those at the railway station, Bowers Way East, at the rear of Waitrose and in Southview Road are under threat (UC14, UC15, UC50 and UC54) where proposed developments would reduce or extinguish parking capacity. We request a full parking review, to include on-street parking, is undertaken to ensure that our roads are free flowing and the retailers and business, whose customers are being impacted, remain viable.
7. We need smaller and medium size family homes
We support the proposed balance of housing biased towards small family homes (65% will be 3 bed or less).
8. We need affordable housing for the long term
We support the significant volumes of affordable housing (40% of large developments). We would suggest that legal devices are employed to ensure that the affordability of such housing is protected when those homes are resold.
9. Build up, not just out
We believe that the council should, where the topography of the land permits, consider three storey properties thereby minimising the use of land.
Harpenden Banking Hub
The town owes a debt of gratitude to Derek French.
As a member of the Harpenden Society we are proud to recognise Derek French’s long standing campaign to establish a Banking Hub in Harpenden. He is to be congratulated for his hard work which has now born fruit with the announcement from Harpenden Town Council that a temporary Hub will open on Dec. 11 in the Town Hall. This temporary hub is expected to be replaced with a permanent location in the town centre sometime next year.
The full story behind this success follows in Derek’s own words….
‘Post early retirement, when the principal targets for bank branch closures were smaller communities like Redbourn and Wheathampsted, I voluntarily established and led for 18 years the national Campaign for Community Banking Services backed by at times by up to 30 national charities and small business organisations. We repeatedly put to the banks for larger towns what is now dubbed a Banking Hub which was a fully costed and evidenced model but the banking industry were not only reluctant they were diametrically opposed. Having secured the Post Office agreement the Campaign was wound up in 2016 but I personally re-engaged when NatWest closed, the first bank to go, in Harpenden May 2018. Larger towns, ideal candidates for the Banking Hub model, had become the banks' targets.
After years of lobbying by me and organisations, successive governments backed the mission culminating in the Conservative's legislation and the incoming Labour government's commitment to at least 350 Banking Hubs this parliament. Locally of course with other similar towns we have experienced the block on Banking Hubs caused by Nationwide's continued presence although it does not solve the problem. With the full co-operation and efforts of Harpenden Town Council, both political administrations, we have successfully lobbied for exemptions to the Nationwide block for a few deserving larger towns and we are where we are now on the verge of an Interim Hub pending securing of a suitable town centre premises for the permanent home.’
Competition winners L2R. Tim Tate, Katharine Tate. David Whitbread and Brian Cooke.
On stage announcing the winners Left. Steve Collins chair of the Harpenden Photographic Society and Right Martyn Reed from the Harpenden Society and one of the competition organisers
An overall view inside the High St. Methodist Church Hall
2024/2025 Photography Competition
Winners Presentation at the Harpenden Photographic Society Photography Exhibition on April 26.
Martyn Reed and Steve Collins announced the 5 winners from the stage in the High Street Methodist Church Hall in front of a large audience who were attending the Harpenden Photographic Society Photography Exhibition.
Dozens of entries were received to reflect what makes Harpenden the No 1 most desirable town.
‘As can be seen from the winners’ photographs the creative input and quality was exceptionally high which made judging quite difficult’, said Martyn Reed from the Harpenden Society and one of the competition organisers.
‘Our annual Exhibition was selected as being a natural venue to announce and display the winners as it showed how much photographic talent abounds in Harpenden’ said Steve Collins, chair of the Harpenden Photographic Society.
The winners all received Waterstones gift tokens and free membership of the Harpenden Society PLUS being part of the Harpenden Society photo library where their images could be used on future promotional material.
WINNERS List