Residents express outrage at Local Area Forum in Bedmond Village Hall (From Watford Observer)

Residents express outrage at Local Area Forum in Bedmond Village Hall

5:52pm Tuesday 24th November 2009 in

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Residents last night accused councillors of being part of a “dictatorship” following a presentation about increasing housing in Abbots Langley.

Villagers expressed their anger at the Local Area Forum in Bedmond Village Hall, as Three Rivers District councillor Stephen Giles-Medhurst described areas that would be targeted for new housing.

The new, affordable housing initiative is part of the Government’s Core Strategy on residential development, which seeks to increase accommodation in the area by 2021.

Councillor Giles-Medhurst said: “Following the last public consultation we have made some changes to the proposed housing sites for development.

“We think we have got the least worst option.

“Woodside Road, the Working Men’s Club in Trowley Rise and Love Lane - all in Abbots Langley, will not have new housing.

“However, in order to comply with the Government, there will be an increase in housing in other areas.

“Leavesden Aerodrome will increase from 350 units to 400, Langleybury House will increase from 60 to 75 units, Fairways Farm up to 300 units and there will be adjustments to housing figures for Toms Lane and an area of Bricket Wood.”

A resident attending the meeting voiced her concerns that by increasing the estate sizes in Abbots Langley, trouble and crime would increase.

She said: “When will councillors learn that increasing estates will only bring trouble?

“You only need to look at the Ovaltine estate in Kings Langley.

“We as residents don’t want that, we don’t want more housing here.”

Anne Goldsmith, who lives in Toms Lane, next door to a proposed housing site, expressed her dismay that the level of planned units had more than doubled.

She said: “I was told by a councillor present tonight that there would only be seven units built next door to me.

“I’ve come here to find out that instead there will be around 15.

“I can’t understand how that has changed so significantly. Why was I told there would be only seven?”

Councillor Giles-Medhurst told attendees the council was still very “much at the planning stage”, but he could not guarantee that proposed units would not increase or decrease. He further explained that the council could not just opt out of adopting the Government’s proposal, just because residents did not want further housing.

A visibly angry villager accused councillors of refusing to stand up for local residents in the face of Government targets.

He said: “Why don’t you tell the Government we don’t want to be part of this – or are we living in a dictatorship?

“We’ve problems with parking and traffic and we’ve problems with sewage, all of which will increase with even more housing.

“Why can’t you sort all of that out before you start building further housing, wouldn’t that be the thing to do?”

Paul Goggins, Hertfordshire County councillor, said: “We have to obey the laws of the land.

“If the Government requires us to provide affordable housing in the area, then we must.”