Plans for up to 78 homes in Church Lane in Sarratt rejected

Outline plans for up to 78 homes between Church Lane and Sarratt Road in Sarratt would “irreversibly” change the “tranquil” countryside setting, Three Rivers District Council concluded.

Burlington Property Group has been seeking to use the land to build homes along with a new centre for the 1St Sarratt Scout Group, as well as provide a new home for the “outdated and cramped” New Road Surgery currently in Church Lane.

Read more: Up to 20 affordable homes in Sarratt green belt rejected

Planning agent Boyer had argued the new community facilities and a need for new homes demonstrated “very special circumstances” that are needed to build on protected green belt.

Scout leader David Alexander wrote a letter in support, stating this is a “once in a lifetime opportunity” to secure the future of scouting in Sarratt, while Dr Kunal Patel also sent a letter outlining how a new surgery would be a “significant improvement”.

Outlined in red is the proposed development site. Image: Google Maps (Image: Google Maps)

But the plans also received a lot of criticism with 135 objections lodged. Concerns included the loss of green belt and village “character”. One person wrote the land was “natural beauty” that should be “preserved”.

Other concerns were raised about how traffic would be impacted locally with many roads being narrow country lanes. It was proposed access to the new site would be from Sarratt Road.

Read more: Plans for nearly 1,000 homes by Three Rivers border

After scrutinising the plans and comments in the public consultation, the council has listed seven reasons why it was refusing the scheme, in a decision dated October 5.

It was deemed the development would be “inappropriate” and would cause Sarratt village to “sprawl” into the countryside.

Described as an “obtrusive” form of development, it would “irreversibly change the tranquil setting” and “detrimentally affect the countryside experience”.

The land that has been proposed to be developed between Church Lane and Sarratt Road. Image: Google Street View (Image: Google Street View)

The council also said the land would be an “undesirable” location for a medical centre because of a lack of sustainable transport links.

The offering of 43 affordable homes, meeting the council’s affordable housing policy, also failed to sway the council, because the applicant had not demonstrated there is a “genuine need” for the proposed tenure mix in Sarratt.

This application is linked to outline plans for nine homes on green belt land in New Road in Sarratt.

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