A development of 32 homes has been approved on a site that was once green belt.

The properties will be built on land to the south of the existing Grovehill Estate at Marchant Farm, adjacent to Laidon Square in Hemel Hempstead.

It will have pedestrian access from both Laidon Square to the north and Piccotts End Lane to the east, forming an extension to Grovehill.

Watford Observer: View of public shared surface connecting Piccotts End Lane to Laidon Square.View of public shared surface connecting Piccotts End Lane to Laidon Square. (Image: Dacorum Borough Council)

Dacorum Borough Council approved the application on July 10 after it was submitted in April 2022.

The council removed the land from green belt to the settlement of Hemel Hempstead as part of its strategy to meet the local housing needs.

All units will be available for social rent and the council has told the Watford Observer they have “no plans to sell the properties”.

The scheme includes a trio of three-storey buildings which will provide nine one-bedroom flats, six two-beds, and three two-beds with wheelchair access.

The scheme includes three, three-storey buildings to provide nine, one-bedroom flats, six, two-bedroom flats, and three, two-bedroom wheelchair accessible units.

There will also be eight two-bed houses, four three-bed houses, and two three-bedroom wheelchair accessible houses.

Across the site, 46 parking spaces, allocated and unallocated, will be included and within these larger bays will be provided for wheelchair users.

The planning application received three objections and no offers of support.

Watford Observer: The build is expected to begin at the end of this year or the beginning of next year.The build is expected to begin at the end of this year or the beginning of next year. (Image: Dacorum Borough Council)

The Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust claimed that the “biodiversity net gain [was] not proven”.

One person who lives near the site was unhappy a brownfield location was not chosen for the development instead.

Another resident was concerned that local infrastructure will be unable to support more people, adding that a “huge strain” will be placed on schools, shops and GPs.

However, a spokesperson from the council said that Hertfordshire County Council’s ecologist has confirmed that the proposals meet the biodiversity net gain expectations laid out in the Environment Act.

They added: “Condition 9 of the planning permission will secure the biodiversity measures to be incorporated within the development site and their future maintenance.”

The council did acknowledge the development is not on a brownfield site, but there is “no objection in principle to providing much-needed housing on this land”.

They added a community infrastructure levy has been secured to help meet additional “infrastructure burdens”.

The build is expected to begin at the end of this year or the beginning of next year.