Councillors have suggested they may take action to prevent the building of new gated communities, arguing they set an “unwelcome trend.”

Three Rivers District Council’s development control committee, meeting in Rickmansworth last night (Thursday), reluctantly approved the building of large metal gates at the entrance to a new-build estate in Scots Hill, Croxley Green.

Committee members, however, who admitted they had no lawful reason to refuse the request, decided to examine ways of limiting future application with an amendment to the council’s local development frame work plan – effectively a planners’ rulebook.

Croxley Green councillor Phil Brading was highly critical of the application, by the builders of 15 new homes in Chalmers Court, next to Rickmansworth School. It could, he said, set an unwelcome precedent.

He said: “This is beginning to set a trend that I do not welcome. Croxley Green is a very close community and my feeling is that gated communities create small ghettos.

“I am very uneasy about this kind of application. I don’t like the idea of people shutting themselves away.”

Councillor Brading warned that, buoyed by a ruling in its favour, developer Howarth Homes would now seek to erect gates at its 51 home development at the bottom of Harvey Road.

Councillor Ann Shaw added: “Gates like these are really anti community and I do not welcome them. It is incredibly sad and we should be discouraging them.”

Most committee members confessed they shared Councillor Shaw’s unease but opted to approve the application in the knowledge that they would lose any subsequent legal appeal if they did not.