The fate of an historic farm in Oxhey Hall will be determined at a public inquiry later this week.

The inquiry, to be held on Wednesday and Thursday in Three Rivers House, Rickmansworth, will decide whether to reclassify land around Oxhey Hall Farm so that it no longer has to be used for agriculture.

The land, owned by French company Veolia, is home to the 700-year-old Grade II listed Oxhey Hall Barn.

Local residents have been campaigning to save the site and have set up a petition against the reclassification.

Three Rivers District Council has twice refused the application for change of use and Veolia, which owns Three Valley Water, has now appealed to the secretary of state.

TRDC development control committee chairman, Sara Bedford, said: "The council will be vigorously defending its decision to refuse the application to convert the buildings at Oxhey Hall Barns.

"The development control committee felt that the development was inappropriate in the Green Belt setting and that the alterations and new buildings would destroy the character of the listed buildings.

"In addition, there would be insufficient private garden space for the homes, with the communal gardens away from the homes behind the garage block."