Plans to refuse 160 homes at Killingdown Farm appealed

In May this year, a proposal for 160 homes at Killingdown Farm in Croxley Green was turned down by Three Rivers District Council's planning committee.

It would have been made up of two-storey houses and three-storey blocks of flats, with 45 per cent of the scheme designated as affordable housing.

Among the reasons the application was officially refused was the "harm" the development would have on Croxley Green Conservation Area and its Grade II listed buildings.

Councillors also said the widening of Little Green Lane would "urbanise" the area and have a "harmful impact on the rural character".

The refusal decision was welcomed by locals in Croxley Green - more than 300 objections were lodged on the council's planning portal, while nearly 2,500 people signed a petition to stop the development.

The proposed redevelopment site at Killingdown Farm marked in red. Credit: Google Maps

Nearly three months on, the applicants behind the Killingdown Farm redevelopment scheme have submitted an appeal, according to the council's planning portal.

It means a Government-appointed planning inspector will assess the application and could decide to overturn the council's refusal decision.

The official appeal process was not yet live on the Planning Inspectorate's appeal website at the time of publication.

When it does go live, members of the public will have an opportunity to make comments regarding the application via the Inspectorate website.

The land at Killingdown Farm is not as well protected as other areas in Three Rivers from development.

This is because the land was taken out of the green belt in 2014 and allocated as a potential new housing site.

The site has also been included in the council's list of sites for its upcoming local plan, which will set out where houses are likely to be built in Three Rivers over the next 15 years or so.