20,000 comments made in Three Rivers Local Plan

And Three Rivers District Council has admitted its Local Plan timetable will likely be delayed as a result of the huge response from concerned locals.

The draft local plan document, which was released earlier this year, revealed land which is most at risk of being developed to meet Government housing targets of 630 homes a year until 2038.

Vast swathes of green belt land are threatened across the district, including a 1,500 home development in Maple Cross and hundreds of new homes across the likes of Carpenders Park and near Abbots Langley and Kings Langley.

Alongside homes, the local plan also considers infrastructure such as such as shops, community facilities, transport, open space, sport and recreation, health and education facilities as well as setting out the policies against which planning applications will be assessed for the next fifteen years.

During the consultation process, a protest was held in Carpenders Park in which campaigners called for fields in the area to be protected. Meanwhile David Zerny, from Chandler's Cross Residents' Association, accused the council of not pushing back on its targets.

David Zerny from Chandler's Cross Residents' Association and prominent green belt campaigner in Three Rivers district

Following consideration of the public feedback in the consultation, the council says amendments will be made where "appropriate" and the council may seek to remove more sites or add new ones depending on what suggestions come forward.

This week, Three Rivers District Council leader Sarah Nelmes said she had written to the housing minister to "insist the target for house numbers be reduced".

She added: "We must ensure the balance is correct in building new homes and protecting our natural world, it is essential that we utilise all potential brownfield sites - but if we are to accommodate the national guidelines then more of the green belt will have to be allocated for housing."

Protest in Carpenders Park in August

Cllr Nelmes' Liberal Democrat colleague, Cllr Matthew Bedford, says he has submitted a motion for a council meeting next week which asks that MPs that represent residents in Three Rivers support the council in pushing the Government to relax its rules on housing targets.

Cllr Bedford added: "The plan will affect every community in Three Rivers and it is pleasing that so many residents have contributed their views.

"We still have a long way to go in the process and there will be another round of public consultation next year before we submit our plan to the government."