Building on undeveloped green belt is needed to meet the housing need in Three Rivers, a senior councillor has said.

Ahead of a consultation deadline on Friday, March 10, Councillor Stephen Giles-Medhurst (Leavesden) said areas of scrub and nature-poor environments could be used for new homes in the district.

The Liberal Democrat councillor, who is leading a review of Three Rivers’ planning rules, said he opposes the “inflated” Westminster government housing targets which the district council should aim to meet by 2038.

Ciarán Reed (Chorleywood North and Sarratt), leader of the Conservative Group, the second-largest party on the council, said a new national direction set by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities means green belt building is not necessary.

“The bottom line is that the government still has not changed its rules,” Cllr Giles-Medhurst said.

“Not building on the green belt, in the case of Three Rivers, would mean just 2,000 homes would be built in the plan period.

“That’s the number of homes that the brownfield sites which developers have said they would build on could accommodate.

“Similarly, the way the planning system works means that if we only approved smaller or infill developments, they would not meet the right threshold for the developer to provide new infrastructure like schools.

“Prime agricultural land for food production is also vital, so we need to find a balance between food production, the environment and housing needs through the local plan process, but there are undeveloped, unused green belt sites which could be used to facilitate growth – such as pockets of green space sandwiched between two major roads.

“Ultimately, if we do not build new homes we will be unable to house children who are growing up in Three Rivers and the people we need to work here.”

Three Rivers District Council is in the process of putting together its plan, and is running a consultation on a selection of sites which have come forward since the process began.

The largest site up for consideration is Notley Farm, Abbots Langley, which has capacity for 450 homes.

The council is also considering allocating 380 homes to King’s Langley Estate South – a parcel of agricultural land sandwiched between the M25 and Abbots Langley.

Allocating either site for development would mean redrawing the green belt boundary.

The council is considering scrapping some previously suggested proposals – including a 95.6 hectare parcel called King’s Langley Estate North (north of the M25) and a 40.6 hectare parcel at Croxley.

The capacity for new homes featured in the 2023 survey is 825 homes.

The consultation closes at 5pm on Friday, March 10.

Cllr Reed pointed to a proposed reform to the local plan process set out by Michael Gove in December last year.

The reform would mean housing targets remain in place but “flexibilities to reflect local circumstances” would be a “starting point” to the plan-making process.

Three Rivers District Council has already discussed finding evidence in a bid to reduce its original target of 12,624 homes by 2038.

Cllr Reed said: “The main issue you have got is that this local plan does not need to allocate housing on sites which are previously undeveloped green belt, particularly with the direction of national policy.

“We are committed to getting the right homes in the right places.

“There are so many other issues which could be fixed before we have to do that.

“Housing costs are a result of developers building and the council allocating sites for the wrong sorts of homes.

“We have done some great cross-party work about affordable housing in this local plan process.

“In the next local plan, these affordable housing policies have to be acted upon.

“Again, we need the right sort of homes in the right places not incredibly expensive homes that existing residents cannot afford.”

Consultation details and updates on the Three Rivers Local Plan are online: https://www.threerivers.gov.uk/egcl-page/new-local-plan