Borehamwood's Organ Hall Farm could be site of 110 homes

Set to be voted on by Hertsmere Borough Council on Thursday (November 16), the Organ Hall Farm development, between Radlett and Borehamwood, has sparked around 900 objections but the developer remains hopeful permission will be granted.

This is because the planning officer report agreed with the developer that, despite the homes being set for the green belt, “very special circumstances exist that would clearly outweigh this harm”.

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It has therefore been recommended that permission be granted, but it is still ultimately up to the council’s planning committee.

Of the 110 homes, 44 would be classed as affordable and Watford Community Housing is apparently looking to manage them. 13.5 acres of the site, adjacent to a smaller existing development, would be left as green, publicly accessible open space.

The other major feature of the plan is a building that would be ready for a local medical centre to move to.

Manor View Practice’s existing Borehamwood location can only serve 9,000 patients and needs to move. After the local NHS contacted the developer, Griggs Homes, a place for it to be relocated to was added to the development, able to accommodate 21,000.

The NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) sent a letter in support of the plan, stressing the need for new primary healthcare facilities in Hertsmere.

Griggs Homes' Oliver Myrants described the application as the result of “extensive collaborative hard work” alongside the borough and county councils and the NHS.

“We fully appreciate the sensitive nature of this application being in the green belt,” Mr Myrants admitted, but he also highlighted the “seminal moment” of very special circumstances being recognised in Hertsmere.

The planning director added: “We hope the committee will support their officer’s professional and detailed assessment of the scheme and grant permission in accordance with the recommendation.”

The planning report recognised that 895 neighbour responses were against the plan but said that “the majority” were automated responses from the Save Hertsmere website.

Masterplan for the Organ Hall Farm proposal. (Image: Griggs Homes)

The objections were broken down into 15 issue topics, primarily around harm to the green belt.

Overall, the report considered that each topic had been addressed or was not a material planning consideration.