RESIDENTS in Rickmansworth are giving their all to fight the construction of up to 16 new homes in the area.

This week saw the beginning of a planning appeal brought by Banner Homes and defended by Three Rivers District Council and the residents of the Cedars Estate.

Banner Homes is appealing against the council's decision to refuse two applications to demolish three houses in Nightingale Road and replace them with schemes of either 11 houses or eight houses and eight flats.

Successful appeals by developers in the past may have knocked public confidence in the planning process but Ceward, as the residents term themselves, was determined not to let big money get in the way of a little people's victory.

While the council defends its decision, the group has hired a barrister to argue its case.

Mr Nigel Balchin, who has led Ceward in its fight against what residents see as an assault on the character of Nightingale Road and the town in general, said the group had spent £7,500 in legal costs to date.

He said: "We thought we would throw everything at it. If we try and fail, at least we have given it a good go."

Residents on the Cedars Estate, which includes the side of Nightingale Road in question and stretches as far as Chorleywood, have raised more than £5,000, with more than 100 households contri- buting.

Mr Balchin explained people had been happy to contribute because of the significance of the appeal.

He said: "If this succeeds it will open up the floodgate and the whole of the Cedars Estate could be destroyed.

"This particular case is an exceedingly important case for the council and residents, not just for our sakes but for the whole of the immediate area of Rickmansworth town centre."

Ceward is currently investigating the option of reinforcing a covenant restricting the number of dwellings on the Cedar Estate to one house per plot, which it would pursue should Three Rivers lose the appeal.

This option follows a High Court victory in November last year in which a judge ruled that, despite previous breaches of density covenants on the Cedars Estate, such covenants are still valid and enforceable.

The court order, brought by residents in The Mount, Chorleywood, is enforceable across the whole of the Cedars Estate and is one last trick up Ceward's sleeve.

However, for Mr Balchin, it is the end of the road.

He has decided to sell his house, which has been his home of 14 years, as whether the appeal is successful or not, he suspects the onslaught on the spacious gardens that characterise much of Rickmansworth and Chorleywood will continue.

He said: "It will become an area unsustainable for me and my aspirations for a certain quality of life."

The appeal continues.

June 17, 2002 11:30