Developer restarts consultation on controversial 1,400-home Marshcroft development in Tring

Harrow Estates is contacting Tring residents regarding its plans to construct a new ‘garden village’ in the area.

With Marshcroft included in Dacorum Borough Council’s home-building plans between now and 2041, the developer is working on a new planning application.

At this stage, the company is canvassing public opinion ahead of designing the complex and drafting its submission.

A previous planning application from the company drew heavy criticism from locals. National reports quoted residents who said Tring would be ‘unrecognisable’ and ‘gridlocked’ if a major increase in housing was approved.

Campaign groups argued that the new village, which would be built on land east of Marshcroft Farm in Tring, would damage the Chilterns and the appeal of picturesque areas of natural beauty within Hertfordshire.

As well as the new properties, Harrow Estates wants to construct a new primary school, a secondary education facility, a sports hub and substantial open green spaces. If approved, the project could be operational by the end of the decade.

Under Harrow Estates current plans 45% of the new builds would meet the Government’s affordable criteria.

Tim Noden, planning director at Harrow Estates said: “Marshcroft is included in the New Local Plan for Dacorum which, pending adoption later next year, seeks a range of much-needed new homes including affordable, alongside community facilities and open green spaces.

“With the New Local Plan seeking housing delivery at Marshcroft by 2029/30, we are seeking initial views now to inform further work. This will build on the very significant design work and community engagement from the previous planning application which was submitted in 2022.

“Our aim is to deliver a scheme which aligns with the Council’s priorities for this site and serves both new and existing residents. We encourage residents to visit our website to learn more about Marshcroft’s allocation and our ongoing work, and to provide initial feedback.”

A spokesperson for the developer says on the Harrow Estates website that they are planning to submit the new proposals this summer.

Dacorum Borough Council’s wider housing plan includes a commitment to construct 15,332 homes in the borough between 2026 and 2041.

Upon announcing the plan in a meeting in October last year, then Dacorum Borough Council leader, Councillor Adrian England said: “It does feel like we’ve got a gun to our heads and there’s no point denying that.

“If there’s a gun to your head, there’s a gun to your head and it doesn’t matter whether you like it or not.”

Councillor England was referencing the new Government’s ambitious housing plans and fears that the central Government will intervene if local authorities are not proposing enough property sites.

When rejecting the previous housing application, the secretary of state said: “The proposed development represents inappropriate development in the Green Belt, for which Very Special Circumstances are required to justify the granting of permission.”

However, the decision was made prior to the latest ambitious housing plan being formally adopted in the region.

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