The council says anyone who wants to understand or comment on the proposals should attend, and residents can also submit views through the Your Voice Bucks consultation, which runs until 16 March. Please let the Parish Clerk know if you are attending.
The draft plan identifies Glebe land behind Stepnells, owned by the Oxford Diocese of the Church of England, as a potential housing site, following a call-out for available sites.
Parish Council chairman Bob Kennedy says only part of the Glebe land, which stretches up the hill, is likely to be developed, but confirms it is now formally earmarked for assessment on the draft Plan.
He also notes that although the former airfield at Lower End has been ruled unsuitable, it may still be linked to wider growth around Cheddington.
The chairman of Cheddington Parish Council also highlights that all the villages around Cheddington would be affected if, say, a new town were to be built up around Cheddington, especially Pitstone and Ivinghoe as the area under consideration on the Plan almost reaches those villages. She asks people to complete the Your Voice survey.
Local reaction on Everything Marsworth has been strong. Several residents fear that large-scale development across Marsworth, Cheddington, Pitstone and Ivinghoe could eventually merge the villages into “one large mass”, while others worry about the loss of farmland and the lack of infrastructure funding.
Some argue that brownfield sites should be prioritised, and that the county already has thousands of unbuilt, approved homes planned. Others simply express sadness at how quickly the character of the village might be changing.
The Marsworth site is one of around 400 locations being assessed across Buckinghamshire as the council works to meet sharply increased Government housing targets, now set at 95,000 homes.
You can have your say here, before March 16. ( https://yourvoicebucks.citizenspace.com/planning/2aa4b313/)
It is hoped that as many residents as possible are also able to come to the Parish Council meeting on March 9, at 8pm, and to the Annual Parish Meeting on Monday 13 April, from 6.15pm. Email the clerk at [email protected].
RED LION: The Red Lion, still waiting for planning permission to go ahead with repairs to fire damage, is very much open and hosting a music event on Sunday March 8. It features Scott, singing from 3pm to 5pm, and then an open mic session from 5pm to 8pm with students from Tring School, to raise funds for Hector’s House charity.
The pub’s darts team is on a winning streak and has been placed top of division two on their first season, says co-manager Mandy Oxley.
The Red Lion book club meeting last week was very well attended. They are now reading The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson, about a Tring Natural History Museum heist. The next meeting is on April 2, from 1.30pm to 3pm. All welcome.
Meanwhile, Nick Webb is still waiting to hear about planning permission for his smart conversion of the former White Lion pub into two homes, following long delays because of the Kingswood SANG.
He has another application in for four semi-detached dwellings in the former car park on the site.
MARSHCROFT
Final discussions on 46 per cent growth for Tring take place on March 3 and 4, amid worries that Dacorum Borough Council might try to approve 1,400 houses by the 'back door', says Graham Bright, chairman of Grove Fields Residents Association.
He has written an open letter to Cllr. Garrick Stevens, chairman of the Dacorum Development Management Committee.
Mr Bright’s letter asks councillors not to rule on the Marshcroft application until the Planning Inspectors finish examining the draft Local Plan, arguing that the scheme is so large it could predetermine where major development goes.
He says his planning consultant and KC warned the council in December that deciding it early would be “premature”, especially as the Local Plan’s site‑selection evidence may still be judged unsound.
He also disputes the developer’s claim that the land is “Grey Belt”, saying it remains Green Belt next to the Chilterns National Landscape, and that re‑designating it would set a national precedent.
He notes that both an Appeal Inspector and the Secretary of State have already confirmed the site’s strong Green Belt role, and that nothing has changed to justify exceptional circumstances.
He also appeals for continuing donations from local people to funds legal costs, to GFRA, sort code: 23-05-80, acc no: 24937695.
EGGS: There is a new egg vending machine, selling fresh farm eggs, by the canal bridge (no 123) in Ivinghoe. The price is £1.80 for half a dozen, payable by card.
PARTY IN THE PARK. This will next return to Pitstone in 2027, due to committee members’ personal commitments and the increasing cost of staging it, which is now around £3,000. It is hoped there will be some fringe events to raise money for the next one in 2027.
STREET FOOD HEROES. This group of street food vendors will be coming regularly to the Piggeries Taproom and Courtyard at Tring Brewery over the next nine months. They will be there on the first Thursday of every month, bringing Korean, Indian, Japanese, African food and more. The first event is on Thursday, March 5 from 4pm to 9pm. Best to arrive on foot if possible.
RESSIE: Wilstone Reservoir is full of water again, after having been very low over the winter. The new steps and footpath are due to open again to walkers by the end of March, following piling work on the embankments.
YOUNG FARMERS: Berkhamsted Young Framers Club has reopened for juniors, aged 10 to 16. The next meeting is at Hastoe Village Hall on Thursday, March 5, from 7pm to 9pm. Whatsapp 07766 914108 to book your place.
TRAINS: Train services will not run from Tring to London Euston and Milton Keynes over the Easter break, particularly on April 7 and 8. So do check services in advance before making plans.
SHAKESPEARE: After seven years, the Pendley Shakespeare Festival is returning to The Dembe Theatre, with A Midsummer Night’s Dream from August 12 to 16.
MARGARET’S MEMORIAL: Margaret Johnson, who was a stalwart of the village and All Saints Church for many years, passed away in January. Her memorial service will be held on Friday March 27 at 1pm at All Saints Church, Marsworth, and then afterwards in the village hall.
GENTLEMAN’S RIDE: This will be on May 17, starting as usual at the Red Lion, Marsworth. It is quite a spectacle, with hundreds of motorcycle riders dressed in dapper clothing setting off from the popular pub to raise money for men’s health charities.
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The wider area. Sites marked in blue require further investigations. Those outlined in red have been ruled out. Those in turquoise are included in the 95,000 home total in the draft Local Plan. Photo: Submitted
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Wilstone Reservoir is now full of water again, after being very low for many months. It is set to reopen to walkers at the end of March. Photo: Submitted
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The Red Lion: Still awaiting planning permission for repairs after a fire last May, but very much open in the bar with regular events and food vans visiting. Photo: Submitted