Further Tree Heritage Nursery plans

Photo of tree nursery
Tree Heritage nursery in North Road

A further planning application has been submitted for the Tree Heritage Nursery site south of Waterford.

This is the third application in less than 12 months.

The first application in April last year was for 3 three-bed bungalows at the front of the site 3 four-bed traditional boarded barn style dwellinghouses set behind. The properties would have featured designated off-street car-parking. This application was refused and is now the subject of an appeal to The Planning Inspectorate.

The second application was submitted in October and was for 2 three-bed bungalows at the front of the site and 3 three-bed bungalows behind, similarly all with off-street parking.  The application was granted planning permission in December.

The new application retains the 2 three-bed bungalows at the front of the site, whilst the three properties behind have been redesigned to include 4-bed properties with first floor accommodation within the roof, with a chalet dwelling design.

We have submitted a response to the new plans, highlighting the significant and unwelcome impact on the openness of the Green Belt, particularly when viewed from Waterford Marsh.

Read our full response here

Reponse to North Road planning application

We have submitted a planning response to East Herts District Council in response to a planning application to alter access to land at 190/192 North Road.

The land falls within the boundary of the Bengeo Neighbourhood Area Plan. The Examiner’s report on the Plan was published on the 11 December 2020. Subject to final approval from East Herts District Council, the Plan will be put forward for public referendum, scheduled for the 6 May.

It’s noted that the proposed access alteration would require the regrettable removal of trees, close to the junction with North Road. It’s understood that the Scots Pine, on the access land, is dead so may need to be removed, regardless of the outcome of this application. Additional tree removal, associated with this planning application, would have a negative visual impact on the tree-line along that section of North Road and could set an unfortunate precedent for further tree removal in this Green Belt location.

Criterion III in Neighbourhood Plan Policy HBN3: Nature Conservation says: ‘where development results in the unavoidable loss of trees, replacement of trees, in suitable locations, will be encouraged’.