The planning application
Harrow Estates has submitted a planning application for the Marshcroft garden village suburb, on the eastern side of Tring in Hertfordshire. The Marshcroft site is on land north of Station Road, east of Grove Road and south of Bulbourne Road, next to the Grand Union Canal. It is identified for development within Dacorum Borough Council’s draft Local Plan.
The application proposes 1,400 new homes, of which 45% will be affordable and over 50% of the site is dedicated to green open space, including allotments, community orchard, a canalside park and play areas.
The application for Marshcroft has been informed and guided by the emerging Local Plan allocation Tr03; and meets or exceeds all of the requirements of that emerging allocation and associated policies in the Local Plan.
It is accompanied by an Application Document Summary Guide (Document 3) that guides the reader through the substantial amount of information included in the submission.
The proposals include:
- 45% of the proposed homes ‘affordable’, providing a significant contribution to help address the lack of affordability in Tring across the community, including first time buyers and younger people. With house prices in Tring rising quickly, the average home by 79% over the last decade, and only 14 affordable dwellings delivered in the town since 2013, there is a pressing need to deliver homes so young people and families are not permanently priced out of the area.
- The scheme also provides for a range of properties from 1 bedroom to 5 bedroom homes of various building types, including self-build options.
- These properties will meet the needs of growing families, downsizers and the over 65 population. With Tring’s over 65 population expected to grow by around 31% by 2035, and currently no rental sector Extra Care accommodation in the town, there is a pressing need for this type of housing.
- Over 50% open space including allotments, community orchard, outdoor sports pitches, a canalside park and areas for play.
- 40% biodiversity net gain through retention of existing trees and hedgerow habitats and the creation of new and improved habitats within the canalside park which will be a Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) reducing recreational pressure on the Chilterns Beechwoods.
- Net zero carbon ready – a combination of ‘fabric first’ construction, use of air source heat pump technology and on-site renewable energy production, through the use of solar panels, will significantly reduce carbon emissions. This will ensure Marshcroft contributes to Dacorum’s pledge for its housing stock to be net zero carbon by 2050.
- A new spine road to link Bulbourne Road to Station Road. We are proposing that Marshcroft Lane will become a pedestrian/cycle route only, while ensuring that people living on Marshcroft Lane will all still be able to access their properties by car.
A hybrid planning application was submitted to Dacorum Borough Council in April 2022. A series of technical reports including on transport, design and access, socio-economic impact, heritage, energy and sustainability and more are included as part of the submitted plans. You can read our summary guide which assists in navigating the submitted documents. These documents can also be viewed on the Dacorum Borough Council planning portal.
