23 Feb 2026
Developers are again pushing to build on Green Belt land in Colney Heath and proposing a scheme which could transform the look and feel of the village.
The relevant site is land between Grade II-listed The White Barn and 42 Tollgate Road, adjacent to fields at the rear of 42-100 Tollgate Road which were previously the subject of a failed planning attempt to build 150 homes.
It is not included in the list of proposed sites in St Albans’ draft Local Plan, the blueprint for future housing development in the district up to 2041, which is currently going through independent inspection.
SLK Land & Properties Ltd wants to erect 30 homes – 50 per cent affordable – alongside new vehicular access, two public open spaces, a play area, a community building for nature watching, plus associated landscaping, roads, parking and footpaths.
Councillors on SADC’s development and management committee are set to debate the proposals at their meeting this week after the application was called in by local representative Cllr Chris Brazier.
Council officers have recommended approving the scheme providing the applicant completes a S106 agreement relating to contributions towards various services including education, libraries, waste, fire and rescue and highways, as well as provision for affordable housing, biodiversity net gain, open spaces and a car club.
Should this not be completed within six months then it would be considered that the infrastructure needs of the development were not met and the impacts of the proposals not sufficiently mitigated, so planning permission would be rejected.
They have also said that the scheme is considered appropriate development in the Green Belt under the Labour Government’s new ‘Golden Rules’ criteria included in the revised National Planning Policy Framework.
The development site is undeveloped land which has previously been used for the grazing of horses, and objections to the scheme highlighted various concerns including the loss of open land and countryside which contributes to the character of Colney Heath, increased traffic, and potential damage to the nearby River Colne chalk stream.
Colney Heath Parish Council has stated: “CHPC believes that the current application should be refused on the grounds that it does not meet local requirements regarding the proportion of affordable homes offered or the mix of housing. CHPC also believes that development of the proposed site would have a permanent and irreversible effect the open character of the village and thus harm the Green Belt.
“CHPC contends that this site is not in a sustainable location which encourages the use of public transport or the active transport modes of walking and cycling. Bus services close to the site are of little use to the general public, and more useful and regular services are beyond acceptable walking distances. These latter services do provide access to railway stations which are accessible by bus, but long walks to reach the bus stops are required. Access to stations by cycle is feasible, but requires journeys on busy roads.
“Shops, schools and other essential services are beyond reasonable walking distances and not easily accessed by bus. It is clear that residents of the application site would be heavily dependent on cars for most journeys, as are current residents. This is contrary to the intentions of the NPPF, is harmful to the environment, and will exacerbate existing traffic problems.”
4ColneyHeath Residents Association raised objections relating to the effect on openness, landscape character and appearance, heritage assets, sustainability, housing need and provision.
Opposition to the scheme also came from the Campaign to Protect Rural England, St Albans Civic Society and the Council for British Archaeology.
In their report to councillors, officers said: “Concerns have been raised in third party objections that brownfield land should be prioritised. However, it is evidently clear that there is not sufficient brownfield land within the district to meet the required housing needs of the district and so it is inevitable that some Green Belt land will need to be released. Although the site is not allocated in the Local Plan, each application is considered on its own merits against local and national policies.”
