21 Aug 2023
Things have been quiet for a while following the great Verulam Estate land sale, which saw areas of green space auctioned off for development.
Vast swathes of what was previously thought to be public land were sold across the estate in June 2021, including one lot around Mayne Avenue, Samian Gate, Flavian Close, Icknield Close, Glenum Close, Hadrian Close, Lindum Place, Augustus Close, Claudian Place, Antonine Gate and Ermine Close, and a second in the vicinity of Windridge Close, Westfields, Deva Close, Dubrae Close, Rowlatt Drive, Mayne Avenue and Corinium Gate.
Efforts to develop the land have met with swift rebuke from the district council in the past, but now a retrospective planning application has been submitted to permanently fence off a piece of previously open green space where Windridge Close meets Westfields.
Timothy Beecroft, chair of Verulam Residents Association, said: “This is yet another episode in the seemingly endless saga of the green spaces on the Verulam Estate, ownership of which was supposed to have been transferred to the then-St Albans Council around 50 years ago.
“For reasons that remain unexplained, either this didn’t happen, or if it did the records can’t now be found. Which means that residents have to be prepared to fight on a case-by-case basis to defend their much-loved green spaces.
“An application to build a house on this sight was refused fairly recently, following which this unsightly fence was erected – now the owners are applying for retrospective planning permission for it to stay. The arguments against the fence, which have been raised by well over 100 local residents in comments on the application, are largely the same as those that led to the application for the house being refused. The fence would lead to the loss of a prominent area of landscaping and open space which is an important feature of the character and appearance of this residential area just as much as a house would.
“So we hope very much that the council refuse this application too, and then take prompt and vigorous enforcement action to get the fence removed.
“I’d love to think that this would be the last case like this, but sadly this is not the case. We have just heard that someone has submitted a highly speculative application to build a three bedroom house elsewhere on the estate on what was long thought to be public green space. Frankly given the small size of the plot, this seems ridiculous, but here we go again.
“It seems very unfair that because of some sort of mess-up 50 years ago we now feel that we are under siege. To preserve our environment, we have to win every time – the developers only have to win once..
“One thing I can be sure of is that residents, in large numbers, will remain vigilant and will continue to do everything they can to prevent the frittering away of such important open spaces.”
The latest proposal is for the construction of one three-bedroom dwelling with outbuilding on green space adjacent to 24 Lindum Place (pictured below).
You can see the plans by searching on the SADC planning portal using the reference 5/2023/1606.
There are more than 100 comments from residents submitted about the Westfields plans so far but there is still time to have your say before the closing date of August 26.
