Three Rivers is one of top 'land recyclers', says report

Three Rivers District Council is one of the top councils in England for building on previously developed land, according to a new report from the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE).

Of the total of more than 300 councils in England, not including London, Three Rivers has been named as one of the top fifteen 'recycling heroes', as 96% of new homes built in the district were built on previously developed 'brownfield' land.

Two-thirds of Three Rivers district is Green Belt land, an area the size of roughly 10,000 football pitches. The Council's Development Control team deals with an average of 100 planning applications per month, ranging from residents wishing to build an extension on their homes to major applications for a new supermarket in the area.

Recent developments on 'brownfield' land include the Ovaltine housing development in Kings Langley, on the old site of the famous Ovaltine factory. The site is being turned into a development of 367 homes, while retaining many original features including the original façade of the Ovaltine building so familiar to many.

Councillor Sara Bedford, Chair of the Council's Development Control Committee, says:

"I am delighted that Three Rivers has been named by the CPRE as one of the top councils in the country for developing brownfield land. This is especially important, as we have large amounts of green space and our small towns and villages contain far less previously developed land than many other councils.

"There is increasing pressure to develop and build in this area, but we are proud of the green and open character of the district and are committed to preserving that for the future."

The Development Control team was also recently awarded Charter Mark status, which means that residents are guaranteed a high level of customer service standards from the team.