The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains what the Local Plan is and how it was prepared. The Local Plan is the council's main planning document, setting the strategy for homes, jobs and infrastructure in Three Rivers up to 2041. It must follow national planning policy and, once adopted, replaces the Core Strategy (2011), the Development Management Policies document (2013) and the Site Allocations document (2014). Work began in 2017 with several rounds of public consultation, backed by technical studies. The plan comes in two parts: Part I contains planning policies and Part II sets out site allocations.
OpenConsult / Three Rivers Plan Explorer
Health, schools & community
Health and wellbeing, GP and hospital capacity, schools, sport, open space, play areas and community buildings.
124 sections of the plan, in document order.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out the vision for Three Rivers as a desirable, prosperous district with sustainable settlements, a resilient economy and a high quality environment moving towards zero carbon. It lists the strategic objectives needed to deliver this, including a range of new homes with priority for rented affordable and family-sized housing, matching new jobs to new homes at a 1:1 ratio, making best use of previously developed land, and integrating infrastructure and sustainable transport. Other objectives cover heritage, climate change, biodiversity, open space, the district's rivers, good design, an ageing population, health and safeguarding the Green Belt.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy treats infrastructure as a prerequisite for development, not an afterthought. All proposals must secure the infrastructure needed to support their impacts, whether through on-site works, off-site delivery or financial contributions, and must align with the Infrastructure Delivery Plan. Essential facilities should be operational before the homes or commercial space they serve are finished. If a developer claims these obligations make a scheme unviable, an independently verified viability assessment is required, with critical infrastructure prioritised over desirable projects. Applications without the necessary legal guarantees, through planning obligations or the Community Infrastructure Levy, will be refused.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy requires all new development to achieve high quality design that strengthens local distinctiveness and creates a sense of place, with poor design refused. Schemes must respond to local character, make efficient use of land, and connect well to existing streets. A landscape-led approach is required, including tree-lined streets, with landscape schemes and at least five years of maintenance plans. Development must protect neighbours' amenity, design out crime using Secured by Design principles, be accessible to all, and provide appropriate parking, cycle storage and refuse facilities.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy addresses accommodation for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople. The council's 2025 assessment identifies a need for 37 pitches for Gypsies and Travellers and 6 plots for Travelling Showpeople who meet the national planning definition, plus further need from households whose status is undetermined. Applications will be judged against criteria covering flood risk, impact on wildlife, heritage, landscape and Green Belt openness, access to services and the road network, site design and servicing, and the scale of the site relative to the settled community. Existing sites are safeguarded while a need remains.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out the site allocations for Mill End. Four sites are allocated with a combined indicative capacity of around 548 homes. The main site is Land to the South of Shepherds Lane and East of the M25, a 20.8 hectare grey belt site for 520 homes plus supporting uses including gypsy and traveller pitches, a medical centre or GP surgery, extra care housing and public open space. The remaining sites are small: garages behind Drillyard on West Way (6 homes), Quickwood Close garages (16) and garden land off Uxbridge Road (6).
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy seeks a net gain in the quality and quantity of green and blue infrastructure, the network of green spaces, waterways and natural features across the district. Priorities include the chalk streams and corridors of the Rivers Chess, Colne and Gade, the Grand Union Canal, the Chilterns National Landscape, the Colne Valley Regional Park and Rickmansworth Aquadrome. New development must contribute to new and improved green space and better links between assets, with management and maintenance plans required. Public rights of way should be protected, ideally with 20 metre buffers, and development must not fragment the network.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy safeguards existing open spaces, sports facilities, allotments and children's play areas. These can only be lost in exceptional cases, such as where equivalent or better replacement is provided nearby or an assessment shows no shortage would result. New or improved sport and recreation facilities are supported where a need is shown, with shared community use encouraged. Developments of 25 or more homes, or sites of 0.6 hectares or more, should normally provide open space and play space on site, unless existing open space lies within 300 metres or play space within 720 metres.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy prevents development that would cause, or be harmed by, unacceptable pollution, covering land contamination, air, water, noise, vibration, light, odour and land instability. Building on or near former landfill or suspected contaminated land is only allowed where there is no threat to future users or to groundwater. Development must not worsen air quality, particularly in the district's two Air Quality Management Areas near the M25 at Chorleywood. Noise-generating and noise-sensitive uses must be kept apart or mitigated, and external lighting must be the minimum needed, avoiding harm to neighbours, wildlife and the countryside.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section covers open space allocations. Public open spaces allocated in the 2014 Site Allocations document are carried over into this plan, and three new allocations are added: the open spaces linked to the two Warner Bros. Studios sites and the Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace serving housing site H34 west of the Kings Langley Estate. Housing developments must contribute to open space and children's play space where the scale of development justifies it. The council will update its open space study after adoption, which may lead to further allocations.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out the education allocations. A new secondary school site is allocated at Carpenders Park Farm, Oxhey Lane (ED1), able to accommodate a school of up to 10 forms of entry serving Carpenders Park, South Oxhey, Eastbury and parts of neighbouring boroughs. Land including and adjoining The Reach Free School (ED2) is allocated for a new secondary school or a four form entry expansion, and a primary school site at Woodside Road, Abbots Langley (ED3) is carried over from 2014. Identified school sites will be safeguarded for educational use.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section introduces the transport chapter. It explains that good road, rail, bus, walking, cycling and digital links are vital to the district's economy, environment and social wellbeing. Car ownership in Three Rivers is high, traffic is forecast to grow by 15.6% by 2031, and there are existing congestion problems. The plan aims to put new development where people can realistically use public transport, walking and cycling, working with Hertfordshire County Council, National Highways and other transport providers.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy requires new development to be located where sustainable travel is realistic. Schemes must support walking, cycling and public transport, with safe direct routes, secure cycle parking and good access for buses. Developments generating significant traffic must provide a Transport Assessment or Statement and a Travel Plan showing how impacts will be managed. Improvements will be delivered directly or funded through Section 106 agreements or the Community Infrastructure Levy, which are payments developers make towards infrastructure. Moving freight from road to rail or canal is supported in principle.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy sets parking rules for new development. Parking must follow the standards in Appendix 3, including zone-based reductions in areas well served by public transport. In major schemes of 10 or more homes, 20% of spaces should be unallocated, supported by a parking management plan. Parking areas must not harm road safety, a building's setting or the character of an area, and need soft landscaping and surfaces that manage rainwater. Electric vehicle charging points are required, and car clubs are supported in suitable locations.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy manages the impacts of building work, deliveries and servicing. Construction Management Plans are required for sites close to the Strategic Road Network, and may be needed wherever highway safety or amenity could suffer; environmental management plans may also be required. Developments must show how deliveries, waste collection and servicing will work for their whole lifetime, ideally off street, without causing noise, obstruction or nuisance for residents and businesses. Delivery and Servicing Plans are required where vehicle movements could affect roads, the public realm or neighbours.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy protects the district's canal and rivers. Development near waterways must protect and enhance waterway infrastructure. New permanent moorings and marinas are only allowed next to existing built-up areas, and must not harm nature conservation, heritage, navigation or the towpath, restrict leisure boaters' access to moorings, or increase flood risk. Major schemes beside waterways should consider providing new moorings or water-based leisure facilities, and look at using the canal for freight during construction or as a renewable energy source.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section introduces the chapter on social, health and wellbeing. It explains that facilities such as libraries, places of worship, community centres, village halls, sports venues, theatres and pubs perform a vital function in the district's economic and social welfare. The plan strongly supports keeping and improving this community infrastructure, and expects a range of new social and community facilities to be provided as part of significant new development.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy protects community buildings and services. Development that would remove a community facility will not be allowed unless an equal replacement is provided on site, the need can be met by an accessible facility elsewhere, or evidence shows there is no demand and the building cannot serve another community use. Where a use is claimed to be unviable, marketing and financial evidence is required. New and improved facilities are supported in accessible locations, funded where needed through developer contributions. Facilities not open to the public, such as school sports halls, must agree community access.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy requires all development to be designed to promote healthy communities and reduce health inequalities. Schemes should provide open space, sport, recreation and cultural facilities, and safe walking and cycling routes. New health facilities should be located where there is a choice of sustainable transport. Allotments and community orchards are protected and food growing in new developments is encouraged. A Health Impact Assessment, a study of how a scheme affects people's health, is required for residential schemes of 100 or more homes and non-residential schemes of 1,000 square metres or more.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets the district's parking standards for cars, disabled parking, cycles, electric vehicles and powered two-wheelers. Standards vary by use, for example one space for a one-bedroom home and 2.5 spaces for homes with four or more bedrooms, and can be adjusted with robust evidence. In zones near stations, provision drops to 60% in Zone 1 around Rickmansworth station and 80% in Zone 2. For most uses, 20% of car spaces must have working electric vehicle charging, with a further 30% wired ready for future points.