Green Belt & countryside

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section introduces Part II of the Local Plan, which sets out where development will take place, how much, and when. Sites are allocated for housing, gypsy and traveller and travelling showpeople accommodation, employment including Warner Bros. Studios, town centres and retail, open space, education and infrastructure. It explains how sites were assessed, including through the Strategic Housing and Employment Land Availability Assessment and an access to services study. It also sets out why the council considers exceptional circumstances exist to release some Green Belt land for development.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section introduces the strategic policies chapter through the spatial strategy, which directs growth to the edges of the district's larger settlements where services and transport are strongest. It explains that brownfield sites can deliver fewer than 700 new homes, so the plan provides for around 4,200 dwellings on land currently in the Green Belt. The council argues that exceptional circumstances justify changing Green Belt boundaries, citing the scale of housing need, limited brownfield land, acute affordable housing need and the extent of Green Belt cover.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy seeks at least 40% affordable housing on all development creating one or more extra homes, split 70% for rent and 30% for affordable home ownership. Major schemes in the Green Belt (10 or more homes, or 0.5 hectares or more) must provide at least 50%. Small sites of one to nine homes may pay a financial contribution instead. Affordable homes must look the same as market homes and be spread across a site. Most types are allocated to people with a local connection, and First Homes carry a permanent discount of at least 30%.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out the site allocations for Garston. One site is allocated: Land North of Bucknalls Lane, a 5.8 hectare site for housing and employment with an indicative capacity of 144 homes. The northern part of the site is to be used for employment. The land was removed from the Green Belt during the plan process. The site table also sets out phasing and the constraints, such as buffers and flood mitigation, that any future application must address.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section introduces the Green Belt chapter. About 76% of Three Rivers is Green Belt, which exists to prevent urban sprawl and stop settlements merging by keeping land permanently open, serving the five purposes set out in national policy. Inappropriate development is generally not allowed except in very special circumstances, and the December 2024 national policy update introduced the concepts of grey belt and Golden Rules. The council's Stage 4 Green Belt Review (December 2025) analyses provisional grey belt land and identifies areas of fundamental importance.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy protects the district's Metropolitan Green Belt, with the boundary shown on the Policies Map. Inappropriate development will not be permitted unless very special circumstances outweigh the harm, including harm to the Green Belt's openness and purposes. Exceptions are those set out in national policy plus further local exceptions in Appendix 2 of the plan. Measures that improve public access to the Green Belt and enhance landscapes, visual amenity and biodiversity are encouraged, and Appendix 2 also gives guidance on agricultural and forestry workers' dwellings.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out the site allocations for Maple Cross. Three sites are allocated with a combined indicative capacity of around 1,635 homes. Most come from one strategic site, Land to the West and South of Maple Cross, allocated for up to 1,500 homes plus supporting uses including a primary school, community, retail and commercial space; this land was removed from the Green Belt. The other sites are Land to the North of Chalfont Road (130 homes) and garages behind Longcroft Road (5 homes).

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section introduces the biodiversity, green and blue infrastructure and landscapes chapter. It explains that England is one of the most nature-depleted countries on Earth and Three Rivers has not escaped that decline. New laws, especially the Environment Act 2021, give councils a duty to conserve and enhance biodiversity, and introduce Biodiversity Net Gain and Local Nature Recovery Strategies. Development must follow the mitigation hierarchy: avoid harm first, then mitigate it, and only compensate as a last resort. The district's wildlife, from wetlands to woodlands, is described as integral to its character and quality of life.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy protects trees, woodlands and hedgerows and requires good landscaping in new development. At least one tree must be planted on site for each new dwelling, or one per 100 square metres of non-residential floorspace, using native species, with a financial contribution towards off-site planting where on-site planting is not possible. Existing trees and hedgerows should be retained wherever possible, and permission will be refused for development causing loss of protected woodland, ancient woodland, veteran trees or protected hedgerows unless conditions can secure their protection. Approved felling requires suitable replacements.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out the site allocations for Sarratt. One housing site is allocated: Adams Nurseries on Church Lane, with an indicative capacity of 15 homes. The site is classed as grey belt and remains in the Green Belt, and development should be limited to the brownfield part of the site, with amenity space and biodiversity net gain on the greenfield areas. The site table also covers access constraints and other requirements for future proposals.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy protects the Chilterns Beechwoods Special Area of Conservation, an internationally important wildlife site, from pressure caused by new residents visiting it. Development within the site's zone of influence that would add 100 or more homes must undergo a Habitats Regulations Assessment. Where required, schemes must provide mitigation or avoidance measures, principally Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG), attractive green space designed to draw visitors away from the protected area, or a financial contribution towards it. The 100-home threshold was set on the advice of Natural England.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy protects the district's landscapes, especially the 546 hectares of the Chilterns National Landscape. There is a presumption against major development there, normally 10 or more homes or sites over 0.5 hectares, unless exceptional circumstances apply and it is in the public interest. Permission requires conserving the area's special qualities, following the Chilterns Management Plan and Buildings Design Guide, avoiding harm to important views, and submitting a Landscape Visual Impact Assessment. Elsewhere, proposals must respond to the character and sensitivities of their landscape area as set out in the Hertfordshire Landscape Character Assessments.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out the site allocations for Gypsies and Travellers. The needs assessment found a need for 37 pitches, plus 4 pitches from households with undetermined need. Eight sites, references GT1 to GT8, are allocated with a combined capacity of 83 pitches, all in the Green Belt. Most are existing safeguarded sites; GT3 is expanded and GT5 intensified, while GT6 near Kings Langley and GT7 at Maple Cross are new sites providing 4 and 15 pitches. Housing site H41 at Mill End must also provide at least 7 pitches.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out the site allocations for Travelling Showpeople. The needs assessment found a need for 6 plots, plus 10 plots from households with undetermined need. Five yards are allocated with a combined capacity of 49 plots, all in the Green Belt. Two yards behind Uxbridge Road in Mill End, TSP1 and TSP2, are safeguarded and intensified, adding 3 and 9 plots respectively. The remaining yards at Carpenders Park and Sarratt, TSP3 to TSP5, are safeguarded but cannot be expanded due to site constraints.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section covers Maple Lodge Wastewater Treatment Works, east of Maple Cross. It is a key infrastructure asset serving Three Rivers and the wider area, and keeps its designation as a significant infrastructure site in the Green Belt. The policy allows redevelopment or limited infilling to meet future operational needs, provided the continued use of the site for wastewater treatment is safeguarded, the mature landscaped boundaries are retained, and any further buildings are of comparable height to nearby structures on the site.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains how development in the Green Belt is assessed. New farm or forestry workers' dwellings must pass functional and financial tests, normally starting with temporary accommodation for the first three years. Extensions that increase a building's original floorspace by more than 40% will normally be treated as disproportionate, and replacement buildings must not be materially larger than those they replace, though small homes of 110 square metres or less get some flexibility. It also covers reuse of buildings, ancillary buildings and extending gardens, all judged against the openness of the Green Belt.