The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section introduces the employment and economy chapter. The local economy relies on professional services, construction, retail and hospitality, with a notably strong film and TV sector at Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden and many knowledge-based businesses. Many residents commute out of the district, though this has fallen since Covid. Demand for office space has declined, and the 2024 economic study finds the district has broadly the right amount for the next 15 years, but low vacancy rates mean existing offices should be protected while industrial and warehouse demand stays strong.
OpenConsult / Three Rivers Plan Explorer
Town centres & shops
High streets, town centres, shops, markets, food and drink, and leisure uses.
47 sections of the plan, in document order.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy supports business growth by promoting a range of employment sites and premises across the district. Within designated Employment Areas shown on the policies map, extra industrial floorspace and intensified office and industrial uses are supported, and non-employment uses are only allowed where they would not harm amenity or the area's role. Outside these areas, losing employment land to other uses requires evidence including 12 months of unsuccessful marketing at a realistic price and no reasonable prospect of continued employment use. Creative industries and expansion of Leavesden Studios are supported.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy keeps Rickmansworth town centre and the district centres of South Oxhey, Chorleywood and Abbots Langley as the focus for shops, leisure and other town centre uses. Ground floors in primary shopping areas must keep active frontages that support the centre's vitality, while homes above shops are supported in principle. Local centres should meet day-to-day shopping needs. A retail impact assessment is only needed for schemes of more than 2,500 square metres of new retail floorspace outside the defined retail hierarchy, and shop fronts should suit the character of the area.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out the retail hierarchy and centre allocations. Rickmansworth Town Centre is the principal shopping and service centre, serving the whole district. South Oxhey, Abbots Langley and Chorleywood are district centres, while Croxley Green (Watford Road and New Road) and Mill End (Money Hill Parade) are local centres, with smaller parades serving day-to-day needs. New retail development will be directed to the primary shopping areas of the town and district centres first. The boundaries of these centres are set out in the allocations.