Village Green Land, Woodcock Hill, Borehamwood

COMMONS ACT 2006: SECTION 16
PROPOSED DEREGISTRATION AND EXCHANGE
OF VILLAGE GREEN LAND, WOODCOCK HILL, BOREHAMWOOD

CPRE Hertfordshire object to this application for deregistration of the northern section of the Woodcock Hill Village Green in Borehamwood and exchange of land to the east of the current village green.

The Section 16 notice says that “the purpose of this application is to enable the delivery of a new, larger and improved Village Green for the community alongside the promotion of the release land through the Hertsmere Local Plan-making process for potential future residential development.” In our view the purpose appears to be the second part of that statement, the first part being a mechanism. Taylor Wimpey, and their predecessor in title, Laing Homes, have always intended to use the section
of the village green now proposed for deregistration for residential development and have publicly stated that fact. They would not have acquired the land otherwise. It is also notable that the lead objector to the designation of the land as village green at the public inquiry which led to the designation of the green was Taylor Wimpey. It was noted by the Inspector who initially designated the site as village green that the application for designation arose out of a desire to protect the application land from future development for housing. The intent of this application is to reverse that position.