Speaker’s Corner: No getting away from fact more homes are needed, but balance is key

Last week, I met with a number of Tring residents concerned about the proposal. It was a very constructive meeting, and a number of points emerged. Let me set out a few thoughts on the subject.

The first point to make, and it is a familiar one for me to make in these columns, is that there is a balance that has to be struck.

Overwhelmingly, and entirely reasonably, the people of towns like Tring and Berkhamsted love where they live and do not want them to change dramatically. Separate communities want to remain separate communities and the greenbelt is vital in maintaining the character of our towns.

But there is also a very clear need to build more houses. The average age of a first time buyer who has not had financial help from a parent to purchase their property is 37. It is very rare for me to hold a constituency surgery without somebody having a housing problem.

We need to build more houses. And that includes in Hertfordshire. Getting that balance right is not easy.

Dacorum Borough Council produced its core strategy last year and this identified land at the west of Tring as appropriate for development. The land is greenbelt but the Council would argue that it is bordered by two major roads and, therefore, clearly defined as a natural part of the town.

The residents I spoke to had three objections to the proposals. First, building on greenbelt should be resisted and should only be a last resort after brownfield sites have been developed.

Second, the infrastructure of Tring will struggle. How will roads, schools and GP surgeries cope? Third, there are concerns about the travellers’ pitches.

On the greenbelt issue, I am sympathetic with the view that brownfield sites should be the priority. Indeed, there have been many brownfield developments in Dacorum over the last few years, with more to come. But I also question whether brownfield developments will be entirely sufficient for our needs.

The infrastructure point is a fair one, which I have taken up with the council. In part, this will depend upon the timescale for the 200 home development. If this is phased over a number of years, some of the problems are less acute than the immediate building of a large number of properties.

On the travellers’ pitches, again local authorities face a difficulty. The failure to have a clear plan can result in travellers being able to build wherever they want. Dacorum does need to meet is statutory duties, although I am keen to ensure that they do not go beyond that requirement to the detriment of local residents as a whole.

The residents I met had other questions as well. In particular, will priority be given to Tring residents for the social housing places? This is a matter for the council but at my meeting, Councillors Penny Hearn and Olive Conway made it clear that that was their intention.

I hope the meeting was helpful to local residents. As an MP, I don’t have executive powers on local matters such as these. What I can do is listen to the concerns of local residents and try to get answers to legitimate questions.

There is no getting away from the fact that more homes need to be built and, wherever they are built, there will be opposition. But my view is that the more information that can be shared and more transparent the process can be, the better.