Residents criticise council after plans to redevelop old dairy site in Berkhamsted are approved

A group of residents in Berkhamsted have criticised Dacorum Borough Council for giving the green light to plans allowing Berkhamsted School to develop on the old dairy site.

The school has been given permission to demolish the old dairy site on Castle Street and redevelop it to provide a site facilities building and associated development.

Many residents in Chapel Street, Bridge Street and Castle Street - which surround the old dairy site - are unhappy with the plans and say they have been ignored by the council.

A spokesperson for the group, said: "Despite being rejected twice by Berkhamsted Town Council due to concerns about the size and scale of the building, the final plans were altered only slightly.

"Virtually none of our concerns were addressed with regards to usage, hours of use, security, noise, light pollution, the destruction of natural habitat...the list goes on.

"As a group of residents we fought to have the plans altered to bring it in line with something more suitable for a conservation and residential area. We feel completely let down by the local council and the planning officer.

"We feel that had anyone else other than Berkhamsted School proposed these plans they would not have been passed.

"We were only given three days to put together our final objections and when given the chance to speak at the meeting they scarcely even acknowledged our misgivings.

"At no point has anyone from the school contacted any of the residents to discuss their plans, hear our opinions or come to our properties to see the impact this development will have.

"Berkhamsted School make a great show of being part of the community but in this case have shown massive disregard for the people who will be profoundly affected by this development.

"The site is the old dairy and it was used by the school as storage for their D of E activities.

"There is no denying that the building needed a new look but the school's plans - that have now been approved - include a change of use and it will be 11m tall.

"The building is surrounded by homes and none of the residents were kept in the loop about the plans. It is an invasion of privacy to the surrounding homes, we feel we have been ignored by the council.

"We have fought this for too long just to let it lie and feel totally let down by a process which is meant to be there to protect the residents, properties and the whole look of the town."

The council gave approved the plans earlier this month and the residents attended the meeting.

A spokesperson for Dacorum Borough Council said: "The Development Management Committee resolved to grant planning permission on Thursday 12 March.

"The new building would support the wider plans to improve the buildings and education offer the school can provide, particularly for 6th formers.

"The Planning and Conservation Officers both worked to improve the scheme to reduce its impact on neighbours and the Conservation Area and the use of the site would remain the same.

"The Berkhamsted Town Council, did not object in principle they attended the meeting to request that further conditions be attached if planning permission were to be granted, these were agreed by the Committee."

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