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Have your say on Hertsmere's planning process consultation

We need more rather that less engagement by developers, who should be working harder to meet local needs and reduce the impact of developments. This is especially important as new planning laws seek to reduce public input

Reasons to REPLY

This new SCI proposes to remove the vast majority of the details on how developers should first engage with residents, community groups and Parish and Town Councils who will be affected by the proposed developments.

Residents need more, rather than less engagement on planning, with developers required to engage with residents, community groups and Parish and Town Councils before they make a planning application.
Make formal Council meetings of Councillors, Planning Officers and any developers transparent by being open to the public and live-streamed, the same as for full Planning Committee meetings..
Be explicit on the role of all Councillors as Community Advocate, and enhance this with residents free to select any Councillor and the Community Advocate able to ask questions of officers.
Ensure Planning Officer reports are laid out to clearly distinguish the required mitigations for the adverse effects of any development from any positive improvements that benefit local residents.
Ensure Neighbourhood Plans are shown to be given their full weight when preparing Hertsmere’s new Local Plan.
Be much more responsive to residents when planning rules are ignored, making rapid active enforcement and stop notices the default approach, not the last resort.

Dear Hertsmere Green Belt supporter,

Hertsmere have launched a public consultation which will run for six weeks and closes at 5pm on Monday 28 July.

It asks for your views on the way Hertsmere consult with residents, businesses and community groups on planning matters as detailed in the Council’s “Statement of Community Involvement (SCI)”

This new SCI proposes to remove the vast majority of the details on how developers should first engage with residents, community groups and Parish and Town Councils who will affected affected by the proposed developments.

We need more rather that less engagement by developers, who should be working harder to meet local need and reduce the impact of developments. This is especially important as new planning laws seek to reduce public input

There are also many other resident focused improvements that could be made.

For example developers are now meeting privately with the Councillors on the Planning Committee to present their cases and answer questions, but us residents get only 3 minutes to speak at Planning Committee and cannot ask questions! These meeting should be public.

ACT NOW before 5pm on Monday 28 July 2025 to send these messages to Hertsmere.

Reply now and register your views

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Dear Sir/Madam Response to consultation on Hertsmere’s Council’s Statement of Community Involvement Please find enclosed my individual response to Hertsmere’s Council’s – Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) The current SCI contains considerable detail on developers engagement with residents, community groups and Parish and Town Councils before they make a planning application. 95% of this has been removed in the proposed new SCI. With new planning laws proposing to reduce scrutiny of planning applications by Councillors we as need as much public input as possible: 1. Residents need more, rather than less engagement on planning, with developers required to engage with residents, community groups and Parish and Town Councils before they make a planning application. Do not remove existing detail, and strengthen the requirements for such engagement. So called “Technical meetings” are held between Hertsmere’s planning officers and Councillors to make updates and clarifications in the days before the Planning Committee meets in public. Such meetings are required be open to the public by default. This is even more important as developers are now being invited to speak to these “Technical meetings”: 2. Make formal Council meetings of Councillors, Planning Officers and any developers transparent by being open to the public and live-streamed, the same as for full Planning Committee meetings. Local Councillors can act as a Community Advocate and speak for residents at a meeting of the Planning Committee. Residents must have the greatest possible choice and able to select any Councillor to ensure their views are represented. In addition, as Councillors on Planning Committee now meet and question developers at “Technical meetings”, Community Advocates should also be present and allowed to ask questions: 3. Be explicit on the role of all Councillors as Community Advocate, and enhance this with residents free to select any Councillor and the Community Advocate able to ask questions of officers and developers. New Planning Rules now require demonstrable Public Benefits for applications on Green and Grey Belt. It can be difficult for residents to clearly see any such Public Benefit separate from the normal infrastructure required for a development: 4. Ensure the report by the Planning Officer is laid out to clearly distinguish the required mitigations for the adverse effects of any development from any positive improvements that benefit local residents. Where a Neighbourhood Plan has been brought into force, the Local Planning Authority are required to take its policies and proposals into account when preparing the local plan: 5. Ensure Neighbourhood Plans are shown to be given their full weight when preparing Hertsmere’s new Local Plan. Residents are increasingly frustrated that developments are continuing without planning permission. Hertsmere’s planning enforcement is seen as ineffective in allowing such illegal activities to continue, and expensive to residents as relying on appeals and encouraging delaying tactics: 6. Be much more responsive to residents when planning rules are ignored, making rapid active enforcement and stop notices the default approach, not the last resort. Yours sincerely

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Have your say on Hertsmere's planning process consultation

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