Residents of a picturesque Chilterns town are battling a planned new suburb of 1,400 houses they claim is being ‘implemented by stealth’.
The proposed development, Marshcroft Farm, would sit on green belt land on the eastern edge of Tring, Hertfordshire – increasing the town’s population of around 12,000 by nearly 28 per cent.
The 300-acre site lies on Green Belt land adjacent to the Chilterns National Landscape.
Plans submitted by developer Harrow Estates are in their final stages, with a decision by Dacorum Borough Council expected in mid-March.
The Marshcroft development has prompted widespread opposition among local people, who complain it will concrete over picturesque countryside and overwhelm local services and infrastructure, including the water supply.
It has received over 446 objections from local people compared to just one letter of support.
There were also 34 formal responses from consultee bodies, including British Pipelines, the Environment Agency, National Rail, Thames Water, the National Trust, and Historic England, many of which raised concerns or objections.
Alongside Marshcroft, a separate development of approximately 400 homes off Grove Road is proposed to be built at a similar time.
Together, these schemes could lead to a total of 1,800 new houses in the local area – increasing its housing stock by 35 per cent.
There are also plans for 250 homes at nearby Dunsley Farm.
An aerial view of the proposed site of the reintroduced Marshcroft development on Green Belt land in Tring
Residents of Tring are united in their opposition to the planned development
Tring Town Council has come out against the plan, which campaigners believe would make Tring so big it would no longer be considered a ‘market town’.
Cllr Robert Farrow, the chair of its planning committee, wrote in a newsletter: ‘This is the largest response I have seen to any application on the Dacorum planning portal since I was elected in 2023.
‘The scale of public response reinforces the Council’s position.’
Elsewhere in the newsletter, the Town Council said: ‘Tring Town Council submitted an official response following a public Planning Committee meeting in September.
‘Our position, based on evidence and professional advice, recommended refusal.
‘Our reasons included potential impacts on the setting and special qualities of the Chilterns National Landscape, the loss of high-quality agricultural land, potential harm to the openness of the Green Belt, unresolved infrastructure considerations (particularly water supply), and the fact that the Local Plan process is still ongoing, making any approval premature.’
In order to accommodate the influx of new residents, significant upgrades would need to be done to medical facilities, Tring’s tiny railway station, roads, and water and waste services.
Thames Water objected to the plans, saying even if the homes were built, they would not be occupied without water and sewage upgrades that would take years to complete.
Almost identical plans were previously submitted in 2022 but were rejected by Dacorum Borough Council with an appeal rejected by the then housing secretary Michael Gove at an inquiry and by London’s High Court.
However, locals were ‘dismayed’ to discover they had been resubmitted and included in Dacorum’s new Local Plan in 2024 which was revised following changes to national planning policy and Green Belt guidance to help meet Labour’s lofty target of building 1.5million homes.
This opened up the Green Belt site for Marshcroft to developers who now say it is a Grey Belt site – a neglected or previously developed piece of land.
Mother and daughter Fran and Fiona McKillop previously told of their horror at the prospect of 2,000 homes
An aerial view of the site where plans are in place to introduce 2,050 new homes
Tring Town Council and locals strongly oppose the Marshcroft plan and believe it would be a ‘premature decision’ as it would take place just days after inspectors are set to put forward their findings.
Fiona McKillop, 33, previously told of her horror at the prospect of thousands more local homes.
She said: ‘I just think having so many homes will change the place. I moved here because it was so quiet.’
Her 61-year-old mother, Fran, added: ‘We just do not want so many.’
Local resident and former planning barrister Trevor Standen told the Mail: ‘The plans are at a pretty advanced stage, so we are arguing that it would be premature to make a decision in March because conditions have not changed since Gove had the original plans rejected and because the inspectors would have heard evidence from findings around just one week before they decide.’
Local resident and former planning barrister Trevor Standen also opposes the redevelopment
Grove Fields Residents Association committee member Keith Baker added: ‘We really think that Dacorum are implementing their local plan by stealth.
‘That’s a pretty brazen accusation from us, but they’ve already done it in Berkhamsted with another major application that was opposed by more than a thousand people but they still approved it.’
Mr Standen added: ‘I think there are probably two reasons, if I may say so.
‘I think one is they will officially blame it on Labour policy. They’ll say: ”Look, these are mandatory housing targets”, and if we don’t comply with these targets, then the government will clobber us with even higher housing targets. That’s the official view they give.
‘But I think behind it, there’s also another view, which, of course, nobody actually owns up to.
‘I suspect that there’s a very hefty number of Dacorum councillors who are councillors for the more urban parts of the borough saying ”We don’t want any more development here. Tring and Berkhamsted have got plenty of space, so put it there”.
‘Where that analysis breaks down is, there’s actually a very good reason why we have fewer houses out here, which is the sensitivity of the landscape. That’s why development has been constrained here for around 100 years.’
He added: ‘The majority of Dacorum councillors are from Hemel Hempstead and they’re basically saying let’s get rid of this problem by drowning Tring. They don’t want it to become more dense where they are, they’d rather sprawl it out instead.’
The Dacorum Local Plan 2023 shows that plans to build homes on the Marshfield and New Mill site (red) had been axed. They are now being rushed through
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The developers have promised that around 50 per cent of the new housing will be ‘affordable’.
But those opposing the plan say the affordability is only relative to other properties in the area – meaning the ‘affordable’ homes will not be in the price range for young people who want to move out of their parents’ house but stay in Tring.
In their newsletter, Tring Town Council said: ‘While a proportion of homes would be designated as ”affordable housing,” under current national rules these properties can be sold at up to 75 per cent of market value.
Based on current comparable developments, these homes would likely remain beyond the reach of many local residents.’
Mr Standen said: ‘This site is so big that it won’t be finished for 15 years, so they will be drip feeding homes as they are built.
‘They’ll say we’ve tried to sell them for affordable prices but we can’t because no one is buying because they’re too expensive, so we have to sell them on the open market.
‘None of my kids can afford a home in Tring, they’re renting in north London.’
A nearby secondary school has already undergone an expansion and is still not big enough to accommodate new pupils if the Marshcroft development went ahead.
Submitted plans promise land allocated within the site for a primary and secondary school and medical facilities, but locals worry these would never come to fruition because they are not obligated to build or fund them, instead that responsibility falls on already cash-strapped councils.
Mr Baker said: ‘This is all part of the government 1.5million homes pledge.
‘They think that everything can be plucked out of thin air, whether it’s infrastructure for their one and a half million houses, or when they promise new teachers, as if new teachers are in a cupboard somewhere ready to be brought out at a moments notice.’
The men fear that if the plans for Marshcroft are approved, it would set a ‘precedent’ for similar large developments in other Green Belt areas with developers using it as a positive case study.
Tring Town Council has come out against the plan, which campaigners believe would make Tring so big it would no longer be considered a ‘market town’
Another campaigner, David, said: ‘Developers and the planning consultants they use are very well funded.
‘I come from that sort of background as a developer as well, so I know what their triggers are and what their opportunities are, and they will wipe the floor with the council.
‘They’ve just got so many resources, and the council has never had enough money to do what they want to do.
‘So they will have people that are continuously looking and monitoring websites to pick up what’s been approved where.
‘They’ll think well that’s been approved in Tring and works well, that’s a sturdy argument. So, it sets a precedent and it’s not good for anyone.’
Marshcroft the largest of three housing developments allocated to Tring in Dacorum’s new Local Plan which was revised in 2024.
In 2023, the original Local Plan received support from locals and Tring Town Council as it promised to help grow Tring while protecting its character, Green Belt, and wildlife.
However, the update plan significantly increased the number of homes allocated to Tring, with the Town Council expressing concerns that the adopted plan is now being used by developers to justify applications and by inspectors to overturn refusals.
Tring Town Council and Grove Field Residents Association (GFRA) have formally challenged aspects of the plan and are fighting to have the Marshcroft development removed from it altogether.
A Local Plan examination in public is underway and inspectors have asked more questions about Dacorum’s overall search for appropriate sites in the borough. This has caused Dacorum to re-consult.
A spokesperson for Harrow Estates said:
‘Proposals for Marshcroft Farm has undergone extensive scrutiny, including a previous appeal where a Planning Inspector recommended approval. The site is now proposed for inclusion in the emerging Dacorum Local Plan, reflecting its role in meeting the borough’s high housing need.
‘Our updated application retains the homes for older people, 1,000sqm of commercial space, new schools, sports and health facilities, and a flexible community building, while increasing affordable housing from 45% to 50%.
‘There are no outstanding technical objections and its impact on local infrastructure will be mitigated, with Thames Water obliged to upgrade its systems to meet future demand.’
