'Increasing threat' to UK green belt land
Up to 1,000 new homes could be built on greenbelt land in Smallford, St Albans if Oaklands College moves its headquarters to Hatfield.
The college has revealed that it would be looking for up to 400 new homes to be built on the college's Green Belt Smallford Campus if it goes ahead with a plan to build a new headquarters on Hatfield Business Park - also earmarked for a superhospital.
Schemes for more than 450 homes in Smallford are already in the pipeline - on the BT test site in Oaklands Lane and the Glinwell nursery site - fuelling fears that further development would effectively join St Albans and Hatfield.
District council planning portfolio holder Cllr Chris Brazier said that he was concerned that all the plans were being considered in isolation.
He pointed out: "Between them they would fill in the gap between St Albans and Hatfield and we need an area plan to look at the entire infrastructure including such things as roads and schools."
The college began talks with St Albans District Council last week over the future of the Smallford Campus.
It wants to develop new modern facilities using a "hub-and-spoke" system with a main college and satellite local learning centres.
Hatfield Business Park is its preferred location for the "hub" which would effectively make other Oakland sites redundant including disused land in Highfield Lane, St Albans, as well as campuses in Welwyn Garden City and Borehamwood.
The "hub-and-spoke" system is now due to be be considered by the national Learning and Skills Council.
Before that happens the college will test-market sites which will potentially be surplus to requirements which includes the 291-acre Smallford Campus, much of which is in the Green Belt.
The college is already looking to build 329 new homes on its City Campus in St Peter's Road.
Last week representatives from the college met the council's planning advisory panel to discuss options for the site.
Afterwards panel vice-chairman Cllr Martin Frearson confirmed the college was looking at the possibility of 35 acres of land at Smallford being developed with up to 400 new homes.
He said: "The college claims that 35 acres of the site are currently covered in buildings and it is looking to redevelop that footprint."
But he added: "Some of the area is covered in glasshouses and there is a dispute as to whether that land can be counted as developed."
Panel member Cllr Chris Whiteside added: "It was a difficult meeting for members. They had to be very careful about what they said because it is clear that many of them will eventually have to consider a planning application for the land."
Mr Whiteside added: "The college made it clear that it would like to withdraw its main facilities from St Albans to Hatfield.
"In those circumstances, they could hardly expect us to applaud suggestions that we should distort the Green Belt rules so that they could move facilities out of the district."
The college will now discuss its proposals with planning officers.
A decision on BT's proposals for its Smallford site was deferred by councillors last week and an appeal is pending following refusal of planning permission on the Glinwell Nursery site.
Herts Advertiser, 21st July 2005
