updated 21 May 2007

In street name order.

441/99 - Swan Yard, Bell Lane, Bell Bar - outline application for a dwelling. - plans refused by the Council. See 'Actions 2000' page for details.

847/99 - Swan Yard, Bell Lane, Bell Bar, Hatfield - residential caravan pitch for one gypsy family (two caravans) with ancillary amenity block - Update 5.12.99 - application refused by the Council - see the 'Actions 2000' page for details.

395/99 - 25 Bullens Green Lane, Colney Heath - erection of a double garage and extension to driveway. - plans passed by the Council. We have queried the need for this substantial building on land which is at the rear of the adjoining properties.

389/99 - White Lodge Farm, Bulls Lane, North Mymms, Hatfield - single storey extension, detached amenity building, formation of a lake for fish breeding and syndicate fishing - application withdrawn. We have queried whether fish breeding is an agricultural activity (it is according to the Chief Planning Officer), and whether syndicate fishing is a leisure activity, or are they commercial activities (it is commercial according to the CPO). New commercial activity is not a permitted development within Green Belt policies. We queried the apparent lack of car parking provision.

840/99 - Cock o'th' North public house, Gt North Rd, Bell Bar - illuminated signs - we expressed our concern that the signs should be in keeping with the rural nature of the area. We now understand that the signs will not be an eyesore and the plans have been approved by the Council . The work has been completed and the pub re-opened in December 1999

371/99 - Cock o' the North public house, Gt. North Rd, Bell Bar, Hatfield - extension to the bar, kitchen and toilet facilities and external pergola. We do not believe that such extensions of commercial property are permitted within the Green Belt. Also there is no provision for extra car parking which is likely to be needed because of the expected increase in trade. - plans approved by the Council. Work completed in December 1999 and the pub has re-opened.

580/99 - Leggatts Park, Great North Road, Brookmans Park, Hatfield - Demolition of existing building and hardstanding and construction of a 18 hole golf course, associated clubhouse, staff accommodation, tennis courts, replacement swimming pool and car park - Planning permission for a golf club was approved several years ago but did not proceed, and it looks as though the approved housing development has been abandoned. We are concerned about some fairways near the back gardens of some neighbouring properties, and the danger of road accidents because of the entrance being close to a fast double bend on the A1000. Update 29 June 2000 - plans refused by Council. Too much was not related to a golf club and the buildings would have a greater visual impart on the openness of the countryside than the existing ones.

802/98 - San Felice restaurant, Great North Road, Bell Bar, near Hatfield - plans refused by the Council to turn part of the building into a private club. A successful petition and many letters of objection was organised by a neighbour.

258/99 - Aylmer Motor Works, Gt. North Road, Bell Bar. application for certificate of lawfulness for existing use of land for open storage and repair of vehicles without complying with condition 2 of planning permission E894/64. Update 24.12.99 - Cert. of lawfulness issued for the use of this use of the building, and parking vehicles, but not the storage of vehicles. (storage meaning long term).To obtain such a certificate the user must be able to show at least 10 years of that use. We have sent the Council a copy of their letter to us dated January 1992 which states that the permitted use of the building is for the storage and distribution of vehicle parts, and that the land in front of the premises can be used for parking of staff and delivery vehicles only. We consider that this is evidence that there has not been 10 years of the existing use and permission should be refused. We wrote to the Council last November regarding application 666/98 for a cert. of lawfulness for the storage of vehicles using the same evidence. The Chief Planning Officer advised us that if firm evidence is not available then there has to be sufficient evidence to come to a balanced view.

81/99 - Advert in a satellite dish at the BBC transmitting station, Great North Road, Brookmans Park, near Hatfield. we objected on the grounds that the advert should not be visible if the landscaping is successful in concealing these dishes. Therefore the advert is redundant. Plans refused by the Council.

753/99 - BBC, Great North Road - 4 satellite dishes - We wrote to the Council of our increasing concern about the effects of microwaves. We asked the Council to advise us whether this topic has been raised with the applicant, and what assurances the Council may have received on the safety levels of microwave radiation. Is there a limit to the concentration of such dishes on this site?

Update 5.12.99 - The Council advise that all applications conform to the master plan so they have to be approved, subject to unobtrusive siting of the dishes. The safety aspects are a matter for the Health and Safety Executive and DTI. The station operators must go through a licensing process which involves compliance with safety guidelines restricting human exposure to electromagnetic waves as laid down by the National Radiologiocal Protection Board. This Board have indicated that within their safety guidelines no adverse health affects have been proven. See 'Actions 2000' page for later information.

Folly Arch, Hawkshead Road, Little Heath - updated on the 'Actions - 2000' page. See last item on this page for a photo of Folly Arch.

668/99 - Hawkshead Rd Osborne Farm House, Little Heath - erect new dwelling house & agricultural buildings (renewal of planning permission S6/0842/93). Update 5.12.99 - plans passed by the Council. The original planning application - S6/0842/93/FP - was for a new dwelling house and agricultural buildings, and this was renewed by application 1110/98. It is apparent that the agricultural nature of this development has now been dropped in favour of a purely residential development. This current application must therefore ignore any past considerations which enabled the Council to approve the previous applications.

This current application is now simply a backland development which is not usually favoured by the Council. For such a large property, housing so many people, we consider that the amenity area is insufficient, and below the normally expected standards. The property itself is to be built very close to the rear boundary of the site, and will, therefore, be a visual encroachment on the Green Belt.

942/98 - Spey Cottage, Hawkshead Road, Potters Bar. The original application was rejected, and was for 4 houses on the site of the existing cottage. This new application was approved being for 3 bungalows spread more evenly on the site, and further from the boundary with the adjoining property. They must be single storey dwellings so that windows do not overlook the adjoining properties. The site overlooks the Green Belt.

849/99 - Spey Cottage, Hawkshead Road, Little Heath - replace existing cottage with 3 dwellings. Update 10.12.99 - approved - the Council decided that the amended plans proved that any loss of privacy by adjoining properties would be insufficient to warrant rejecting the plans. Had the Council refused consent, the applicant would most likely have won an appeal. Planning permission was granted earlier in 1999 for 3 bungalows with a restriction that there should be no habitable space in the roof. This new application includes dormer bungalows. We have objected since it will reduce the privacy of the adjoining properties.

336/98 - Tanum Farm, Hawkshead Road, Potters Bar. The owner proposed to build a detached house on land behind the existing house. A plan refused by the Council and an appeal was dismissed. The Inspector could find no justification for this proposal on Green Belt land.

857/99 - 8 Holloways Lane, Welham Green - outline application for one detached bungalow and garage. Although not in the Green Belt, this is a back-land development which is not something favoured by us, or the Council. Update 28.1.2000 - plans rejected by the Council

735/99 - 54 Holloways Lane - erect bungalow to the rear. Refused by the Council. We objected being a backland development and therefore not in keeping with the District Plan. An appeal was rejected by the Planning Inspectorate on 27 March 2000.

Potters Bar Golf Club - It was rumoured that the landlord of the Golf Club wanted to put housing on up to 10 acres of the southern part of the existing golf club land, and shift the golf club northwards, with an access from Hawkshead Lane. Little Heath. The whole golf club is on Green Belt land. The attraction is its closeness to shops and transport - 5 minutes walk to Potters Bar station, and it is a 'greenfield' site which is easy and cheap to develop.

Update 28 Sept 2000 - Golf course to remain in Green Belt - The Inspector's report into objections to Hertsmere's new Local Plan was published in March 2000. He said that there was no justification to include this site for housing with the consequent loss of a pleasant landscape and an important leisure facility close to the centre of Potters Bar. Hertsmere Council agreed.

923/97 - Marshmoor Lane, Welham Green, near Hatfield. There is an unauthorised mobile home on land at Marshmoor Lane in the Green Belt. A planning application for a mobile home was refused by the Welwyn Hatfield Council in December 1997, and an Enforcement Order served. The owner's appeal was dismissed, but he was given 12 months to remove the mobile home i.e. by 18 November 1999. However action is being taken by the Highways Department in respect of the hardcore deposited on highway land. In July 1999 the Council took action on the unauthorised storage on this site. Update 24.12.99 - Council to obtain a Court Order requiring the removal of the mobile home. Update 6 June 2000 - mobile home now removed.

564/99 junction of Mymms Drive and Great North Road, Brookmans Park - erect 10m high mast with mobile phone antenna and street lamp - plans passed by the Council. Mobile phone masts up to 15m high have 'deemed' planning consent so there is little we can do about it. We wrote to the Council pointing out that this site is in a dip so the coverage would be small.

723/99 - Queenswood Home Farm, Shepherds Way- conversion of main barn etc - We did not object but the plans were refused by the Council mainly because of the swimming pool.

67/99 - 20 Shrublands, Brookmans Park, near Hatfield - an application to remove trees covered by Tree Preservation Orders. The removal would be in contravention of the TPOs. - Plans passed by the Council.

393/99 - Potterells, Station Rd, Welham Green - fell oak tree (T10) and replace with 1-12cm girth oak on the field boundary covered by TPO70. Update 24.12.99 - refused by the Council. We queried this application coming less than a year after the completion of the work to convert the industrial units into housing. We noted two other TPO applications 778/97 and 1018/98 relating to this tree.

396/99 - 1 Potterells, Station Rd, Welham Green - erection of a garden shed.- application withdrawn. The plan was somewhat vague in our opinion. On the face of it, at about 20ft by 10 ft, it would appear to be rather substantial for a 'garden shed'. If it is to store equipment for the maintenance of the Potterells grounds we would have expected this to have been taken into account in the original application to redevelop the Potterells, where the building work has only recently been completed.

361 and 392/99 - The Woodman public house, Warrengate Rd, North Mymms - various extensions to the restaurant, cellar, kitchen and toilet facilities. We do not believe that such extensions of commercial property are permitted within the Green Belt. This is a Grade 11* listed building and we have queried whether or not English Heritage have been consulted. Revised plans have now been submitted which we are considering. - plans passed because of the sympathetic nature of the design, and the extension was mainly to the rear of the existing property.

1096/98 - Welham Manor, Welham Green near Hatfield - application for a vehicle bodyshop on Green Belt land. Plans refused by the Council. No new buildings are allowed on Green Belt land except in certain narrowly defined categories. A neighbour organised a very successful petition signed by over 80% of the residents of this quiet cul-de-sac edging onto the Green Belt.

813/99 - land at Welham Manor - application for a certificate of lawfulness of existing use of site as a workshop for repair and maintenance of motor vehicles including paint spraying together with access and associated parking. We have objected to this application. The applicant submitted an application (S6/1096/98/FP) in December 1998 for a new building on this site for use as a workshop, paint spraying etc. which was rejected. At that time we drew attention to the narrowness of the roadway, and the obsolete plan which failed to show the further houses built at the end of Welham Manor adjacent to this site (application S6/0516/94/FP).

We also pointed out the fire hazard caused by the storage and use of acetylene for welding of car bodies, and cellulose for spraying. This is inappropriate for such a location at the end of a narrow cul-de-sac, and a fire engine could be prevented from reaching the site because of parked cars. UPDATE 6 June 2000 - the Cert of lawfulness has been issued by the Council. We are investigating further and will let you know when we have more news - on the 'Actions 2000' page.

1019/98 - Swan Stables, Woodside Lane, Bell Bar, near Hatfield. This is Green Belt land, and we have objected to the siting of a mobile home in place of a caravan on the site. Update 24.12.99 - refused by the Council who are seeking a Court Order for the removal of the mobile home put on the site.

Folly Arch, Hawkshead Road, Potters Bar. This is the most well known landmark in the area and it forms part of the North Mymms Parish Council coat of arms. This picture was taken many years ago when there was a lodge keeper living in the house shown in the right-hand side of the picture - you can see him standing at the gate between the Arch. This lodge became derelict and was pulled down in 1993, when the present owners replaced it with a much larger property.

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