Wed 29th – Fri 31st August
10am at Watford Town Hall
Residents are welcome to attend at any point throughout the appeal process. Showing this is a huge issue for local residents is vital.
It was a year ago, almost to the day, that the continuing saga of Rounton erupted. After an initial adjournment of the planning application to develop the site, Andrew Mortimer and a member of the Watford Museum found the amazing 1735 map of Nascot at Merton College, Oxford. The map proves that part of Rounton and the surrounding area included ‘ancient woodland’.
As a result of this discovery, the planning application for 45 houses was turned down because it would have meant the destruction of much of the woodland. An appeal is due to commence on August 29th.
The appellant and the council will also submit specific arguments as to why the appeal should or should not be granted. In simple terms, the council will reason that a significant part of the site cannot be built on, due to the presence of this ancient woodland. Pegasus, representing the owners, will maintain that the woodland in question is not ‘ancient’ and, therefore, should be largely destroyed to make way for the proposed housing.
As ever, the residents of Birch Tree Walk and other interested residents have been working hard to ensure that while an appropriate re-development of Rounton is not in question, our precious woodland, together with its wild ecology, must be preserved.