Public Consultation Opens on New Cancer Centres
Plans to secure the future of specialist cancer services for more than two million people across the East of England have moved forward, following agreement on capital funding for a new cancer centre. A public consultation will take place from 19 January to 29 March 2026 on proposals to relocate Mount Vernon Cancer Centre (currently 24 miles from Harpenden) to a new, purpose-built facility next to Watford General Hospital (18 miles from Harpenden).
The proposed relocation would create a centre of excellence alongside the planned new Watford General Hospital, providing cancer patients with direct access to essential on-site services such as Accident and Emergency and critical care. It would also offer modern facilities to support research, training and innovation. The new cancer centre would continue to serve patients across Hertfordshire, north west London, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and east Berkshire.
The proposals include expanding chemotherapy, diagnostics and follow-up care in local hospitals, increasing chemotherapy delivered at home, and reducing the need for patients to travel long distances for routine appointments.
Early site works at Watford General Hospital are already underway. Incorporating the cancer centre into the wider hospital redevelopment could reduce overall costs through shared construction and infrastructure. Final decisions and delivery timelines will be confirmed following the consultation.
Ian Barrison of the Harpenden Society welcomed the progress and encouraged residents to take part in the consultation.
“This is a definite step in the right direction, and we strongly encourage our members and local residents to respond to the consultation,” he said.
“While the new facility will only be slightly closer for people in Harpenden, it will be significantly more convenient and will offer state-of-the-art equipment and facilities. The possible siting of stand alone radiotherapy services at the Lister Hospital Stevenage, or at the Luton and Dunstable Hospital, would also benefit Harpenden residents. That is why this proposal deserves support".
Residents are encouraged to respond to the consultation (closes 29th March 2026) and show support for this important initiative Cancer Centre - proposal questionnaire
Members' Briefing
Shaping the future of local government in Hertfordshire
Currently, Hertfordshire has a county council, which looks after things such as social care, roads and education, and 10 district and borough councils,which provide services such as housing, planning and waste collection.
The Government believes having a smaller number of all-purpose councils would make local government simpler, more accountable and more sustainable.
Say goodbye to Hertfordshire County Council and these District Councils:
St Albans, Broxbourne,Dacorum, Hertsmere, North Hertfordshire, Stevenage, Welwyn, Hatfield, East Hertfordshire, Three Rivers and Watford.
Say hello to:
a two Unit Authority, a three Unit Authority or a four Unit Authority.
Town and Parish Councils
Existing Town Councils and Parish Councils will stay within the appointed Unit Authority (although some may wish to amalgamate with their local Town Council) and there may be a demand for new Parish Councils like central St Albans.
Who makes the final decision?
The Government. They believe having a smaller number of all-purpose councils would make local government simpler, more accountable, more cost effective and more sustainable. They did consult in late Autumn and asked all 11 existing councils in Hertfordshire whether they thought the county should split into two, three or four unitary authority areas in the future.
The Harpenden Society view
In our opinion, if the costs before and after are evenly balanced, or, at least, cost benefits are not conclusively made out, then undoubtedly the more favourable cost case would come with two unitaries, not three or four. A reorganisation to, in effect, simply merge St Albans and Dacorum, adding in
current county council powers, would not seem to be worth the disruption and cost.
The Harpenden Society committee notes that the government is determined to reorganise local government to create unitary authorities. We hope that it does indeed make for greater efficiency, reducing bureaucracy and overlap. Devolution of central government powers to a strategic authority is welcomed, provide fragmentation does not go too far in creating inefficiencies. The two-unitary proposal for Hertfordshire will likely give the best opportunity to balance local input with operational efficiency. We would particularly welcome devolution of super-local assets and services to Harpenden Town Council, which benefits from immense local respect, provided the financial consequences are not detrimental.
Timetable:
Other Views
Steve Jarvis, leader of Hertfordshire County Council, said: "We think the two unitary option is the one that is best placed to deliver services to people at the lowest cost, which will mean we have the most money available for delivering services.” St Albans District Council also takes the same view.
Jeff Phillips (Chair the Harpenden Society) said
Many residents are unaware that this process of change is already underway and may not have read the background rationale. Additionally we are still awaiting a decision on
the future role and responsibilities of HTC.
LADACAN considering appeal of High Court ruling
The High Court has ruled in favour of the Secretary of State’s decision earlier this year to overturn the advice of planning inspectors and permit further massive expansion of Luton Airport.
LADACAN have responded by saying “The Luton Airport case is a watershed moment for the UK’s climate future. The government’s expert advisers have warned that we cannot meet Net Zero while continuing to expand aviation on the basis of partial or outdated climate assessments. Yet the Government is still approving airport growth using narrow CO₂ accounting that excludes inbound flights and ignores aviation’s much larger non-CO₂ warming impacts.”
LADACAN are now considering an appeal and are “urging all those who care about reducing the environmental impacts of aviation to donate to our crowdfunding appeal”
Jeff Phillips chairman of the Harpenden Society expressed disappointment and concern about the judgments, he said
“The Harpenden society has fully supported LADACAN’s application for a judicial review on the secretary of state’s decision to allow double the size of Luton airport.
Whilst the society believes that Luton Airport is a valuable local asset which brings employment to the area and convenience for travelers we are stand with LADACAN against the planned expansion because of the environmental impacts and stresses it places on local roads and rail.”
To show support to LADACAN’s appeal, and to help fund legal expenses should it proceed, please visit
https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/stop-luton-airport-expansion
CAA Consultation on Overhaul of UK Airspace Design Process
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has opened a public consultation on sweeping reforms to the way aircraft flight paths are designed and amended across the UK. The consultation, which runs until 18 December, proposes a redesigned system intended to “make it easier to make changes to modernise the use of airspace, efficiently and effectively.”
Under the plans, a new body — the UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS) — would be created to take over responsibility for managing all airspace-change proposals.
The proposals relate solely to the approval process for new or amended flight paths. They do not concern any specific route and apply nationwide, not just to Luton Airport.
The 85-page consultation document outlines a streamlined framework based on:
The CAA argues that the reforms will simplify and modernise an increasingly complex system. However, some observers warn that the changes could make it easier for government and airport operators to advance airspace alterations with fewer opportunities for public scrutiny or challenge.
Potential Local Impact
The proposals could become particularly significant for Luton Airport, where previous attempts to modify departure routes have been constrained by the current process.
On the downside a revised process could mean new routes for Luton and that, in turn, improve the likelihood of the airport archiving growth ambitions.
On the upside, Harpenden lies beneath the main westerly departure route used by around 70% of Luton’s outbound flights due to prevailing winds so if airport capacity increases and flight paths remain unchanged, residents would see a corresponding rise in flights overhead.
Luton Airport’s owners have long examined the option of creating an additional west/north departure route — a concept previously ruled out because of airspace conflicts with RAF Northolt and Heathrow. A revised framework could, in theory, enable reconsideration of such a route, potentially reducing noise over Harpenden. Any benefits, however, would depend entirely on the eventual design and approval of specific proposals.
Concerns Over Public Engagement
A central concern for the Harpenden Society is the fear that residents may have less opportunity to influence future airspace decisions, including those affecting towns and villages around the airport.
LADACAN, which represents communities across Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, has published its position and additional context on its website in response to the consultation.
The Society will be responding and we encourage members to review the proposals and submit feedback before the deadline.
To read LADACAN's detailed analysis of the consultation, and some thoughts from them on how to respond, visit CAA airspace change consultation 2025 – Say NO to Luton Airport Expansion
Consultation page: https://consultations.caa.co.uk/safety-and-airspace-regulation-group/airspace-change-process-2025/
Town council commissions independent research into parking charges in Harpenden
Harpenden Town Council has commissioned an independent research study to gather the views of residents and town centre businesses on access to, and use of, Harpenden’s town centre. The research will specifically explore opinions on the limited-waiting parking bay changes introduced in February. The fieldwork taking place during November and December 2025.
A residents’ survey will be delivered to every household in Harpenden to ensure the widest possible participation.
Town centre businesses will also be asked for their views through telephone or face-to-face interviews. The findings will help the Town Council better understand recent changes in the local area and any impacts on the town centre.
Martyn Reed, Trustee and Transport Representative of The Harpenden Society, said:
“From what we have heard so far, views appear somewhat polarised. Many residents oppose any form of parking charge, while others—particularly those who can walk easily into town or use it for convenience shopping—are more accepting.
This is why The Harpenden Society welcomes this research.
Its independent nature will help ensure that the results can be reviewed by the St Albans District Council, who set parking fees, impartially and as part of their review following the first year of implementation. We hope the findings will guide actions that reflect residents’ views.
We strongly encourage residents and local businesses to take part and make their voices heard.”
For more detail please visit www.harpenden.gov.uk/news-and-initiatives/press-releases
Image owned by the Lawes Agricultural Trust
Up to 5,000 homes proposed for outskirts of Redbourn
Residents of Harpenden may wish to learn more about two proposals that, in combination, could result in the building of 5,000 new homes that will directly affect our neighbours in Redbourn and Hemel Hempstead.
Firstly the Crown Estate is preparing a planning application for 4,000 homes on a 975-acre site, which lies between Redbourn Road and Hemel Hempstead Road to the east of Hemel Hempstead.
Secondly Lawes Agricultural Trust, the a charitable trust, owns the estates at Rothamsted, is proposing a development of a further 1,000 homes in adjacent to Harpenden Lane, Redbourn.
There are a number of engagement sessions planned for each development, the most local of which are in Redbourn Village Hall;
Jeff Phillips, Chairman of the Harpenden society commented.
“The Society appreciates that new homes are needed and have empathy with our neighbours who will be significantly affected by these proposals. Whilst the residents of Harpenden are geographically remote our concern is the additional pressure that such homes will put on local infrastructure, particularly roads and trains, compounding the problems that will be caused by the developments in Harpenden and the expansion of Luton Airport. The Society is urging the planning authorities to take a holistic approach to these developments to ensure that problems are averted before they occur”
Question Time with Our MP Victoria Collins
In front to a lively audience at the Katherine Warington School, Victoria outlined her activities over her first year in the House of Commons.
In summary, she stated she is one of the 20 most active members in the House, and in just over a year, she and her small team have been involved in over 10,000 personal and political issues with residents and others. She has attended over 600 debates, questions and speeches in the House, and asked 4 questions of the Prime Minister, and held over 300 advice surgeries, meetings and other local visits
One small anecdote from her early days in the House was that she walked into a cupboard thinking it was the door to the ladies toilet!
The key subjects she focussed on include social care (especially dementia and mental health), special education needs, the cost of living and holding the Environmental Protection Agency/Water Companies to account for the appalling levels of raw sewage discharge into our river systems and streams.
As leader for the LibDems on Science, Innovation and Technology, she is a highly vocal campaigner for online safety, and is promoting ethical AI innovation, not least pushing for a standard for age for data consent, which is supported by Bernardo’s and Mumsnet.
In answering questions for the audience, she was asked what influence, as the third party in the House, the LibDems had on the Government. No hesitation in her reply – plenty – soft influence through collaboration with all parties, and hard influence through membership of select committees, parliamentary questions and through national media.
She was then asked where the LibDems are re Europe, and her answer was an unequivocal yes to entering a customs union with the EU, given the economic disaster that Brexit had always been expected to deliver.
Moving on to the question of ID cards, she was generally supportive, but they should not be mandatory, and when asked about the move to unitary local authorities, she was concerned that the efficiencies might be difficult to achieve, and that we may lose the local connection between residents and the decision makers.
On more local issues, she was asked why the Local Plan for St Albans was taking so long? In reply, when the LibDems came into power in 2022, there was no plan, as the previous Conservative prepared Plan had been rejected by the Planning Inspectors, with no attempt to revisit it. The new LibDem group had to start from scratch, and given the complexity of the issues of the plan, it was always going to be a lengthy process.
The concern now is that the Plan has been prepared in accordance with the former Government’s targets, and there is now the likelihood that the Labour Government will specify a higher level of housebuilding.
In thanking Victoria for her address and her answers to questions, Jeff Phillips, the chair of the Society, quoted from a Hansard booklet of advice to new MPs – ‘you’ll never get any thanks…..’ – a quote that Victoria recalled reading!
How to stop Green Belt land becoming Grey Belt!
In December 2024, the Government made major revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) - the rule book that dictates planning decisions.
In order to facilitate house building, the changes included relaxing the protections given to the Green Belt. Previously, ‘exceptional circumstances’ had to be demonstrated to justify building on Green Belt land. The December 2024 revisions introduced a new category of land - ‘Grey Belt’.
This was marketed by the Government as being land in the Green Belt such as a disused petrol station - not genuine green space. However, in reality, land could be considered ‘grey belt’ if it did not strongly meet most of the five purposes of the Green Belt, and in practice, every application now put forward claims the site is grey belt.
Some Councils are accepting this without challenge, thereby removing protection for Green Belt land in their District, thus the grey belt definition is a critical component in the current mass destruction of Green Belt land.
The following petition is asking that the Government revise the definition of grey belt to return protection for the Green Belt. The Harpenden Society endorses this policy revision and the petition below.
Please sign this petition and send it on to all your friends and family, and ask them to forward it too. If you are a user of social media, please put it on all your channels.
The petition has already exceeded the 10,000 signatures needed to receive an answer from the Government, but the answer at this stage will be dismissive. It needs to exceed the 100,000 signatures that require the subject to be debated by Parliament for there to be any real hope of changing the current situation.
Please remember to click the link that will be sent to your email after signing, but may not be immediate, and check your spam. This is the only way your vote will be counted.
550 new homes approved in NW Harpenden
This approval flies in the face of the realities of the geography of the A1081, and the negative impact on the traffic and town centre infrastructure arising from a development of this size cannot be understated.
Moreover, the quantum involved is almost double the number of houses that have been included for this site in the Local Plan, now with the Planning Inspectorate.
Furthermore, we note that this application appears to have been heavily influenced by the recent policy shift that recognises ‘Grey Belt’ land. This looks to the Society as a rabbit being pulled out of a hat, as the officials’ view appears to have been turned by this, without any sign of a robust challenge.
It is more than disappointing to see SADC councillors approving this project as presented, without attempting to defend the Local Plan figure put forward for this site.
The Society are not Nimbys, in that we recognise and accept the need for more housing in our area. This is why we have been supportive of that Plan.
However, we have been equally clear that any major development needs to recognise fully the impact it has on a community whose infrastructure, particularly the road system, town centre parking and rail capacity are already stretched.
We have consistently demanded that for any large scale development in the town, the infrastructure issues must be addressed at the same time as planning permission is formally sought. Those authorities involved, SADC, Herts County Council, NHS, the utility companies etc, must recognise and commit to the necessary improvements as a condition of the planning permission being granted.
This approval is woeful in that the infrastructure needs are being left to the usual ‘negotiation’ between the developers and SADC officials. Hopefully, we will see a more robust approach being adopted by officials in that negotiation,
Finally, one point worthy of mention is the inadequacy of the Herts Highways analysis that has come to light.
Highways understanding the realities of the location is underwhelming, with only one day’s observation of traffic flows taken at random. None of the reference sites they used are of a comparable size, and no recognition has been given in their support for the project of the traffic realities today – nor the impact on the town centre (not least in terms of parking), access to rail facilities, routes to employment centres, schools or health facilities. And most damning of all, of the reference surveys they quote, 7 of the 11 are pre 2010, and 3 are pre 2014.
Their conclusion that the increase in the number of daily car journeys that the 550 houses will generate is, frankly, laughable
Last but not least, this site, together with the one proposed for North Batford, suggests an increase in our community’s population over the next few years of approaching 5000 – an increase of over 15%. This appears lost on the transport planners, and their colleagues in education, social services and health. It’s about time Herts County Council recognise the overall impact that this increase in population will generate.
L&G Planning application for Land at Cooters End Lane and Ambrose Lane.
The Harpenden Society have already made objections to this site development and have now ( Oct 28th 2024) submitted further objections following the submission of amended plans to St Albans City & District Council.
This is a separate project from the forthcoming Local Plan.
These objections are listed below. We will keep Society members advised on progress.
Harpenden Society response to St Albans District Council Local Plan 2041
St Albans City and District Council have published their 278 page “Final Draft Local Plan”, under Regulation 19 of The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012, for “Technical consultation”. The Plan, when agreed, will be implemented between October 2024 and March 2041.
The Harpenden Society has prepared a response which it wishes to share with members.
The District Council believe that they have already fulfilled the requirement for a public consultation and this stage is simply to ensure that the propose plan is;
• Legally compliant
• Positively prepared
• Justified
• Effective Consistent with national policy
As always Members of the Society may wish to submit their own response before the deadline of 10am on Friday 8th November 2024.
Harpenden Society’s view on the SADC 2041 Local Plan proposal:
Harpenden is an attractive town and housing is in high demand. This makes it a very attractive proposition for developers. Without a current Local Plan we are in a perilous position which could result in inappropriate developments being forced upon us with little local control. We support the need to have a plan to be agreed swiftly.
2. We need more homes
As a country, and as a district, we need more homes and it is right that Harpenden has its share. Overall we support the number of homes that are being proposed for Harpenden but have concerns about the size and impact on our community of the two largest – B2 and B7
3. We need to secure the Green Belt
We acknowledge that previous commitments to protect the Green Belt are being undermined but, in the circumstances, accept that this is necessary. However the plan should define the revised boundaries to ensure that the original principles of greenbelt are maintained i.e. that towns and villages do not coalesce, and that any permitted development does not create the potential for further erosion of the green belt. Special protection should be provided to protect views of, and from, the Common; probably the single most important feature in the attractiveness of Harpenden.
4. Infrastructure needs improvement before development starts
Due to previous expansion, and changing lifestyles, the infrastructure that makes Harpenden a pleasant place to live is already overwhelmed. In particular, congested roads, insufficient parking, surface water and sewerage systems, health services and a lack of sustainable transport options. The County and District Councils and NHS bodies must undertake a full review of the current infrastructure and commit to make improvements, before any major new developments (in particular B2 and B7) are considered.
5. The existing roads around Batford cannot cope with the proposed development
The Society’s biggest single concern relates to the development in Batford (B2), an area which will already suffers from inadequate transport infrastructure and poor road layouts (with only two road crossings points into Harpenden) which are unable to cope with the current volume of traffic. Increasing the population in this area of Harpenden by 30% without adequate thought and investment will cause gridlock.
6. We need a parking strategy for Harpenden
At a time when parking is under scrutiny, it is concerning that numerous car parks including those at the railway station, Bowers Way East, at the rear of Waitrose and in Southview Road are under threat (UC14, UC15, UC50 and UC54) where proposed developments would reduce or extinguish parking capacity. We request a full parking review, to include on-street parking, is undertaken to ensure that our roads are free flowing and the retailers and business, whose customers are being impacted, remain viable.
7. We need smaller and medium size family homes
We support the proposed balance of housing biased towards small family homes (65% will be 3 bed or less).
8. We need affordable housing for the long term
We support the significant volumes of affordable housing (40% of large developments). We would suggest that legal devices are employed to ensure that the affordability of such housing is protected when those homes are resold.
9. Build up, not just out
We believe that the council should, where the topography of the land permits, consider three storey properties thereby minimising the use of land.
Harpenden Banking Hub
The town owes a debt of gratitude to Derek French.
As a member of the Harpenden Society we are proud to recognise Derek French’s long standing campaign to establish a Banking Hub in Harpenden. He is to be congratulated for his hard work which has now born fruit with the announcement from Harpenden Town Council that a temporary Hub will open on Dec. 11 in the Town Hall. This temporary hub is expected to be replaced with a permanent location in the town centre sometime next year.
The full story behind this success follows in Derek’s own words….
‘Post early retirement, when the principal targets for bank branch closures were smaller communities like Redbourn and Wheathampsted, I voluntarily established and led for 18 years the national Campaign for Community Banking Services backed by at times by up to 30 national charities and small business organisations. We repeatedly put to the banks for larger towns what is now dubbed a Banking Hub which was a fully costed and evidenced model but the banking industry were not only reluctant they were diametrically opposed. Having secured the Post Office agreement the Campaign was wound up in 2016 but I personally re-engaged when NatWest closed, the first bank to go, in Harpenden May 2018. Larger towns, ideal candidates for the Banking Hub model, had become the banks' targets.
After years of lobbying by me and organisations, successive governments backed the mission culminating in the Conservative's legislation and the incoming Labour government's commitment to at least 350 Banking Hubs this parliament. Locally of course with other similar towns we have experienced the block on Banking Hubs caused by Nationwide's continued presence although it does not solve the problem. With the full co-operation and efforts of Harpenden Town Council, both political administrations, we have successfully lobbied for exemptions to the Nationwide block for a few deserving larger towns and we are where we are now on the verge of an Interim Hub pending securing of a suitable town centre premises for the permanent home.’