Following his latest meeting with Hertsmere Borough Council’s Planning Department on Friday, Oliver has called on local residents to make their views known about proposals in the latest stage of the new Local Plan.

The latest report, published this month, sets out all the potential sites that have been offered to the Council.

However, only a proportion of them will actually be used and therefore the Council are asking for people’s views on which ones would most appropriate for development.

Speaking after the meeting Oliver said: ‘It is vital that residents respond to this latest phase of the Local Plan as the public’s views are crucial in helping the Council determine which sites will be included for development.

‘Now is the time to make any objections you have about specific sites known, in particular in terms of any impact on local infrastructure and the environment. If residents do not make their voices heard now it will be much harder to do so later. Now is the moment.

‘Clearly it would be completely unacceptable to develop all these sites and the Council do not plan to and I also have great concerns about many of them. Nonetheless, I do understand the Council has to meet the need for houses and this will require difficult decisions.’

Oliver met on Friday with Cllr Dr Harvey Cohen, member of the Council Executive for planning, and Mrs Christine Lyons, Head of Planning & Economic Development, the Borough’s senior planning official.

The publication of the list of potential sites is the most recent part of the Hertsmere Local Plan update. In September last year, the Council published its ‘Issues and Options Report’ which set out broad proposals for development, including a new garden village, urban extensions and brownfield development.

Oliver added: ‘We must build new homes for our children and grandchildren. I will continue to make the case that building must not be at the expense of what makes our area special, including the green open spaces we value that keep our settlements separate with distinct charm. We need the right infrastructure to go with it. I made this case yet again in my meeting and will continue to do so.’