Green spaces across the district have been proffered up by the county council to use for housing developments in the new St Albans Local Plan.
Most prominent is the former Radlett Airfield site because it was earmarked for a controversial rail freight depot, but Herts county council (HCC) has suggested a further seven sites it owns which St Albans district council (SADC) might like to include in the plans.
Rural estate land at Highfield Farm, Tyttenhanger
At 97ha, this one of the biggest pieces of land submitted by HCC. It currently contains agricultural land, farm construction, forestry, and three listed buildings.
It is also a designated Archaeological site, in the Green Belt, and close to TPOs.
HCC said any builds would be spaced out to minimise impact on the listed buildings, or concentrated around the farming buildings which already exist and which could be turned into residential homes themselves.
The land is separated by into western and eastern parts by Highfield Lane, off the A414, and circles Highfield Hall.
Carpenter’s Nursery, Sandridge
The agricultural Green Belt site is 23.52ha and was let to the nursery for 20 years only three years ago, in 2015.
North of the land sits within an Archaeological Site and is subject to an Ancient Monuments constraint. It is also close to some TPOs.
HCC calculates that if 30 dwellings per hectare are built on 50 per cent of the site, then about 350 homes could be accomodated.
Rural estate south of Napsbury
This is an 86.2ha Green Belt site next to London Colney and the M25 which HCC proposes could accommodate 447 houses.
It is close to historic parks and conservation areas, partly in a floodzone, and considered an Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Site.
In its submission, HCC says these are constraints which could be overcome by good design and by avoiding protected areas.
Rural estate north of Napsbury
This is 26.31ha alongside the B5378 and Green Belt, falling partly into a Historic Parks designated area.
A maximum of 149 homes could be built on this area, HCC suggests, along with a two form entry primary school.
The area is separated from the south of Napsbury site by streets and housing off Goldring Way, and is currently used as agricultural land.
Land east of Kay Walk
A site of 3.3ha, this piece of land is currently scrubland adjacent to a Tree Protection Order (TPO) area to the east.
However, apart from bring part of the Green Belt, HCC has not identified any environmental and physical constraints in building here.
The land is marked as best suited to be excluded from the Green Belt for housing.
It was also identified for development by SADC in the former Strategic Local Plan as one part of a larger area called East St Albans (Oaklands), earmarked for up to 1,000 homes.
However, that document which was abandoned after a planning inspector recommended it for dismissal and SADC lost a High Court appeal.
It is also very close to a development at the former Beaumont Works site on Sutton Road, which includes 54 one and two-bedroom apartments, 28 in the refurbished building and 26 new builds.
Rural estate land at Waterdell
Adjacent to Mount Pleasant JMI in Bricket Wood, this Green Belt site is 10.49ha of farmland, suitable for 30 to 40 homes.
It is also a Landscape Development Area, close to some TPOs and running alongside M1 by junction 6.
Land at Stephens Way and Flamsteadbury Lane
This is an open play area of 0.8ha which is leased by Redbourn Parish Council. HCC submitted that the site only has potential as part of a larger development which would retain the play area.
Between 25 and 30 houses could fit on the piece of green, depending on how densely they were built.
There are TPOs to the south of the site, which HCC say should be considered in the design and layout of any development.
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