Your Weekly Update on Save Castle Fields

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We are over half way to reaching our target of £500,000 which is fantastic! But we need to keep going, there’s ever increasing pressure on our green spaces and potentially Castle Fields.

Not least, the newly revised government National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) officially introduces a default "yes" presumption for new housing within a reasonable walking distance of well-connected train stations. The Fields sits well within this boundary if we don’t fully secure them.

In addition, Dacorum Borough Council is officially now under ‘special measures’ and so major planning applications may be determined directly by the Planning Inspectorate, meaning there is an added danger if any application were to be submitted for the fields.

Let’s not forget the site has been put forward in the past as a potential housing site and came within weeks of being auctioned off in smaller parcels.

Although there is an existing s106 agreement on the land (dating from when Castle Village was built), the restrictive covenants on fencing and usage can still be revoked, so these are not binding arrangements in the long term.

Berkhamsted is currently inundated with potential development applications - our campaign is urgently seeking to ensure this vital, sensitive and threatened green space can be appreciated and used by the town, protecting its potential for health and wellbeing and educational purposes for future generations to come.

Together with huge community support, the Castle Trust is securing the fields not only to save them from development, but also to create a new accessible open space, at the same time protecting and enhancing their ecology as well as preserving their vital historical importance and links to the Castle.

We still have a way to go, and are doing extremely well, but please do continue to support us and spread the word!

Please continue to help spread the word to #SaveCastleFields @BerkoCastle

Best wishes,

James and the Castle Team