Stop the destruction of our local natural world

Cala contractors Richard Hall in October 2024, removing the habitat and protected hedgerow without approval

Our mission:

STOP CALA: hold Cala Homes to account for the destruction of hedgerow and habitats for protected and red list species.  We have reported the owners of Cala Homes to the Financial Conduct Authority for Greenwashing

SAFE HOMES FOR LIFE: Our expert evidence categorically shows that this land in North St Albans cannot deliver on basic needs to ensure homes are "Safe for a Lifetime" against the risk of flooding.  See the full reports in on our resources page. The valleys of North St Albans are surface water corridors feeding the aquifer beneath.  There should never be development here.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: We know the highways network in North St Albans cannot support more large scale development.  The area cannot deliver active travel routes safely.  How will these homes be sustainable for transport? See the full reports in on our resources page.

We only fundraise on a needs must basis. We need expert evidence and fundraise as and when we can submit that evidence in planning applications of Local Plans. Please support or fundraising efforts.

SAVE OUR COUNRTYSIDE STOP CALA

SAVE OUR COUNRTYSIDE STOP CALA

What is wrong with Woollham Park?

Did you attend the publicity events for Woollham Park? What did the land agents tell you?

Email us with your concerns: clash.two@yahoo.com

*Did they gloss over the insufficient highways infrastructure? Are was all going to be able to switch to our bikes on the Harpenden Road? Is closing Sandridgebury Lane and the access to Valley Road realistic? What evidence did they provide?

*Did they claim they can manage the flood risk ahead of other sites that have no flooding?

*Did they claim the only way to improve the Toulmin Drive playing fields changing block is by allowing St Albans School to make hundreds of millions in profit by selling off agricultural Green Belt countryside so they can then pay for a new changing block in what is called a section 106 payment? Why has the Council not started an application to Sport England or sought other sponsorship in the area which is packed every weekend?

*Will The Council turn a blind eye to what our experts say?

See our expert transport evidence here: Transport Evidence

STOP CALA NOW

STOP CALA: In March 2024, Cala Homes took control of the land off Harpenden Road. We have recently presented to key local stakeholders about Cala, who they are and what they stand for.

Tell us what you think about the Cala proposals: click here for our latest questionnaire.

Cala is currently part of L&G, but it is reported in the press that the business is for sale. Find out more here.

September 2023: BAD NEWS!! SADC have not listened to feedback from residents in the Local Plan Regulation 18 consultation. St Albans District Council has laid out a draft Local Plan document that ignores their own work and contradicts commitments by Council Leader Chris White to protect our local countryside.

If this proposal goes ahead in North St Albans, it destroys a key part of the Heartwood Halo, the ecological corridor supporting the forest within.

The Council did not followed clear guidance on Green Belt policy, so we have created this myth buster. Write to your Councillor and make sure they have read it!

SADC seeks to deliver substantially more housing on protected Green Belt than is needed in the local community and they have failed to explore brownfield potential fully. There will be more opportunities on brownfield as the economy continues to pivot away from industrial production in the South East.

New housing will not bring down house prices. This location is car based and not sustainable for travel to the employment required to purchase houses at the average local prices. The Governments own watchdog has reported on this matter in February 2024 and concluded that profit driven housebuilders do not deliver the affordable housing we need, see the full report here.

We are part of London’s Green Belt

See the interactive map of the scale of the threat to the metropolitan green belt. Many sites have been added to the at-risk register in St Albans since 2021, when the Council allowed planning permission in North St Albans

On December 5th 2022, Secretary of State Michael Gove MP finally made the Governments position clear. Green Belt should be protected and exempt from release using any methods of housing forecast calculations. CLASH has supported this campaign and congratulate all involved. It is now the responsibility of Planning Officers, Inspectors and Councillors to honor these protections.

  • Since the High Court decision in July 2022, we have been working hard to protect our local countryside.

  • Watch out for our updates on social media.

  • Email us if you can help our campaign or have any questions.

CLASH

CAMPAIGNING LOCALS AGAINST SEWELL HOUSING

We legally challenged the SADC decision to develop our protected Green Belt in the North St Albans countryside and need your donations to make this happen.

There should be no development on Green Belt in the North St Albans countryside. It is an area of high quality agricultural land, containing a principal chalk aquifer and wildflower meadows, valuable to wildlife, water quality and for recreation. The area was protected by a Secretary of State decision in 2015.

There are wonderful open views towards and from the edge of Heartwood Forest, which links to the North East of the area. This area contributes to the ecological corridors for Heartwood Forest, Batchwood, Beech Bottom Dyke and Soothouse Spring Woods.

Local transport and amenities infrastructure cannot support development. Air pollution would be made even worse on the main transport link of the A1081 Harpenden Road.

There are no “very special circumstances” that require the irreversible destruction of this beautiful area of St Albans.

Where is at risk?

North St Albans green belt is the land between A1081 Harpenden Road and the B651 St Albans Road.

The area is owned by a number of different groups.

St Albans District Council had identified half the site in their master planning which formed the last local plan which was quashed by Planning Inspectors for being unsound. The remainder of the proposed area was put up for development in the last call for sites. See the map of the latest call for site here…HELAA 2021 Annex 9

Watch our film…

Take Action

Ready to take the next step? You can become a contributor to our cause, or participate yourself.

Join our team at various events designed to RAISE AWARENESS and FUNDRAISE. Stay connected to receive updates about our campaign.

Take action