Tring in Transition blog: 12/8/09
We can't feed ourselves in Britain.
A Government strategic report out today confirms that by 2050 Britain will not be able to obtain enough food to feed our population.
The report aims to start discussion on a strategy to try and make Britain more sustainable by 2050 – but lack of suitable farmland is identified as a major problem.
Tring is surrounded by agricultural land, but this land is currently under major threat from two plans.
The first plan, the least problematic, is Dacorum's proposals to put 150 houses either on Dunsley Farm opposite Tesco, or on Icknield way adjacent to the industrial area.
This plan would leave much of the farmland intact, but would use valuable food growing space. Dacorum has identified that Tring can build 350 houses inside the town boundary.
We do not need extra houses on either of these two sites.
The major threat is the proposal put forward by Tring Sports Forum.
This proposes:
• The complete destruction of Dunsley and Cow Lane farms and replacement with playing fields, pavilions, parking for 1000 cars, a small allotment area ( a sop to us Greens) and an industrial estate.
• Moving Tring School to the site and building 600 houses on the Tring School site
• Moving the industrial units at Akeman St to the site and building houses (150?) in Akeman St
This has the following major consequences
• Destruction of arable fields that we need to grow food
• 1000 car parking spaces will give major traffic problems
• Tring School would be moved to the outskirts of the town making the journey more difficult for pupils
• 600-750 extra houses would place a burden on the infrastructure that would not be supportable without extra sewers, sewage disposal etc.
• 600 houses is a major development and this would automatically mean that the site would also be considered for a gypsy / traveller site.
I had hoped that the Tring Sports Forum would put forward a modified more sensible development just involving some extra playing fields + car parking along Cow Lane – leaving the farms more or less intact.
Apparently this is not to be. Luckily Dacorum is unlikely to support such an ill conceived plan, and Herts County Council have yet to be consulted by the Forum (despite owning the two farms!).
The Diocese of St Albans owns the Tring School land – and it has not had full consultations either.
The Sports Forum Plan is hopefully going to be booted out by Dacorum and Herts CC, and a lot of time and goodwill lost which could have been devoted to a more sensible plan. Of course there would be a lot of money to be made by developers if the Tring Sports Forum plans went through.
If you agree, make your views known at www.dacorum.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=5924
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Weather for Tring
Thursday 09 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -0 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 6 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: -4 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: South east
