Keep Chiswell Green

Keep Chiswell Green If these plans are approved, it would mean in excess of 3,500 new homes built on our beautiful “protected” Green Belt countryside!

We are Keep Chiswell Green, a volunteer campaign group formed by concerned local residents who passionately oppose inappropriate development on Green Belt land in and around Chiswell Green, St Albans. In the absence of an adopted Local Plan in St Albans, property developers have submitted dozens of plans to build thousands of new homes on Green Belt countryside in and around Chiswell Green. We do not believe these developments meet the “very special circumstances” criteria needed to release land from the Green Belt. Chiswell Green has a current population of only 2,800, so these developments could treble the population of our village - causing a horrendous impact on our roads, schools, healthcare and environment, and the irrevocable destruction of the character and quality of life in our village. Our primary aim is to halt the developments altogether by stopping St Albans District Council from releasing the land from the Green Belt.

Come and join us for a special performance in aid of KCG!https://keepchiswellgreen.org/theatre-event/We are excited to i...
29/09/2025

Come and join us for a special performance in aid of KCG!

https://keepchiswellgreen.org/theatre-event/

We are excited to invite you to our second theatre event this year on Thursday 9th October. The Abbey Theatre Group have invited us to support them again in hosting this evening because we were so successful in our last collaboration, and an unexpected gap has arisen in their calendar for October 9th.

Naturally, we have accepted, and we would appreciate your support of both Keep Chiswell Green and The Abbey Theatre to enjoy a fantastic evening of comedy.

What's it about?

Zoe and Kash are newlyweds, keen to start a family as soon as possible. But they have very different approaches. While level-headed Zoe takes a methodical approach, Kash is ready to jump in with a quick - and rather bizarre - fix.

Naomi and Charlie are empty-nesters with two decades of married life behind them. While Charlie is blissfully unaware of Naomi's loneliness and frustration, personal trainer Rocco is more than willing to help her find a new lease of life.

This sharply written 2024 comedy about love, life, and everything in between, hilariously explores the positives and negatives of life as a couple.

Get your tickets now for this hilarious comedy....
08/09/2025

Get your tickets now for this hilarious comedy....

Get your tickets for this comedy now!

Please object to the planned Solar development in Potters Crouch - APPLICATION REFERENCE :  5/2025/1132The electricity c...
15/08/2025

Please object to the planned Solar development in Potters Crouch - APPLICATION REFERENCE : 5/2025/1132

The electricity company Exagen is proposing to install solar panels on every one of the fields owned by CP Holdings Ltd surrounding Potters Crouch, which is a Designated Conservation Area. It would in effect make Potters Crouch an island surrounded by a sea of solar panels.

Full details are available on the St Albans City & District Council Planning Portal under reference 5/2025/1132.

The Character Statement for the Conservation Area published by the Council states “Much of the character of the Potters Crouch conservation area comes from its rural situation and views across open fields and countryside”....All of this would be destroyed.

The local lanes are regularly used by walkers, runners, cyclists and horse riders, many of whom come from in and around Chiswell Green. The construction of the solar panels would require nearly 6,000 repeat 6,000 movements of heavy goods vehicles with weights up to 44 tons along Bedmond Lane and across all the other lanes. The lanes and the ancient hedgerows would be wrecked.

Of greater concern is the obvious danger to these walkers, runners, cyclists and horse riders with heavy vehicles passing on what are single width carriageways. It is almost inevitable there would be serious accidents or even worse, unless the lanes were closed completely for the 6 month period of construction.

The fields currently are highly productive, despite the claims to the contrary by the developers. Hundreds of tons of grain currently produced would have to be replaced by imports.

These beautiful fields full of birds and other wildlife would be destroyed. The solar panels in all probability will come from abroad. So much for the claims that the project would help the environment!

Plaistow’s Airfield is an important asset and sporting venue for the local community and wider. Apart from the flying activities, it supports a wide range of charitable initiatives including youth and disabled organisations. Were the project to go ahead, it would have serious safety implications for the airfield. Should an aircraft currently operating from the airfield have an engine problem after takeoff or on approach to land, with fields covered in solar panels there would be nowhere safe to land, consequently risking serious injury or worse.

There are large tracts of derelict land in the local area that could alternatively be used for a solar panel project. The only grounds for using valuable agricultural land rather than derelict land is that, were the project to be approved, it would result in vast profits for the developers.

The developers claim that at the end of the project the land would revert to agricultural use. The reality is that it would almost inevitably be used for housing.

Please voice your opposition as soon as possible by submitting a response on the Planning Portal referred to above, or use our objection generator to create an email objection.
https://keepchiswellgreen.org/objections/

If the "Open in email app" button doesn't work for you, please just copy the generated email body, update to your requirements, and send your email to:
planningcomments@stalbans.gov.uk

Please ensure that you provide your name and address in the email along with your objection.

Here is a link to the application on the SADC website if you want to enter your objection there instead:
https://planningapplications.stalbans.gov.uk/planning/search-applications?civica.query.FullTextSearch=5%2F2025%2F1132 ?RefType=PBDC&KeyNo=133980

Thank you for continuing to help to Keep Chiswell Green.
We will contact you again soon about the application at the Noke.

https://keepchiswellgreen.org/shopOur Art Exhibition now has an online shop - please have a browse if you can't make it ...
04/08/2025

https://keepchiswellgreen.org/shop

Our Art Exhibition now has an online shop - please have a browse if you can't make it to Burton's in the next 3 days!

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Come along to our Art Exhibition!

Fuelled by a long history of friendships on numerous themed artistic exhibitions, the members of Eyelight Photography and Local Artists are delighted to bring you their diverse and optimistic vision of the power of nature.

Inspiration is drawn from marine biologist and author of Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, who said:
"Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts."

We are thrilled to present our collective contemplations on the power of immersion in the natural world, whether that's a walk in our parks, a spot of forest bathing in the local woods or a trip to see a grand vista, nature is ready to inspire and sustain us.

Proceeds will go to Keep Chiswell Green, to protect the habitat for wildlife, flora and fauna.

https://keepchiswellgreen.org/art-exhibition/Come along to our Art Exhibition!Fuelled by a long history of friendships o...
28/07/2025

https://keepchiswellgreen.org/art-exhibition/

Come along to our Art Exhibition!

Fuelled by a long history of friendships on numerous themed artistic exhibitions, the members of Eyelight Photography and Local Artists are delighted to bring you their diverse and optimistic vision of the power of nature.

Inspiration is drawn from marine biologist and author of Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, who said:
"Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts."

We are thrilled to present our collective contemplations on the power of immersion in the natural world, whether that's a walk in our parks, a spot of forest bathing in the local woods or a trip to see a grand vista, nature is ready to inspire and sustain us.

Proceeds will go to Keep Chiswell Green, to protect the habitat for wildlife, flora and fauna.

https://www.eyelight.photography/

Art Exhibition Mon 4 Aug - Thurs 7 Aug 8.30am - 5.30pm Burston Garden Centre Just off M25 junction 21A, St Albans, AL2 2DS

Address

Chiswell Green
Saint Albans
AL2

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Chiswell Green is Under Threat!

CHISWELL GREEN - THIS AFFECTS US ALL! The SKM Housing Strategy Report commissioned by St Albans City and District Council has concluded that Green Belt land between Butterfly World and Forge End/Long Fallow is 'most suitable' for deregulation and the future development of up to 450+ news homes. That's a potential increase of 40% to the population of our village! Imagine the horrendous impact on our roads, schools, health care and environment. Please follow this page to keep up to date with the latest news, views and most important, how you can help.