Wall Hall - a vision restored

Council planners from Hertsmere have helped to create the best development in the United Kingdom - a vision restored.

Wall Hall is a new development of houses and apartments on 55 acres of listed private parkland in Aldenham close to Radlett, which recently won the Daily Mail's Best UK Development and a silver award for Rural Landscaping from the Express Newspapers.

Richard Grove, Head of Planning and Building Control at Hertsmere Borough Council, said: "This is a significant and well deserved achievement for the Planning and Building Control Unit at Hertsmere and Octagon, the developers.

"This development was initiated in 2000 and we rejected the first proposal submitted for this site. However, we had very constructive meetings and jointly prepared a detailed planning brief. Unfortunately the resulting scheme was rejected by John Prescott for not having enough housing units. We continued to work with the developers to create a development which is in keeping with the original design of Wall Hall and overcame Mr Prescott’s objections.

"This project highlights the proactive approach of our planners and the close working relationship we have with developers."

Wall Hall estate can be traced back to 1621, when owned by Viscount Falkland, who was at the time Lord of the Manor of adjoining Aldenham. Over the years, the manor was owned by JP Morgan, and occupied by the Kennedy family during the war when they were evacuated from the American Embassy London. After the second world war it was used as a training centre and then a campus for the University of Hertfordshire.

The site became very neglected and the development has replaced the unattractive post war buildings with new homes in style with the site's retained listed period property. In addition, the listed mansion is being restored and the attractive grounds will be enhanced and maintained. Improvements to footpaths and bridleways in and around the site will also allow the general public to enjoy the restoration.

Cllr Neil Payne, ward councillor for Aldenham West, said "I am delighted to see that Octagon has won this prestigious award. It is a credit to all concerned with the development. As one of the ward councillors for Aldenham West, I was involved in pre-application discussions with Octagon and the Council's planners to ensure that the historic site of Wall Hall was restored, the green belt preserved and that the concerns of local residents were taken into consideration."

Richard Galland, Regional Managing Director of Octagon Developments, said: "We are extremely proud to have received this prestigious award and whilst we at Octagon already knew that the development was special it is gratifying to find that our peers within the industry agree.

"The planning stage of the development was a long and convoluted process not least because of the intervention by John Prescott. However, we sincerely believe that the many meetings and consultations with planners, councillors and local interest groups have resulted in a development that we should all be proud of and which will stand the test of time."