Land West of Tassell Hall, Redbourn

Public Consultation

Thank you for visiting this consultation website

Richborough is consulting the local community on plans for a new residential development at Land West of Tassell Hall, Redbourn. The proposals are for up to 265 new homes including 50% affordable homes, public open space, children’s play areas, nature trails, pedestrian and cycle connections, a landscaped area along the western boundary, and sustainable drainage systems. Vehicle access is proposed via Tassell Hall.

This consultation is being held prior to the submission of an outline planning application to share the current proposals for the site and to gain feedback from the local community. Richborough welcomes your thoughts and suggestions as we develop our proposals.

About Richborough

Richborough was founded in 2003 and is one of the UK’s most successful specialist land promotion businesses. Richborough supplies the commercial and housebuilding industries with consented land to accelerate the delivery of new homes and jobs.

Working in partnership with private and public sector landowners, estates, charities, trusts, dioceses and local stakeholders, Richborough promotes land via the planning system for residential, commercial and mixed-use development.

Focusing heavily on placemaking, local communities and how development can complement and enhance existing infrastructure, the Richborough land promotion model incentivises all parties to ensure that new homes and jobs will be delivered at the earliest opportunity. 

Site Location

The site is on the western edge of Redbourn and covers 14.9 hectares currently in arable use. The site is bordered by the M1 to the west and Tassell Hall to the east, with the northern section extending east to Lybury Lane, to the south lies Flamsteadbury Park.

Just beyond Flamsteadbury Lane is a proposed outline planning application for up to 300 homes submitted by Vistry Homes (Land At Gaddesden Lane) which is currently being considered by St Albans City and District Council.

The site is located predominantly in St Albans City and District Council, however, a small section of land sits within Dacorum Borough Council.

Planning Background

The majority of the site is allocated for residential development within St Albans emerging Local Plan under allocation ‘B3- West Redbourn’. The new Local Plan is expected to be adopted in Spring 2026.

The Vision

The overall design vision for the site is to:
  • create a healthy, safe and well-connected neighbourhood;
  • create its own character and identity, informed by the local setting;
  • respond to its landscape and built context, reflecting its scale, massing, density and orientation;
  • deliver a high-quality network of nature and water-based infrastructure, which promotes active travel, healthy living and local wildlife; and
  • design-in biodiversity and climate resilience.

To realise this vision, the illustrative masterplan includes:
  • landscaped streets providing safe cycle and walking routes, with connections to the wider area;
  • a network of open space to benefit residents’ health and well-being and to protect, enrich and create habitats for wildlife and nature;
  • high-quality and well-designed homes;
  • housing suitable for people at every stage of life;
  • low carbon homes with reduced energy use and electric vehicle charging provided; and
  • opportunities for self-build, low-carbon design homes.

 

 

Key principles

  1. Primary access point via Tassel Hall

  2. Primary vehicular movement

  3. Secondary street

  4. Focal square along primary movement routes

  5. Pedestrian active travel route

  6. Integration of existing public rights of ways

  7. Maximum retention of existing vegetation on site

  8. Area of play

  9. Sustainable urban drainage basins

  10. Active frontages to naturally surveil the retained PRoW

The numbers in this key relate to the numbers displayed on the aerial plan.

Key

 

Our proposals include:

  • up to 265 new homes, with a range of house types, sizes and tenures;
  • vehicular and pedestrian access from Tassell Hall;
  • 50% of houses to be affordable homes;
  • direct and convenient new pedestrian and cycle connectivity both within the site and to the wider area;
  • public open spaces integrating existing landscape features and green spaces including with circular walks and nature trails;
  • a commitment to securing 10% biodiversity net gain;
  • provision of homes that include a range of measures to reduce energy demand, improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon; and
  • financial contributions to the local authority to support local services.

New Homes 

There is a significant housing need in the area, with a shortage of affordable housing and a high level of demand. The South West Herts Local Housing Needs Assessment Update (2024) states that the median house price in St Albans stands at £625,000.

Richborough’s proposals will include 50% affordable homes and a range of house types.

The development will provide a variety of homes suitable for people at every stage of life. It will enhance local character with a locally distinctive design and an appropriate variation in density, styles and height to create character areas, with high-quality, well-designed homes.

Access and Transport

Vehicle access will be provided from a new priority T-junction with Tassell Hall.

Redbourn is a sustainably located large village, it is accessible to existing education, community facilities, other local services and has facilities all within reasonable walking distance.

There are nearby public transport connections. St Albans can be easily reached via bus (routes 34 and 307) in just over 30 minutes whilst Hemel Hempstead can be reached (service 46) in approximately 30 minutes.

To encourage local trips to be undertaken without a car, pedestrian and cycle routes will be provided within the site and will connect with the wider network and utilise existing Public Rights of Way (PRoW).

A full Transport Assessment will be undertaken as part of the planning process.

Landscape and Ecology

There are proposed enhancements to the existing boundaries, using native planting, and the creation of new areas of native tree and hedgerow planting.

A Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) is proposed, created from a mix of native broadleaved woodland and mixed scrub as mitigation for recreational impacts to Chiltern Beechwoods Special Areas of Conservation (SAC). The SANG will not only be attractive to local residents for recreational use, but will strengthen the west ecological corridor and provide more habitat for several species groups. 

The west boundary offers an opportunity to strengthen the existing ecological corridor with additional native planting including grassland and trees, to create habitats for a range of species groups, including bats, amphibians and invertebrates.

A sensitive lighting strategy will be proposed to ensure nocturnal species can utilise the green corridors.

There are a number of Public Rights of Way (PRoW) crossing the site and these will be protected and enhanced in green corridors.

To improve biodiversity the plans will:

  • Retain and enhance hedgerows onsite;
  • Include the creation of broadleaved woodland and mixed scrub improving the local biodiversity network;
  • Have planting of broadleaved native trees throughout the development;
  • Retain and enhance the west site boundary with native planting;
  • Where possible incorporate bee bricks, bat and swift boxes into buildings.

Overall, this would enhance landscape infrastructure and create a softer edge to Redbourn in this area.

Sustainable Drainage Systems

A sustainable drainage system will manage surface water runoff from the development. It will be designed to accommodate a 1 in 100-year plus climate change storm event.

Surface water flows will be conveyed to a basin along the southern boundary of the site, creating the opportunity for water meadows with benefits for nature and biodiversity.

Community Infrastructure

Richborough will enter into a Section 106 Agreement with St Albans City & District Council to provide necessary infrastructure and community facilities. The package of on-site infrastructure and off-site contributions will be refined through engagement with the Council and other key stakeholders once a planning application has been submitted. Contributions could include, recreation and community facilities, healthcare, public transport and libraries.

Next Steps

An outline application is due to be submitted in the coming months with timings dependent on a range of factors including the completion of the necessary technical work and the consultation process. Your response will help us shape the final proposals that will be submitted to St Albans City & District Council.

Following the submission of the application, St Albans City & District Council will undertake a period of statutory consultation on the proposals. At this stage, you will have the opportunity to submit your comments to the council before a decision is made.

Feedback

Thank you for reviewing these proposals. Your feedback is important to us and forms part of the public consultation process.

Please let us know if you have any comments on the proposals, including, for example, on the affordable homes, vehicle and pedestrian/cycle access, local housing needs, landscape plans, open space and play areas.

 

Your details will not be passed to any third-party organisations and will only be used internally by Engage Planning Ltd and Richborough, for the purposes of understanding your views on the proposals. Comments made on this form may be used to provide an example of the feedback received, although not attributed, as part of the report of this consultation and the Statement of Community Engagement. For the full privacy statement please see www.engageplanning.co.uk

Engage Planning Ltd, Warwick Innovation Centre, Warwick Technology Park, Warwick CV34 6UW

Please provide feedback by completing the form below by 11 January 2026.
Providing contact details is optional.

Further Information

Please contact:

Engage Planning Ltd
Warwick Innovation Centre
Warwick Technology Park
Warwick CV34 6UW

T: 01926 623095
E: info@engageplanning.co.uk