Council rethink over Hub plan could mean demolition for businesses

  • Several town centre businesses could have their premises demolished to make way for Hemel's 'neighbourhood health centre' Hub
  •  A new Dacorum Council plan published for consultation would mean demolition of buildings on Marlowes and Waterhouse St
  • The Council appears to have had second thoughts about putting the Hub on the middle of the Market Square itself
  • But the Council now suggests the health centre block would cover part of the area between the Square and The Full House
  • See the blue area marked 1 in the map below, listed as 'Health uses (footprint to be developed)'
  • The new plan could increase further the projected costs of the Hub, which have already reached £135m.
  • This is because few if any of the premises north of the square are apparently owned by the Council, unlike the Market Square itself
  • The document, 'Draft HGC Framework and Transformation Supplementary Planning Document' can be accessed via the link below (See pages 30-36) : https://letstalk.dacorum.gov.uk/46664/widgets/141177/documents/100775

 

 

 

by philip

Council and NHS bosses will mark Hospital's 200th - by working to close it

  • A big birthday is coming up for Hemel Hospital.
  • In September it will be exactly 200 years since the first doctors for a Hemel hospital were appointed 
  • And in January 1827 the first patients were admitted to what was then called the West Herts Infirmary, in Piccotts End.
  • How are Dacorum Council and NHS bosses celebrating?
  • They are working to end a tradition of inpatient beds in our town and closing the Hospital.
  • They are aiming to replace the Hospital with a 'neighbourhood health centre' in the Market Square
  • That's one way for the authorities to make history

by philip

New plan could improve Market Square - but will the Hub be big enough?

  • New plan could see the 'neighbourhood health centre' Hub located on a site bordering Market Square - instead of in the middle of it
  • A Dacorum Council document says 'The historic Market Square will be transformed into a vibrant civic space, inspired by the landscape character of the Jellicoe Water Gardens.' 
  • The document says the Market Square  'must reflect a naturalistic,semi-wild character'.  Ideas include planting and a water feature
  • But this would cause problems for the plan to close Hemel Hospital and replace it with the Hub
  • The original idea was to have a five/six storey Hub building in the middle of the Market Square, blocking views of the Water Gardens
  • The new plan suggests the Hub will instead be built along the northern border of the Square, towards the Full House end
  • The new, more natural, plan seems good news for Hemel's heritage and environment 
  • But is there enough room at the side of the Market Square for all the hospital services we need? Or will buildings need to be demolished to make room?
  • This paper will be discussed at the Council's Cabinet on 3 February (see pages 713-719):

https://democracy.dacorum.gov.uk/documents/g4140/Public%20reports%20pack%2003rd-Feb-2026%2019.30%20Cabinet.pdf?T=10

 

by philip

Inspectors demand explanations from Council over Hospital closure plan

  • Government-appointed inspectors are to press Dacorum Borough Council on its plan to close Hemel Hospital
  • The Council and the West Herts Trust aim to replace the Hospital with a 'neighbourhood health centre' Hub in the Market Square
  • Up to 600 flats would be built on the cleared current Hospital site
  • The independent expert inspectors are examining Dacorum's local plan 
  • They will question the Council  and others at public evidence sessions in March
  • Parking problems and the risk to Hemel's heritage will come up
  • The inspectors could require the Council to change the local plan document
  • That could make it harder for the Council and Trust to close the Hospital
  • The inspectors' questions include:
  1. Is allocation Hm03 [flats on the Hospital site], and replacement healthcare provision at Hm05 [Hub in Market Square], justified?
  2. Has appropriate account been taken of historic assets at or near Hm03 and Hm05, notably the grade II listed Tile Mosaic map in respect of Hm03 and the market square setting to the water gardens grade II registered park and garden, such that the allocations, and any criteria to them, are justified?
  3. Are allocations Hm03 and Hm05 justified, effective and consistent with national policy? If not, what modifications are required to make the Plan sound?

by philip

What we will lose if the Hub goes ahead

  • What Hemel will lose if the Hub goes ahead
  • Two pictures:
  1. Today: Market Square  from the Marlowes. Not perfect, but important and historic public space linking the Marlowes New Town to older parts of town in the Cotterells
  2. The future? If the Dacorum Council and West Herts Trust have their way, we will get five storeys of Hub infill plus a nice big sign.  Note: This is the Waterhouse Street side, not the Marlowes side.

 

         

 

 

 

 

 

by philip

Will the Water Gardens car parks be browned off?

  • Dacorum Council and housebuilders Hill Group are advertising the Water Gardens car parks as a  'brownfield opportunity'
  • Does this matter?
  • Yes - Government policy strongly favours development on brownfield sites. The Hub will need more parking.
  • If the Water Gardens car parks are put into the 'brownfield' category, planning permission for housing is very likely to be given
  • But national experts the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) have pointed out that with policy and target mechanisms implemented in the 1990s and early 2000s, the consensus was that :
  • 'much residential development output on brownfield land was of poor quality.
  • 'these approaches allowed the over-development of high-density, monolithic developments comprised largely of small one- and two-bedroom flats.'
  • 'The high-rise, high-density nature of many of the redevelopments raised concerns over ‘town cramming’.
  • 'Many developments provided inadequate public space and amenities, put too much pressure on existing services and design was out of keeping with the character of neighbourhoods.'
  • It may be that lessons have been learned since.
  • But on the other hand recent governments have encouraged brownfield building even more.
  • This is the link to the CPRE report - see section 1.2:

https://www.cpre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Better_Brownfield_web.pdf

Better_Brownfield_web

 

 

 

 

 

by philip

Water Gardens car parking could be 'intensified' to meet Hub demands

  • Dacorum Council has finally admitted that more car parking will be needed for the Market Square Health Hub
  • In the past, councillors have dismissed fears that the Water Gardens car parks would be too small to cope
  • A Council officer told last week's Finance Committee that more spaces would be needed in the Water Gardens car park area .
  • The extra parking would be part of the residential and other development closely bordering the historic Water Gardens
  • The officer said: 'there is potential to intensify parking in certain [Water Gardens site] areas which would free up development space which could be for both housing and leisure uses.'
  • That could mean extra floor[s] for the Water Gardens car park
  • That would complete a double whammy for the listed green space -
  • Planning also continues for the five-storey Market Square Health Hub just across the road 
  • Historic England fear that insensitive buildings would create a darkening 'canyon effect' for the Gardens. 
  • The heritage watchdog is opposed 'in principle' to the Hub, because it would mean 'the loss of an important area of open space
    and part of the urban design of the town.'

by philip

What will the Water Gardens area housing look like?

  • What will the affordable housing being planned for the Hemel Water Gardens car parks look like?
  • Housebuilders Hill Group are jointly making key decisions with Dacorum Council on the future shape of parts of the Borough.
  • It's called DIP - the Dacorum Investment Partnership
  • So it is worth looking at what Hill might be considering for the Water Gardens area
  • Hill built the large Gade apartment blocks in the Marlowes - top
  • But they also build smaller houses, like these illustrated, in Cambridgeshire 
  • The Hill Group website is here.

https://www.hill.co.uk/

 

 

 

 

 

by philip

Developers eye Water Gardens sites

  • Billion-pound-turnover housebuilder Hill Group is working with Dacorum Council on a plan for 'affordable housing' on Hemel's Water Gardens car parks
  • The scheme is not mentioned in the most recent Dacorum Local Plan
  • The listed Water Gardens are nationally celebrated for their innovative 1950s design and environmental value
  • A Hill Group/Dacorum 'feasibility study' will also cover the extra parking needed for the Market Square 'neighbourhood health centre'.
  • The car parks are currently well screened from the Water Gardens themselves by skilful planting
  • The Water Gardens sites are seen as a 'priority' for housing development under the Dacorum Investment Partnership (DIP)
  • DIP is a  a 50:50 controlled Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) between DBC and Hill Investment Partnerships
  • Detailed plans for these and other DIP schemes are being kept from the public 
  • The Council claims the full DIP investment plan must remain secret because it contains 'Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person'
  • The plans were set out in this committee paper: https://democracy.dacorum.gov.uk/documents/s49761/FR%20OSC%2014-01-26%20Dacorum%20Investment%20Partnership%20Plan.pdf
  • This is the agenda for the relevant Finance Committee meeting:

https://democracy.dacorum.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=130&MId=4077

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

by philip

Will billion-pound housebuilders have a say in the future of our Hospital?

  • Local health body seeks answers on role of major housebuilders in future of our Hospital and the Market Square and Water Gardens heritage sites
  • 'Dacorum Investment Partnership (DIP) was announced last year as 'an equal investment and decision-making collaboration between Dacorum Council and The Hill Group.' 
  • The Hill Group made record profits of £90m in 2024-25 on record turnover of over £1.1bn.
  • DIP will, according to the partners 'focus on meeting local housing needs and revitalising key town centre and neighbourhood sites.'
  • DBC says 'A key priority will be Hemel Hempstead town centre, where our Town Centre Vision sets out plans to transform it into a thriving culture and leisure hub.'
  • Dacorum Health Action Group (DHAG) has written to Dacorum Council Leader Sally Symington to ask whether The Hill Group has been or will be involved in decisions about developments on the current Hospital site, the Market Square or the Water Gardens.
  • The link to the DIP announcement is here:
  • https://www.dacorum.gov.uk/home/all-news/2025/08/11/investment-partnership-to-deliver-affordable-new-homes-and-regeneration

by philip